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16 Nov |
At the crack of dawn Cycling, Day to Day Life
Comments (7) |
While progress has been made fighting the wild fires in southern California overnight, there is still the smell of smoke in the air, and the sky has that eerie look to it.
But even with all the devastation around us, it did make for one spectacular sunset last night, and it’s still a good excuse for not going on a bike ride this morning.
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15 Nov |
As LA burns Cycling, Day to Day Life
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Well if you happen to be living on another planet, or are more interested in the goings on at the G20 economic summit in Washington, I thought I’d let you know, LA is on fire (well at least the areas immediately surrounding LA). I’ve never experienced anything quite like this during my 26 years living in California.
The fires are so bad, the smell of smoke 45 miles to the north, and 30 miles to the east, is permeating the air, and the sky is heavily overcast from all the smoke and ash.
Even worse, hundreds of homes are burning, numerous freeways are closed, and the fires are threatening electrical power lines [and I think I even heard some electrical power plants] around LA.
WOW! It’s even difficult breathing outside, and we’re a long way from the fires. I can’t even imagine what it must be like closer to the fires.
I doubt there’ll be many people riding their bikes on the road for at least the next day or two. Although I wasn’t planning on riding this weekend, because my back is acting up again, at least now I’ve got a really good excuse.
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9 Oct |
Even the medical profession is slow Cycling, Day to Day Life, General Health, Treatments
Comments (2) |
It must be. Why else would the hand specialist be so ready to operate on my hand to correct my Dupuytren’s Contraction?
That sure wasn’t the response I was expecting when I went for my appointment with the hand specialist yesterday. I thought I would go in, and the doctor would look at my hand, and say it wasn’t that bad, and I should just keep an eye on it making sure it doesn’t get any worse, and then come back in a couple of months for a follow up.
Needless to say, I was caught completely off guard. I really wasn’t ready for this. I had heard horror stories about the pain associated with the operation, and proceeding would obviously put a crimp in my cycling. I was hoping he would propose the use of injectable collagenese. That I would have gone for.
But no, the doctor indicated injectable collagenese hasn’t been approved for use just yet. BUMMER!
So now I have to make a decision. Do I or don’t I want to risk the operation?
The doctor was very reassuring, trying to allay my concerns, stating that since my contraction had not progessed that far (30°), it wouldn’t be a difficult operation, and he thought I could be back on the bike in about 3 weeks. He did indicate I could watch and wait (something most lymphoma patients are very familiar with), if I wasn’t quite ready, but to keep a close eye on it, and make sure it doesn’t progress too far. Then it could become a problem
I just don’t know. The horror stories I’ve heard, still linger in the back of my mind, but I did put my name on the list to be called, to set up a time for the operation anywaze. I don’t have to have the operation right away, and could schedule it for a few months from now when the weather is not very conducive for riding.
Oh well, such is life 
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19 Aug |
Not sure how to feel Cycling, Diagnosis, Edie, My MCL
Comments (1) |
Just got my latest blood work today, and I don’t know whether to be happy or concerned.
My lymphocytes dropped from 120 thou/cumm to 93 thou/cumm, which is good, but my hemoglobin dropped to 11.6 g/dl, my platelets dropped to 185 thou/mcl and my LDH was up to 160 IU/L, which are all bad trends. (No mention of polychromasia.)
Now while my hemoglobin and platelets have been down at those levels before, this is the highest my LDH has been since it was at 153 IU/L back in January.
[BIG SIGH] I just hate this! The prospect of starting treatment any time soon weighs so heavily on my mind now, especially since Edie has decided she wants to try and go for the transplant again, I can’t seem to think rationally any more.
I’m hoping racing at Eldorado tonight will clear my mind.