Preparing for my colonography

 General Health, Health Care, My MCL  2 Responses »
Oct 022011
 

No, that isn’t a mistake in the title. Because of my enlarged spleen (which can get in the way of the scope), and the potential problems as a result of that, my doctor has obliged my request for a colonography in lieu of the standard colonoscopy.

The only advantage to a colonography being, I won’t have to endure the torture of having someone stick a 10 foot probe up my butt.  I still have to go through the standard cleansing process (the second most difficult part of this entire ordeal), plus if anything is discovered during the colonography, I may still have to go through the torture of a standard colonoscopy anyways.

The other problem with the colonography is I will be exposed to radiation from the CT scanning machine, which is how a colonography is performed, and all the problems associated with that. At least I’ve not been exposed to much artificial radiation in the past 8 years, having had only one CT scan, and I think one X-ray, during that time frame.

So as I sit here writing this post, not going for a bike ride, and pondering [dreading] the start of the cleansing process (which begins at 10 AM), I’m wondering if it’s even worth it. Do I really want to know if I’m any sicker than I already am?

The higher the high

 My MCL  3 Responses »
Aug 182010
 

The further there is to fall.

As if it wasn’t bad enough I started having withdrawal pains Monday night about not riding my bike, after not riding for about a week, and then over sleeping yesterday morning, and not able to get a ride in before work [and it was too hot afterwards], today I had a visit with my oncologist, and discovered my platelets dropped to a minuscule 112 thou/cumm, well below the norm of 140 to 400 thou/cumm.

I had noticed a little more fullness in my spleen the last couple of days, but that isn’t really anything unusual. I often have those feelings. They come and go all the time. Even this morning they seemed to have dissipated, and I felt good riding the bike, but that was before seeing my oncologist.

Of course now I am experiencing a sensation of fullness again, along with a some feelings of trepidation. Low platelets and fullness in the spleen is a good indication of a malfunctioning spleen, especially when all my other counts were essentially stable.

It’s as if I’m being punished for having had such a great time this past weekend, and/or pissing off that friend of mine a week or two ago.

My best hope is it was a lab error, and if not, a few good hard bike rides, might shock my body into recovering. I will definitely be riding my bike into work tomorrow.

Or maybe it’s the 1000 IU of vitamin D I just started taking a couple of weeks ago. I knew there was a reason I don’t like taking supplements.

Oh well, stay tuned. I’ll know more next week. I’ve got another blood test scheduled for Monday.

As if life wasn’t tough enough already

 Cycling, Life  1 Response »
May 302010
 

Cycling is a dangerous sport. I know, because I’ve had my share of accidents. Fortunately, the only thing I’ve ever broken was my wrist and thumb, about 25 years ago, but I have had my share of road rash along the way, and even a slight concussion in November of ’05, which got me started on this blog.

Since then I’ve been pretty lucky. I’ve had one or two close calls, but basically nothing [that I can remember]. Even the thought of an accident seldom enters my mind. That is, up until yesterday, when an accident occurred during the group ride.

Saturdays is our normal pace line training loop (the Hammer Zone) around the streets of Seal Beach. It was a little unusual because we had caught the first [faster] group, and no one seemed to be pushing the pace. It was a nice comfortable 25 or 26 mph pace. There are a few spots where the pace always picks up regardless (usually around turns), so it’s easiest if you move towards the front before those points, and then get back on the back as the group goes by. And it was at one of those points where the accident occurred.

As we were coming down off the 405 overpass, heading south on Valley View, a truck was coming off the freeway, which split the group. I was fortunately in the front group, but didn’t really realize that until a short time later when I briefly turned around, and discovered no one was behind me. I suspected something was wrong, but at that point there was not much I could do, so I headed over to the coffee shop and learned of the accident when everyone returned.

Apparently as the riders, who got caught behind the truck, attempted to accelerate to catch us, someone veered off course into another rider causing a chain reaction. Fortunately no one was hurt seriously, but a number of riders went down, and there was a lot of road rash.

So just how lucky was I to avoid that accident? After sitting in on the back for the majority of the ride, the one time I decide to move towards the front, an accident occurs behind me.

Normally I wouldn’t give this a second thought, but there has been talk lately about eliminating the hammer zone ride. Sure it can be dangerous, but any time there is a big group of riders, accidents can occur. Accidents can even occur when you’re riding by yourself, or going slow. Of course accidents at high speed are typically more serious, and me, with my enlarged spleen, makes it more problematic, due to a higher likelihood of rupture. And I can’t be that lucky all the time.

So why does this have to occur now, especially when I have so many other things on my mind? I just hate this s*/^. Even today’s ride seemed to lack its normal pizazz, no doubt due to yesterdays accident.

I love cycling, and Saturday’s Hammer Zone is one of favorite rides, and I sure don’t need to be dwelling on the dangers of cycling, because I’m worried about my spleen. Heck, if that were the case I should just give up cycling altogether, and go back to playing golf.

I could do that. Some people might even recommend it, but then the disease would be controlling my life, and it really should be the other way around. Otherwise it wouldn’t be much of a life. At least that’s the way I see it.

Oh well, such is life. I guess I’m just going to have to find some way to put everything out of mind, lest I go mad, or even worse decide to give up cycling altogether.