For the past several months I have been trying to get back onto the bike. It seems that no matter how hard I try something keeps raising it's ugly head to get in the way.
I haven't been blogging much as I haven't been riding much, so it appears the squelching of one thing I love effects another, blogging. I've let that happen, no-one else, me and me alone. Since taking up cycling again several years ago, blogging has become as much a part of that joy as the bike itself.
Anyway, I'm planning to stop that...
I have been diagnosed with some relatively serious knee complaints. The first being the medial meniscus on my right knee. Along with that, I have ligament strain, fluid on the knee and significant arthritic degeneration.
Some months ago I noticed knee pain, and after a day on the ride on mower at work, or even a short drive in the car (which wasn't often) significant pain arose. It made it difficult to walk, but appeared to settle over night.
After some weeks of the on and off nature of the pain I ended up in excruciating pain. I had just started to do some relief work at a new school, and the more time went on, the worse the pain became.
Part of my primary job is only a few kilometers away and although I had been able to manage the short ride, it was difficult to say the least.
I have been wanting to do some more exploring on the bike, just day trips, with the odd weekend away thrown in for good measure. But it hasn't seemed to happen. As the knee has settled and I have had the occasional fifteen or so kilometer ride, I just haven't seemed to get things in motion.
The relief job I was doing has now become permanent and being twenty kilometers from home, and being a reasonably flat course, seemed to be the perfect opportunity to ride, vlog and enjoy my pedal powered beauty once again.
Sounds great doesn't it? Well, woe is me, I've ended up with a bloody bad case of man flu, yes man flu...and we all know how bad that can be. Stay with me, I'm painting the picture for you...
Ah well, it's just the flu, I'll get over it in a couple for days and start from there. This friggin' thing has hung around for nigh on three weeks now. Just after starting the new job, I've had to have nearly two weeks off work. OK, it's a little worse than I first thought, it'll end and I'll start from there.
Right, let's get back to the knee. In all this I had been referred to an Orthopedic Specialist by my G.P. Last Friday I met with him and now in a month I will be on the table and under the knife getting the knee seen to. Even though that is great news, and it is, it now seems that I will be off work for six weeks and on crutches for the first two. Along with this, there will be no riding for this six week period, and possibly longer, pending the recovery process. I am not allowed to drive for this period either, which doesn't trouble me in the slightest, as we all know how much I hate that.
So the plan now...just get over this lurgy first, which will hopefully be by the weekend. I am back at work, but only just. Come Sunday I am hoping to go for a light thirty or so kilometers and start on my long time planned cycling vlog. So keep an eye on my YouTube channel for that.
My weight has increased way too much and too fast. That coupled with my past life as a truck driver has taken it's toll on my body. Once the weight was gone, the symptoms were as well.
I had the left knee done many years ago and have no problems since, so this is good news. Other good news is that the right knee will follow suit. It won't be perfect, but will be better. Hey, if can get me back on my bike, and get doing some hiking again, I'm all for it.
More good news is that I have escaped a full knee replacement. Although it is probably necessary, at 55 years of age the Doc wants to hold of on it for a while. He hopes to clean the area up enough to give me another five years at least. It will be inevitable, but the bullet has been dodged temporarily.
Anyway, that is the update. I've decided that just because the cycling is on restricted access doesn't mean the blogging has to be as well. I have plenty of gear I can review, and other shit I can ramble on about if your interested...
Let's leave it there for this one...
Cheers all, and as always, ride safe.
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