Month: March 2020

Igor and the Dead

I went back to Dr. Pain today. I only dealt with her assistant Igor. We talked about 20 minutes. We decided that my left leg is in reasonable shape, but that a more pressing issue is the random, sharp pain I’ve been getting across my lower back. So rather than get another set of injections for my left leg, I am getting a different kind of injection for the lower back pain. Igor assured me that this injection will be significantly less painful.

The process has three steps. I get an injection next Monday. Wait a couple of weeks and, if it helps, I get another. Then if that works I get one final injection.

There is no guarantee if any of these injections will work or, if they do, how long the relief will last.

(Note: I am totally kidding about Igor in the sense that my doctor’s assistant is not some deformed man who says things like “Yes, master” and “Brains!” Igor is in fact a not-at-all deformed woman in her early 30s (a guess). She’s smart, conscientious, and considerably better looking than Dr. Frankenstein’s assistant. )

After the appointment I jumped on The Mule to enjoy the 70-degree weather we had today. I rode to the Congressional Cemetery on the east side of Capitol Hill. It’s an old cemetery that is still accepting new permanent guests, so to speak. It also is a bit of an oasis for Hill East residents who jog, take a stroll, or walk their dogs there.

I wandered around for about a half hour. One thing that struck me is that no matter how important you may have thought you were in life, in death you end up in the same place as a clerk at the 7-11, pushing up daisies. You likely will be forgotten no matter how ostentatious your grave is. That said, here are a few pictures.

Bitch set me up!
I wonder where Clyde Tolson is
Best epitaph
All politics is local
Nats fan
Doggone doggos
The father of gerrymandering
The father of gerrymandering
Doggone doggos
Nats fan
All politics is local
Best epitaph
I wonder where Clyde Tolson is
Bitch set me up!

Spring forward

The shift to daylight savings time is always a problem for sleeping. It doesn’t help much when you are twice woken up by sharp pains in your lower back. Apparently I was rolling over when the pain hit. It felt like someone was sticking a needle in me. When I did get out of bed, I had a sharp pain across my lower back.

Four hours later my back felt fine. Go figure.

I did some light work around the house. I was surprised that my lower back didn’t start aching until I’d been going at it for over an hour.

Next up was a ride up the Mount Vernon Trail to DC to check out the first blossoming trees of the year. The Enid Haupt Garden is situated at the rear of the Smithsonian castle. The flower beds had been planted and the magnolia trees were in the first stages of bloom. (The blossoms weren’t open but they were colorful nonetheless.)

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There was a controlled burn about 35 miles to the southeast. This accounts for the slight haze in what otherwise would have been a perfect spring sky.

I then rode down the national Mall slaloming through scores of tourists along the way. The reflecting pool between the World War II Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial had been emptied.  I couldn’t resist going for a ride in it. I had lots of company.

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The ride home was into the wind. I didn’t mind.

Time to hit the hay. That lost hour of sleep is catching up with me.

Four weeks

Today marked four weeks since I received epidural injections of cortisone. My condition continues to fluctuate. The referred pain in my left leg and hip is mostly gone. I can’t tell if this is the result of the cortisone or the fact that I am wary of doing much on my feet.

I had a nasty back spasm in my lower right back and pelvis earlier in the week. It left me doubled over and in considerable pain. Ibuprofen and rest fixed it but obviously this shouldn’t be happening.

I get little stabbing reminders that feel like the same sort of spasm is about to hit then they go away. Much of the time I feel like my lower back or my leg is about to go haywire but it doesn’t. It’s as if my body is taunting me. To say that this is frustrating is an understatement.

One thing I did do this week was ready my lawn mower for spring. In the process I found out that the blade wouldn’t come off. I tried force, WD40, and a solvent. Nothing worked. So I lifted the mower into the trunk of my car and took it to a repair shop. The point here is that I lifted this ungainly metal thing and moved it around without totally messing up my back. I think if it had weighed five more pounds I would have regretted my decision.

I also went for a flat two mile walk in Huntley Meadows Park. I made it about five minutes before my lower back started to ache. After another five minutes I started using a cane. I stopped a few times to take in the view. This helped my back quite a lot. I made it the entire way without problem but my walking mechanics are still not quite right.

I go back to the pain doctor on Monday. I’ll be interested to see what she says. Do I get another injection or not? My plans for the spring and the summer are on hold until I have some idea what my body will be able to tolerate. Can I sleep in a tent? Can I ride long distances day after day? We’ll see.

One thing to keep in mind is that steroid injections can cause a temporary decrease in immunity. Normally, I wouldn’t give this a second thought but it would be bad news to be exposed to the coronavirus after having another shot.

As far as biking is concerned, I’m back to averaging about 30 miles per day (with one day off per week). I feel strong except for the fact that winter’s weight gain isn’t doing me any favors on hills. I’ve ridden a few days in shorts which seems to help my mechanics, not to mention my frame of mind. My knee and hip problems from last summer are gone.

This morning I rode to and from Friday Coffee Club in DC, a 29-mile round trip. As I got underway, I saw the edge of a storm front that looked like a mountain range in the predawn light.

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This brought to mind the gradual approach to the Rockies in Montana in 2018. I sure hope I can get back out on the open road this summer.

Bike to What Day?

Okay, technically, I don’t work. But I hear most people do. How convenient because National Bike to Work Day happens every year on the third Friday in May. This year that will be May 15.  And registration is now open here in the DC area.

It’s the perfect opportunity to try bike commuting. You can ride alone, with a friend, or in a caravan (or should that be a bikavan?). Along the way you can hit your designated pitstop. That’s where you’ll find your free t-shirt and other free stuff.

Did I mention that Bike to Work Day is free?

And if you’re really rambunctious you can stop at other pitstops and pick up more free stuff.  (Pro tip: bring a spare pannier for all your free goodies.)

Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose, right?

You might be late for work. What do you mean your boss doesn’t like it when she’s late to work. Put a Bike to Work Day sign on her door. Then sign her up. Better yet tell your HR manager. Put a sign on his door. Sign him up too.

If you don’t work, invent a job. I am the Chief Executive Officer and President of the Rootchopper Institute.  (We’re still working on that all important mission statement.)

After work there are happy hours which is a good thing because you will be happy. Trust me. These aren’t free. You won’t care.

So click the link below and sign up. Act now. Don’t delay. Limited time offer. Restrictions apply. Blah blah blah.

https://www.biketoworkmetrodc.org/

 

 

 

 

It started out okay then…

Today’s bike ride was supposed to be a test of the saddle position on The Mule. Before I began, I slid the saddle back a couple of millimeters on its rails. I could tell immediately that I had hit the sweet spot. It felt perfect.

Cause for celebration right?

About a half mile into the ride, I noticed the speed on my bicycle computer was toggling up and down at random. I thought maybe there was some electrical interference from my phone but after several adjustments (e.g., removing my phone from my handlebar bag, removing my keys with its Tile device from the bag, turning off my phone altogether) I realized that my trusty bike computer was kaput.

Making lemonade from lemons, I decided to ride to bike shops in search of a new computer.

I rode to Conte’s bike shop in Old Town but didn’t see anything that floated my boat in their display case. Next I rode up the King Street bike lanes to Spokes Etc. on Quaker Lane. They had a nice one but it only displayed four digits for total trip distance. Since my bike has over 56,200 miles on its odometer, this wouldn’t do.

So I headed out King Street to REI in Baileys Crossroads. There being no bike lane beyond Quaker Lane, just gobs of cars piloted by impatient drivers, this would prove to be a rather unpleasant experience. As is obvious, I survived the ordeal but it wasn’t much fun.

At REI I decided to roll The Mule up the five steps to the front door instead of walking to the far side of the doorway to use the ramp. What could go wrong?

Halfway up the steps my lower back seized up with a spike of pain the likes of which I haven’t felt in months. I stopped, took a second to let the pain subside, then pushed The Mule to the landing in front of the door.

REI had a bike computer that did all the tricks I wanted so I bought it. The wait in line was rather painful but my back stayed calm.

I used the ramp leaving the store. Duh. Then rode hilly Carlyn Springs Road to the W&OD Trail. The fact that I could get on my bike and ride it up hills without pain tells me that this episode was a spinal issue not a muscle issue.

I rode home without another back episode. My new saddle position caused me no pain of any sort, even my left knee cap stopped barking at me.

At home I installed the new computer on my bike. Its display is about 50 percent bigger than my old one. Now I can see clearly how slow I am. Then again, if I want an ego boost I just switch to odometer mode: 56,229 miles.

The Mule abides even if my back doesn’t.