cycling with chronic medical conditions

[MartinQ]

Try signing up to one of the sky rides that are widespread. Often they're more social and have a range of abilities. Having a regular slot (weekend) might help with the motivation. Similarly, one of our shops has a social ride on Saturday morning and a speedy one on Sunday morning. The Saturday one attracts a range of abilities and has a good social element. As above, you've got to cycle within your capabilities but they may cover ~25 miles over 2-3 hrs (with a stop) and making a few mates is always good for motivation.

 

[gbb]

Dont set out to do too much, ride within yourself and if thats only 5 miles, then thats better than nothing..and if you're struggling for motivavtion, even 5 miles is an achievement.
Various (now probably permanent) lung problems for me have kept me mostly off the bike for 18 months. The specialists recommend I do as much as possible, but the motivation is hard, I'm almost considering myself an ex cyclist...yet I keep pushing when I do go out, determined to try to retain a little something of my former fitness...and TBF, I still surprise myself that some of it still remains, which is heartening.
Every little helps, half an hour regularly is good, I dont like to even think about major mileage anymore, shorter track and trail riding is more visually enjoyable, and less physically taxing while you build up some sort of fitness again. I'll never regain what I had, so its finding whats achievable and riding within that.

 

[Mrs M]

Broken and dislocated pelvis, joint fused with plates and screws. Stiffness worse in cold weather and find the motivation to go for a spin isn't there at times. However once I have reminded myself that I am "bionic" and can do anything, lol, I force myself to go out and usually thoroughly enjoy the run. If it's just not fun I turn back and go home, least I tried.
Well done for trying to keep well, hope it gets easier

 

[Colin_P]

Yep, and sometimes it is difficult to get up out of chair.

I've suffered numerous Cardiac Arrests, not heart attacks, heart attacks are plumbing, cardiac arrests are where your heart just stops. Not had one on the bike yet but do have an Implanted Cardioverter Defibrillator lurking in my chest to zap me back whenever it does happen.

I did start a Survivors thread on here for anyone who is overcoming serious health issues. A lot of the stories are very humbling.
http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/any-survivors-on-here-cardiac-arrest-heart-attack-cancer.164623/

The last episode I had was only three weeks ago where I was hospitalised for the weekend, hospital, the cardio ward anyway, is like a home from home for me. In the three weeks since I've done a lot of cycling, all be it short rides but I've been out there almost every day. It is a state of mind mostly. It is very easy to get down in the dumps and not get out of the chair.

[edit]

Just been looking at the Cycle Chat Strava group and for last week I ranked 115/260 who actually went out on their bikes last week. This is out of 451 total Cycle Chat members who are on Strava.

It would be great to a see another Cycle Chat group set up for those of us who are suffering various aliments so we could bounce off each others efforts for motivation and encouragement.

 

[numbnuts]

Reading this thread it looks like cyclists are not that fit after all......but we've all trying so well done

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Reading this thread it looks like cyclists are not that fit after all......but we've all trying so well done

Don't confuse fitness with health! I am fit, and am just not very healthy!

 

[Saluki]

I also have a chronic wrist issue and yes it did force me off the bike for 7 years (didn't know about recumbents then), but there are ways and means of dealing with most of my wrist issues (mine was dislocating 20-30 times a day and I was living in chronic pain due to nerve damage, dislocation and some of the bones are dead as well - the dislocating is now thankfully resolved though my other wrist now dislocates 5 or so times a day, but I can cope with that)).

So my thoughts are; are you also giving up driving? My wrist issues affected my driving as well, not to mention swimming and normal day to day activities - I had to quit on my chosen career path and re-train. I have spent over half my life (and I don't mean half my adult life) with my wrist in a permanent non-flexing support. I still ride and I still need that support from time to time even now - it has only been out of support for the last 4 years. I don't for one minute doubt that I will at some point have to give up my road bike use, I have also had to give up any hope of ever driving a manual car again (though I don't need the steering ball anymore) and have had to give up things such as the ironing, washing of dishes and have had to learn to write with my right hand. I also have to accept that I am not as physically strong as others, and often have to get cashiers or shop keepers to open bottles for me when I purchase them.

I don't know what the wrist issues you have are, so I can't comment on whether giving up is the best option, but it does (from my personal point of view) seem rather like quitting rather than fighting but I also don't know how much you enjoyed cycling previously. I know I am not ready to quit fighting to do something I enjoy, even if motivation at the moment is rather hard to find.

Blimey @SatNavSaysStraightOn There I am whinging about a bad break that's healed really wonkily. It doesn't dislocate but it hurts most of the time and feels like its on fire with a burning pain some of the time. Your wrist issues sound like an absolute nightmare and now I feel a right old fraud.
To be honest, I don't drive as much as I used to as sudden steering movements used to hurt so much. Good power steering is a Godsend. I get more problems on my MTB than I do on my Roadie and learning guitar has given me so much more movement with the wrist than 4 years of physio ever did.

@terry_gardener I don't feel motivated to ride my bike at the moment as I have a lot on but then I feel really rotten for missing out on riding in some gorgeous weather that we've been having (not today though, it's all dull and overcast so I'm happy to continue to try and make this flat nice). I have a rather 'interesting' back and a stupid wrist. I also have a lot of nerve damage in my left arm which left me right handed. Then breaking the right wrist and making a proper job of that as now forced me to use the left hand which doesn't work properly. Riding my bike makes me forget all of that, in fact my back is happier on the bike than it is off the bike.

Riding in the cooler weather is much harder - motivation wise - than riding in lovely warm sunshine. I do find that a nice ride in the autumn is lovely though, especially when it's not raining. Have you thought of taking a camera with you and hunting out nice shots or taking up geocaching and riding to find caches. We used to do a fair bit of that, not so much at the moment but we will do that again. I too would suggest finding a ride buddy, it makes riding more fun.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Blimey @SatNavSaysStraightOn There I am whinging about a bad break that's healed really wonkily. It doesn't dislocate but it hurts most of the time and feels like its on fire with a burning pain some of the time. Your wrist issues sound like an absolute nightmare and now I feel a right old fraud.
To be honest, I don't drive as much as I used to as sudden steering movements used to hurt so much. Good power steering is a Godsend. I get more problems on my MTB than I do on my Roadie and learning guitar has given me so much more movement with the wrist than 4 years of physio ever did.

my wrist took 11 operations (some of them with 4 or 5 procedures during each op and 7-8 day stays in hospital) to 'sort'. I don't feel much pain from it anymore not because it is not in pain, it is, but because I got to the point where I could not cope mentally anymore and 2 surgeons (the top 2 in their field in the country) and a physiatrist had to all agreed that severing the nerves was the best way forward. I had at one point threatened to do it myself! I was that desperate. I didn't;t want to end my life, just stop the pain and as far as I was concerned then, the limb was of little use to me because it had effectively been in plaster for 10 years at that point and I could not use it. It took another 5 years before that non-flexing support was no longer needed, but I started to get the help I needed after the first 10 years!

There are obvious downsides as well as good sides. Good point are I don't feel the nerve pain anymore. The bad side is that I also don't feel the nerve pain anymore... I have to be careful, very careful because I can and do frequently hurt myself and not know about it and not just with the left arm (I am also slightly paralysed down the same side of the body - it was the original same accident that caused the various problems). I can't easily tell hot from cold ( boiling water feels much the same as freezing water and I need significant damage done to know there is an issue and I was previously left handed!) and I frequently drop things - I can tell I am holding something, but not how well I am holding it. Put into perspective, the dog attack that left me needing +100 stitches - I never felt a thing pain wise even afterwards, but I distinctly remember the dog's warm breath on my leg! - but I much prefer it to what I was living in/with before.

But I am lucky - seriously lucky, my chronic pain was in a limb I can live without if absolutely necessary. Others, like yourself are not so lucky. Pain is exceptionally debilitating - my chronic pain was one of the easier ones to deal with, even if it did take 15 years to stabilise the wrist and severe the nerves professionally! You have my sympathies and I think it takes someone much stronger than me to live with knowing there is little that can be done, as opposed to little that the NHS are prepared to do which was where I was. That is the difference and there are plenty of people out there in more pain than I am now.

 

[Mrs M]

my wrist took 11 operations (some of them with 4 or 5 procedures during each op and 7-8 day stays in hospital) to 'sort'. I don't feel much pain from it anymore not because it is not in pain, it is, but because I got to the point where I could not cope mentally anymore and 2 surgeons (the top 2 in their field in the country) and a physiatrist had to all agreed that severing the nerves was the best way forward. I had at one point threatened to do it myself! I was that desperate. I didn't;t want to end my life, just stop the pain and as far as I was concerned then, the limb was of little use to me because it had effectively been in plaster for 10 years at that point and I could not use it. It took another 5 years before that non-flexing support was no longer needed, but I started to get the help I needed after the first 10 years!

There are obvious downsides as well as good sides. Good point are I don't feel the nerve pain anymore. The bad side is that I also don't feel the nerve pain anymore... I have to be careful, very careful because I can and do frequently hurt myself and not know about it and not just with the left arm (I am also slightly paralysed down the same side of the body - it was the original same accident that caused the various problems). I can't easily tell hot from cold ( boiling water feels much the same as freezing water and I need significant damage done to know there is an issue and I was previously left handed!) and I frequently drop things - I can tell I am holding something, but not how well I am holding it. Put into perspective, the dog attack that left me needing +100 stitches - I never felt a thing pain wise even afterwards, but I distinctly remember the dog's warm breath on my leg! - but I much prefer it to what I was living in/with before.

But I am lucky - seriously lucky, my chronic pain was in a limb I can live without if absolutely necessary. Others, like yourself are not so lucky. Pain is exceptionally debilitating - my chronic pain was one of the easier ones to deal with, even if it did take 15 years to stabilise the wrist and severe the nerves professionally! You have my sympathies and I think it takes someone much stronger than me to live with knowing there is little that can be done, as opposed to little that the NHS are prepared to do which was where I was. That is the difference and there are plenty of people out there in more pain than I am now.

A very brave and inspiring young lady, would take me hat off to you if I was wearin one, best wishes from Tommy and myself

 

[MartinQ]

Reading this thread it looks like cyclists are not that fit after all......but we've all trying so well done

I'm very trying ...

 

[Mrs M]

I'm very trying ...

Me too!

 

[terry_gardener]

i thought i mention that i managed to get out the house today (after 4 hours at work) and go for a bike ride despite the strong wind and dull weather ended up doing 6.45 miles at 8mph avg had slight pain in left stomach but not bad also had headache. would like to say thank you to all and try to keep going as much as you can i know it is very difficult.
it is not easy living with chronic medical conditions but we have to keep going the best we can, good luck to us all.

 

[MartinQ]

That's better than me. I'm off the bike for a few weeks after an operation for an autoimmune problem. Won't say which one and what they did, but let's just say Kenneth Williams would have a field day:

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Tis also better than me as well.
I over did it yesterday (emergency tree felling at my parents home after calling round to check on the property whilst they are away), spent all of this morning asleep and all of this afternoon in front of the TV... hopefully I will be a touch better tomorrow, otherwise it is back onto double steroids on Tuesday.