After corresponding with a friend, I've continued musing over whether or not to carry on writing about my infirmities as opposed to sticking to my original intent when I started this blog and just writing about cycling.
Here's the thing: I enjoy corresponding with friends I've made around the world, hearing about their adventures and yes, their non-cycling activities. I look forward to hearing from them and think about what they've said and done for a long time after.
But a blog is a "broadcast" medium. As a result, everyone hears how I'M doing so they don't bother to let me know what's going on with them. So I never hear from them.
Selfish person that I am, I miss that. But I'm neither that Machiavellian nor clever enough to consider stopping my blog so people will write to me. I was really only questioning whether my vast audience (both of you) would be interested in following my travails as I document my non-cycling woes. I also feel as though I'm turning into a bit of a whiner since all I ever write about is "I hurt", "my back hurts", "I can't get an appointment", "I can't sleep", "woe is me". I know were I reading that I'd pretty much feel like slapping the shit out of the author and saying "get over it".
But, apparently there's interest so I'll persist. At least for now. But you've got to drop me the occasional line in return. Fair enough?
One interesting, non-blog related thought. The initial Dr I consulted who ordered the MRI and referred me to the Orthopedic surgeon is a local guy who among other things consults with the Trek racing team and is a cyclist himself. During my visit with him, I asked him if I should ride the recumbent or diamond frame pre-surgery if my back eased up. He said the recumbent would be easier since the angle for my back is less acute and the normal position on a DF has you bending right at the L5/S1 joint which is where my herniated disc is located.
I asked the same question of the surgeon and he said without hesitation I should ride the DF.
Sigh.
So I guess I'll "exercise to tolerance" and see how it goes. Bear in mind that I rode 1200K with a fractured coccyx. Over cobblestones. Not those decorative cobblestones in front of your local Starbucks. Farm cobblestones made for pulling a horse drawn wagon hauling a few tons of vegetables to market. So my "tolerance" might be a little bit skewed.
Stay tuned for more updates (but only if I hear from you ;-) )
