Winter Solstice

 I mentioned in my last blog, that it was essential for me to get back on the bike as soon as possible after my accident. I simply cannot let accidents set me back.   Because I had to return the loaner to St David’s, we bought a new bike or rather a trike.  The twenty year advances in technology from my borrowed St. David’s trike to my new one, Catrike, are astonishing. It is leagues ahead in seating, configuration, pedaling, steering and shifting, It is compact, comfortable and a beautiful lava red. It has disc brakes, the equivalent of 27 gear choices, tighter steering, etc. These advancements allowed me to shave two minutes off my loop time today.  Currently because of my accident, Bob will only let me ride close to home. Bob requires that I wear a helmet since as he says:  “I’m traveling with no spare, remember.”

Ultimately, I will travel farther and farther and this will become my freedom machine.  I won’t have to take a caregiver whenever I leave the house.  I have visited the neighbors for the first time since our cul-de-sac party four years ago.   I stay out as long as I want.  Unsolicited, the neighbors all commented on the lighted metal palm and how much they like it.  We call it our winter solstice with thoughts of summer. When on my trike my thoughts are consumed with my freedom and not being a burden on anyone.  

a funny thing happened . . .

My last line on my last blog on Thanksgiving Day was:  on this Thanksgiving Day, I am thankful just to be here when I wrote this I wasn’t thinking about the fact that I did almost die as a result of my stroke.  I was thinking that the world is a wonderful place and I’m glad to be in it.

 On Thanksgiving Day I went for a bike ride on my loaner recumbent trike from St David’s rehab. We were going to our neighbors for dinner so I just wanted a quick ride to work off breakfast.   I remember turning right off of our street to first go up the steep hill.   The next thing I knew I’m in an emergency room having crashed the trike by going downhill too fast, turning too quickly, rolling the bike, finding myself in a ditch and yelling for help.  Fortunately, Bob was in our driveway and heard my call for help.  He found me in the ditch put me on the bike and rolled me back home and up our steep driveway with me on it. While heading home he was asking me my name, his name, where we lived, who our President was, etc.  I could not answer any of the questions so he took me to the emergency room.  After tests and consults, the decision was to transfer me to Brackenridge hospital.  Because I take a blood thinner and the CAT scan revealed a brain bleed, they wanted to keep me under surveillance for 24 hours. The next day I was released at about 2:00 and my craving for a Thanksgiving meal was powerful. Fortunately, our thoughtful neighbors brought leftovers from their meal that I missed. I had no idea when I wrote that last line that I might not be in it the next day. None of us ever know so two days later, I picked up my bruised ego and got on my trike because glad I am here to ride again. Theodore Roosevelt said:  “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”