The blog of the thirty-something fag- May Edition 2007
"The art of medicine consists in amusing the patient while nature cures the disease."
 Voltaire (1694 - 1778)

"Doctors don't know everything really. They understand matter, not spirit. And you and I live in spirit."
 William Saroyan (1908 - 1981)

May 23rd- 2007
Rider Down

Scary Morning on Chevy Chase
Yesterday quite possibly could have turned out to be the worst day of the year, when I lead a training ride down Chevy Chase Rd, and my trainee lost control of his bike at more than 30 mph.

We were rounding a turn, and soon into it I knew that I was going too fast~ then I realized that Bradley as right behind me, and he definately wasn't going to make this turn.

The sounds of him going down, verbally expressing his dismay and the eventually "Ugh" and "thud" and "OWE!" broke my heart as I strained on my brakes to turn my bike around. I found him in a twisted pile on the meridian, and I couldn't run up that hill fast enough it seemed. I thought I was going to have a heart attack, all I could think was " Please God, don't let him have any broken bones, no fractures PLEASE!"

I dragged Bradley to the side of the road, checked him over quickly for bleeding, and called 911.

He was bruised, cut, some road rash on his side, a strained wrist, but otherwise o.k.
After the medics left, and we got up to roll down the hill to the Walgreens to get some bandages and Neosporin, I was fighting back with every fibre to keep from having a stress cry, It was that harrowing.

Bradley I can't apologize to you enough, I am so sorry I put you into such a dangerous situation. I hope you can see the severity of it, and forgive me. This situation will Never happen again, not on my watch.

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May 20th- 2007
Tommy Gaebel in Concert

I played to a small crowd on Sunday, Jay provided the equipment, marni set up the venue, and the crowd was quite ghappy with the show.

The top hits for the evening?: "Parker Lee", and "Half Past Two".

I posted an expert from "My Dear Linda Jean" on You tube.
Check it out- the crowd had a great time, and so did I.

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May 18th- 2007

Parolled!!

So it seems they did find something, but it had NOTHING to do with why I went to the hospital in the first place.

Vasovagal syncope is all about the relationship between your heart and your brain. In simple terms? I'm a fainter.
We knew this, but according to my Cardiologist- it can be dangerous for an athlete with a slow heart rate.

The good news, I'm going home.

I've had every cardio test you can imagine, and I've given up gallons of blood- but the fact is I'm healthy as an ox. That's nice to know. My dear cousin Jay has been at my bedside throughout this entire ordeal to keep me from getting bored, and to make sure I don't die. Thanks Jay!


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May 17th- 2007

Still Here
Now don't go freakin' out. What was supposed to be a short stay has turned out to be a little more complicated. Good News, I'm goping home tomorrow

When a hospital staff knows what's wrog with you, they're quik to give you the boot as soon as you can walk, but when they're not sure they keep you until they're either certain they know what happened, or they can find something wrong with you so thay can say "There- we did it!"

Truth is, I have a VERY strong and healthy heart, so I'm causing issues. No one wants to admit that a healthy person was ever admitted into the hospital without a good reason. In my case, it looks like they're going to dog around until they find something thay can put a figer on. Funny thing is, I gave them one- I was stung by a stingray on Friday- But no one listens to me.

"Stingray Venom? Don't be silly!- Sure it makes people pass out, and in many cases, even effects the heart rhythms, but that's not why YOUR here, I mean, C'mon . . ."

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May 16th- 2007

Rider Down!
Woke up this morning with some intense pain, but not in my foot. My right kidney had been aching since last night(at least I THINK it's my Kidney) muscle spasms in the area were making it really hard to get comfortable.

At 6 a.m. this morning I passsed out in the bathroom, and a softball team of firefighters came to my house on a 911 call. I was hoisted into a truck and wisked off to Glendale Adventist Hospital for treatment.


The alarm?
My blood pressure was low, and my heart rate was a measley 38 Beats per minute.(average 65)- So I guess I was in trouble. After several hours in the E.R., I was admitted to cardilogy for observation. I feel fine, but my foot still hurts. I asked the docto rif my stingray jab could have anything to do with it, she said she'd look into it, but right now they think I have a kidney stone or something.

In the meantime, I'm in Room 1304, visiting hours are until 8 p.m.. Come see me.

You can have some of my pudding . . .

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May 12th- 2007

Stay out of the water:
Or- Why didn't anyone tell me about this?

Went to the beach on Friday, as was my plan, to do a little more kitesurfing and try to flatten this learning curve.
I was in the water about two minutes waiting for an opportunity to take off when I felt something under my foot. Before I could say "Holy Crap I think I just stepped on a friggin stingray- I got nailed. Right through the sole of my foot- and out through the top.Yeaouchers!

Most of you know how I despise talking about anything health related on this blog- but for God's sake, this was a serious incident. I understand how this could kill Steve Irwin. This has incapacitated me with just a shot in the foot, if he took a shot in the heart, then I hope he died quickly- the pain was an eleven on a 1-10.

The Treatment
I was trucked to the lifeguard station and treated with intensley hot water on this foot for about 2 hours, then went to Camber Hill's place and treated it for a few more hours. This (as you can probaby tell from the deep bruise in the photo) hurt like A m@#herf&*ker. The pain from the venom travelled up my artery and into my groin, making my entire leg numb on the outside, and burning pain on the inside.
Can't walk on it today(Sat)- it's still swollen and tender.

Let that be a lesson to you- do the "stingray shuffle" when at the beach in Belmont shore- you don't want to step on anything deadly.


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May 11th- 2007

Two Drunks Sounds Fabulous!

Camber Hill (aka: Chill) and I have finally got our revised podcast posted on iTunes: Look for it under the new name

Sounds Fabulous!

 The first three episodes are now loaded and you can perouse them to your hearts content. Much of the content is the same exxcept for the fact that we're not touting the idea that we have to be drunk to be usefull (Though I'm sure it helps).


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