since6

Get your motor runnin'
Head out on the highway
Lookin' for adventure
And whatever comes our way
Yeah Darlin' go make it happen
Take the world in a love embrace
Fire all of your guns at once
And explode into space



Like a true nature's child
We were born, born to be wild
We can climb so high
I never wanna die

Born to be wild
Born to be wild



Steppenwolf: Born to Be Wild

Dating myself, but what the hell. Today I was released by the surgeon after three months of “no bending, no twisting, no lifting more than 20lbs”. Now the journey begins, what is the new normal after L5/S1 spinal surgery?

Ah the day started so strong, but then came rapping, tapping at my chamber door, the reality Raven.

"So, how much is the max. I can lift?"

"Really, really think before you lift more than 35lbs., you probably can, but try not to...for the rest of your life,... and if you must have a plan, helpers, tools before you do."

Thud, the record skipped, really...the guy who lifted lawn mowers into the back of his CRV, lifted grand daughters into the air while dancing like a ice skating pair...thud.

Then came the ride.

Don't know what muscles I had been exercising the last four weeks on the upright bicycle trainer, but...it wasn't the ones I used today, so when I pushed to big a gear, got a knee twinge I dialed back, turned at 3.5, only 7 miles ??? and headed home, on flat, level, and the ride...

It was like starting over again, twitchy, nothing felt natural, and now a new voice, the one you hear after you've broken something, a whisper of fear "don't fall".

Man, this is going to be a long walk back. Set up the trainer for the tandem, no way I'm risking my stoker until I've got my Stevenson Custom nailed again, no way.

And then grief led to gratitude.

"You know man, all those people at the Y who carry their bottled oxygen, walk with cane and walkers, and god bless them such courage still hustling that body, lifting what they can, all of them would choose your limitation in a minute, because to them your limitations are like Hercules."

Yes, yes that's right, and it all kind of let go, me and my stoker/wife we'll ride the hell out of the tandem on the trainer with the garage door up and 60s rock/ U2 she loves them, playing on the garage stereo.

And I?

I'll do 7, then 10, then the next and the next and the next, and remember how grateful I am, that I can.

Oh, and thanks to you too, for your encouragement and support through this.

It'll be alright.

droppedandlost 

glad you're back on the bike, give it time and don't try to do too much. you will get there.

gugie 

Focus on the journey, you’ll be riding long and hard soon enough.

SurferRosa

A great album.

Pompiere

I didn't have surgery, but I had a similar recovery plan after I bulged a disk in the L4/L5 region two years ago. First the chiropractor got it back in place, then several weeks of physical therapy to regain the strength lost from the pinched nerve. It felt good to progress from a few minutes on the stationary recumbent bike at PT to riding a real bike on a trainer at home, then to riding a mountain bike a few miles at a time. A year later I rewarded myself with a trip to Kentucky Bourbon country. A lot of parts were sore after riding those hills, but not my back.

qcpmsame 

Veteran of the two level lumbar fusion wars, L4-L5 and L5-S1 were done in 2004. Its not a s bad as some make to out to be, it sounds like the doctor is being cautious, as expected. I wouldn't try to push the envelope too much right now, but build up to the level you want to slowly, but deliberately. Keep is informed as to how it goes.

Bill

USAZorro

Listen to your doctor - and your body. Stay within yourself, and look back at how far you've come 6 months from now.

RobbieTunes

Just don't get hit by a car while you're getting used to riding again.
That would really suck.


Glad you're back!

since6

LOL RobbieTunes!!!

So the rest of the story:

I have to cross a four lane intersection to get to the bike trail at a traffic circle. But, there's a marked cross walk with pedestrian operated flashing yellow light, so on the way back it happened. I push the button and wait. You always have to wait no one will stop until you look them in the eye and make like you are going to enter the cross walk with your flashing yellow lights. The outside lane slows a car stops, OK, safe to enter that lane, but then you get to the inside lane and the drivers looking straight ahead, yes they see you, accelerate to roar pass you as you're standing in the cross walk with your flashing lights, one, two, finally one slows down and now you get to repeat the same thing on the other side crossing the last two lanes. I shake my head, these aren't all just 20 something angry young men, over half are middle aged moms, really, REALLY. So you'd want some stranger to run over your kids in a marked cross walk with yellow lights and that would be OK to save the 15 seconds it would take for me to cross? I thought of the boat loud air horns, but then decide no, it would just startle them into an accident. So yeah it would suck to get hit by a car.


Thanks all and you are all right, slow, take time, listen to your body. Glad I did, I was going to do "at least" 10 miles, but listened and turned around at 7, so today a lot of new friends in my body telling me how sore they are, but, I'm walking well and will walk my time as a volunteer this morning at the near by car museum. And listen to my doctor, he's very good, I made his day with a Steve Austin Bionic Man comic book I found wherein he fights "Big Foot" and we finally learn where Big Foot came from.


Grandpa may not be able to do dance lifts anymore, but I can still bend down for hugs and for the littlest one hugs, isn't that what knees are made for?

stardognine

Just sell all your heavy old bikes, and get a crabon fibber machine. I hear they're great. 😁😉 That's only partly joking around, it might very well help you a lot. Or at least some vintage alumininium, like a Cannondale tandem. 🤔
Either way, good luck. ✌️😎✌️

gugie 

For some odd reason, every time I've had an injury or surgery, the path back to good health involved riding my bike.

ryansu

I have a crosswalk in front of my apt. and its bad enough folks won't stop went I clearly want to cross (and by law they should yield) and there is a bill board sized X walk sign above the cross walk but I watch drivers go through with people in the crosswalk all the time, even cops! it really $%^& me off. I have thought of sitting at the corner with a pail of tomatoes to throw at offenders but that would probably end poorly. Be careful out there OP

since6

Always careful, but then that's why I ride trails and little of roads.

Tonight the joy of stationary traveling. Set up the trainer with our tandem in it, step stools so we could mount. But then there was taking the time to set up the wife/stokers seat and handlebar reach. It's been a year since we last rode, but we got her dialed in, maybe a small adjustment left to the handlebar reach, but maybe wait a week too because right now it all feels so strange and only sort of familiar. Wow was cadence all over, but by the fourth song (we rode to Beatles songs not time, did five), it felt a little smoother so we stopped.

Funny moments of the night was every time I had to adjust the seat and/or the reach of the handlebar, we'd forgotten the drill, she gets off then I get off (so as not to clout her with my dismount leg) and then reverse the order when getting back on. We got pretty good by the end of adjusting things and no one got clouted. Also, patience it is the single most important virtue next to communication a Captain has with his stoker. It's good to feel tired and to have taken another first step.

Tomorrow I'll ride first thing before the heat gets up and try for that mythical "10 mile" mark, but really keep the cadence up and no pushing big rings, 10-12 mph is just fine. Then settle in for a week or two of 10 miles, slow, steady a little more when the body tells you.

rustystrings61 

It gets better. It gets so much better.

In 2004 at age 42 I had a massive heart attack that required quadruple bypass surgery. I did the pitifully slow but necessary cardiac rehab thing and would come home and watch the Giro on OLN. I wasn't allowed on a bike for about 4 months - although I did, once, when no one was looking. I threw a leg over my Mercian Colorado and rolled down the driveway, up the hill a few yards and wheeled about and rolled back to my starting point. You can imagine the fierce and exultant joy I felt at that.

Through the fall and the winter, my main riding buddy and I did long slow rides out in the back of beyond on the slowest, quietest roads we could find in the southern end of Greenwood County. I had my Rivendell then, with a triple and a 27-in low gear, and I would slowly crawl up the hills. Then I was strong enough to ride in the woods, slowly, taking my time. I rode with a heart monitor, keeping my pulse rate under 160 or so and cultivated patience.

On the anniversary of my heart attack I rode my fixed-gear up the steepest climb in the county. On the anniversary of my bypass surgery the heart monitor stopped working and I never replaced it. In 2006 I rode the most miles of my life, just under 4,500 miles.

since6

Cheers to you rustystrings61, it was the hardest part those last three months post surgery, all the losses, the limitations, the waiting, the wondering, gee did I just get old? And yes I did, I think in a good way, you see the last month doing P/T at the YMCA I saw so many people my age and older. The YMCA is located near a bunch of elderly living condos.You gain perspective, gratitude. Yeah, this sucks, but in a way it's also a blessing, you see it's all going away some day, but every day on the way to that day there's a choice. Do you regret and give up for what has changed, what has been lost, or , do you celebrate all you've got left. I still have a stoker/wife who wants to ride a stationary tandem in a 80 degree plus garage with me, WOW. And rustystrings61 you've found so many ways back, accepting and living with your best friend, your body. Again, cheers and thanks.

Slightspeed

Best of luck on your recovery. Well said on the people at the Y with other afflictions. My wife is one of those who struggles with her walker to the pool 5 days a week, while I am out, basically healthy, putting miles on my bike. I do the 50s, metrics, centuries, feeling like some kind of big deal hero. You made me realize that people with greater challenges, like my wife with an inoperable back condition, hip and knee issues, are out there plugging away, trying to conquer whatever demons life puts in their way. She is my true hero.

Stay healthy, my friend.👍

squirtdad

Steppenwolf.....one of my first albums...

Easy Rider.....

try this one for fun and motivation

since6

Yes, injury and grandchildren they keep you settled and sane, though not looking for more of the former, the latter you can never have to many of.

since6

Rediscovering bicycle riding, the adventure continues, to the tune of: “She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain (when she comes)”:



I’ll be hardening my butt,

while I ride (while I ride).

I’ll be hardening my butt,

while I ride.

I’ll be hardening my butt.

I’ll be hardening my butt.

I’ll be hardening my butt,

while I ride (while I ride).



Ok, it’s been over a year, but when did my beloved and previously hours and hours of comfort Selle Italia SLR Max saddle turn into a brick? No, I’m sure it isn’t, it’s just as comfy and long riding as it ever was, but, or, should I say “butt”, isn’t.

, it’s not enough to take baby steps back, upped miles from 7 to 9.8 which I’ll hold at for a couple weeks, but for now I have to deal with….



Keep rollin', rollin', rollin'
Though the streams are swollen
Keep them wheels rollin', rawhide
Through rain and wind and weather
Hell bent for leather
Wishin' my gal was by my side
All the things I'm missin'
Good vittles, love and kissin'
Are waiting at the end of my ride



Move 'em on, head 'em up
Head 'em up, move 'em on
Move 'em on, head 'em up, rawhide
Cut 'em out, ride 'em in
Ride 'em in, cut 'em out
Cut 'em out, ride 'em in, rawhide

Keep movin', movin', movin'
Though they're disapprovin'
Keep them wheels movin', rawhide
Don't try to understand 'em
Just rope 'em, throw, and brand 'em
Soon we'll be livin' high and wide
My heart's calculatin'
My true love will be waitin'
Be waitin' at the end of my ride



Move 'em on, head 'em up
Head 'em up, move 'em on
Move 'em on, head 'em up, rawhide
Cut 'em out, ride 'em in
Ride 'em in, cut 'em out
Cut 'em out, ride 'em in, rawhide

stardognine

That's totally inappropriate, lol. You need some Queen/Bicycle Race or maybe Fat Bottom Girls. 😎 Or in a pinch, Cream/Disraeli Gears, though that one doesn't specifically mention the ride. 😁