Neck update – for those who may be interested.

Saw the neurosurgeon today. I will be having a c6/c7 anterior discetomy and fusion. It will leave me with 3 vertebrae fused though as it turns out I have a Kleippel feil deformity of c5/c6 and they have always been fused

Hopefully beginning of October then 6 weeks of work . . . No work.and no bikes I will go insane

as Weeksy says women have desires too and she may well want to get laid . . .

but speaking as a girl if I felt like that and then did happen to go on a date with a guy from work . . . I’d feel a lot better afterwards if it went far enough that I felt desired but not too far that it caused a whole heap of problems

Just because we want something it doesn’t mean it will make the situation better.

. . . but good luck getting out alive if she’s in some grief driven rampant sex pest mood!!!

I am broken too my plans are to get fixed ASAP (but I realise, it might not be so quick!)

So I plan to . . .

visit folk I keep not getting around to seeing because I normally like to fill my calendar with bikepacking.

make chutney – have been sent my first batch of obscure mega hot chillies from a friend – so will be getting the chutney pan out soon.

sort out my house – and contemplate whether or not to buy it (would be a no brainer if it weren’t for the impending spinal fun)

book a last min holiday for October if I can actually get away

bake a lot, watch a lot of films, try not to get fat, learn to love sweating in my kitchen on my turbo

jeez when you write it all down it sounds rubbish . . . .I just want to ride my bike 🙁

A sticker would be good – the kids and I would probably like playing the spot the STW inhabitants – nothing like a bit of ‘define the demographic’ people spotting . . .I guess if I stuck one on my car it would be pressumed I was someone on here’s Mrs 🙂

Ignore this – sorted it!

I have a charge ladle in my bag of saddles I must get around to selling.

In the bag is also a
charge spoon – not to bad for my girlie bum
genesis saddle that came on my croix de fer (brown) felt ok at first but after a few weeks I got hip ache
A couple of girls selle Italia diva saddles – wouldn’t really work on a cargo bike!)
Let me know if any interest you – looking for £10 a piece.

On the bikes atm I have a ladies brooks cambium – brilliant! And a fizik donna one on the croix de fer – again brilliant but maybe not for a cargo bike.

Kleenex?

I don’t think I know anyone who uses that – and I’m keen to use zwift to give me the feeling I’m having the social aspect of my riding – if that makes sense.

Btw I have a turbo elite volare mag (I think), I have several bikes but it would be my cx bike on the trainer. I don’t think I have a computer (well a cat eye strada – but that can’t connect to anything!)

I guess you mean zwift on low settings will work on any computer. We have a few computers here so I’m sure one of them will cope with it.

What do you mean by ‘it will work on low settings’

I guess that won’t show power though – or does it work it out with the cadence sensor?

Currently on blood thinners for the foreseeable future. And seeing the neurosurgeons to work out the plan – there was talk of operating on the spine immediately but I am coping quite well without too many symptoms. The stroke risk was deemed higher so they gave my the blood thinners first.

Neurosurgeons will be doing more images to see how the bones are when I move and then decide what proceedure to do.

No one has mentioned a conservative/non surgical fix yet

Don’t doubt that I realise how lucky I am to be fit and well despite everything that is happening.

Yes I have pain and headaches and they are bad – but no they aren’t SCI or stroke and I hope it stays that way 🙂

I did wonder how he’d managed to feel that, but today the neurosurgeon said the swelling caused by the blood flow issue had been noted by the physio… but yes very pleased he felt it

So a week later MRI done, went home thinking – can’t be that bad they let me go home…
Only to be called back in for admission.

So cord compression at C6, and dissection in my carotid artery. Currently on a stroke ward as I’m at risk

I’ve had better tuesdays

Hopefully should get sorted soon – the physio has noted red flag symptoms so that should expedite the appointment

[Quote]maccruiskeen – Member
You’ve just made me count. 19 keys on 6 intermingled/mangled keyring.
You people don’t know you’re born with your ‘got three keys to worry about’
POSTED 2 DAYS AGO # REPORT-POST
thegreatape – Member
19!? – You are Mr McKay and I claim my 5 packs of smokes.[/QUOTE]

Or Josef fritzl

Ha ha – always a wrong-un aren’t you Hammy. I was actually referring to general puppet anatomy – that their neck is actually someone’s wrist 😉

The MRI should give the answer. Everything I have seen anyone about it I mentioned and accident I had 24 years ago when I went over the bars when I was 8 months pregnant. At the time the focus was on the baby (he was fine) and despite my best efforts no one really looked at my neck.

It seems calmed down but over the last 8 years has got worse and worse. You kind of lose the will to keep pushing for answers when people don’t seem to take it seriously.

I think half the problem is come hell or high water I will find a way to carry on as normal. Mainly because as a single mum with loads of kids I don’t have much choice, and also because of the fact that laying down or being stationary for any length of time it hurts more.

Anyway moanimg over with – the physio has just rang me to say he is faxing his report to my gp explaining I have red flag symptoms – hopefully something will happen now 🙂

That’ll be me on the bb200 🙂

Anyway I wasn’t asking the muppets on here – surely they don’t get neck pain – it would be wrist pain for them 😀

Thanks Tiger you made me laugh 🙂

GaryM – I can recommend indometacin I’m sure it’s the only thing that’s kept me functioning during all of this

[Quote]globalti – Member
You’re suffering symptoms in the most important part of your body but you don’t trust anybody medically qualified to do a proper diagnosis and would rather ask a bunch of muppets on a cycling forum?
*shakes head in bemusement*[/quote]

As I said in November I was told it was viral meningitis and sent home, the hospital said I should have a scan but the gp would only offer physio.

Now I’m no expert but when you feel there is something very wrong in your neck trusting it to someone too manipulate is a big thing. Hence why I shyed away from the option of going to a physio through the nhs booking system. There are some bits of my body I am a bit precious about – my neck is one of them.

I wasn’t asking STW for a diagnosis I was asking if anyone else had had some kind of vascular compromise issue in their neck and asking how it was treated.

Apologies if my post wasn’t clear

Have you tried this new service it should clear up matters . . Maybe

I am terrible for leaving my strava on in the car so a flagged ride usually means I need to crop it

Got one that was flagged from ages ago – checked it and there were no apparent problems so asked strava to check what the problem was (took ages!) But they eventually confirmed it was fine,removed the flag and said it couldn’t be flagged up again.

That would probably be the best way of getting to your phantom flagger

smokin’

Reminds me of the 80’s TV add that showed a human who’d evolved to be a perfect smoker . . . That was a pretty grim looking creature two. . . . I wonder what the perfect specimen for cycling would look like

I tried! And it did get there in the end . . . All things considered I think I handled it well, no real tears or shouting and it arrived eventually:)

At least I didn’t have the hotdog and chip Pizza to deal with – that would have sent me over the edge! 😉

I also flew to Pisa last month (it was the place to be ey Flatfish) . . . However I flew from a different airport and was fine with the pedals (time) in my hand luggage – but I’d forgotten to put the allen keys I needed to build my bike back up in my hand luggage.

Luckily the lady in security posted them back home to me (due to sentimental reasons – or I’d have happily let them go at security)

I didn’t speak to my dad for 8 years after finally giving up on our relationship. However my brother is still in touch with him, but suffers with significant mental health issues. He called me one day as our dad was unwell and he didn’t know what to do.

I made the call to my dad, and then to his gp. It helped my brother immensely to not have to deal with the situation on his own – did I suddenly feel a change in heart towards my dad or some long list reunion?? No but I did what was needed for them both. I have now started having the odd call to check he’s ok.

I had got to the point in my mind before that if my dad ‘went’ and we’d had no reconciliation I was OK with that – and I probably still am as there hasn’t really been any change. I guess when it comes down to it I don’t want my brother to deal with it alone.

Nothing wrong with standing up for a bit of family duty even if you heart isn’t in it – is there?

Another Booths Monsoon Malabar here – well when I have been to a Booths and restocked 🙂

Other half doesn’t like a dark bedroom, whereas I do.
So we have to compromise. i.e. I shut up

I’m sure I’ve seen websites that sell eye masks to keep the light out and those funny ping-pong ball on string type things to help keep you quiet 😆

Scottish, Welsh, Dutch – but the Dutch contingent were migrant French huguenots . . . A bit of alsorts – but aren’t we all?!

Are you actually locked I’m a closet jontykint?. . .is this some bizarre please for help?

Had my tow bar fitted yesterday and had fun playing with my new strada dl 3 (have the 4th bike option too but won’t need that this weekend)

Really impressed so far – can’t wait for the fun moment on Saturday morning when I get to load three bikes on it for the family Bearbones trip 🙂

Do you have to consider rider weight more with tandems?

I ask because I am supporting a client at work who is is visually impaired following a brain injury. She wants to get back into cycling

However she and her brother who will be riding up front are both heavy.

The care report has recommended a tandem but has only quoted 400 for this. . . .I can’t see that getting much of a bike let alone a tandem

Don’t do what a good friend of mine did . . .
Fly home from the states just for the festival . . . Loads of people going so him and his mate thought they’d be clever and take a huge tent . . . Became quite a mission getting it on the site as they decided to start on their consumables in the queue. . . .

Finally got to their chosen spot . . . Only to find they had picked up the wrong bag …. they didn’t have a tent

They had an 8 man dingy (and it didn’t even rain that year!)

And they are really handy when you have kids who like to be painted!

Ha ha cougar- we are usually in family camping and we go down in the Tuesday night.

If you carry the plastic watercarriers or solar shower bags you don’t need to make that many trips to the tap no matter where you camp.

Two cheap plastic washing up bowls and one of those black camp shower bags

If you fill the back with water and leave it on the ground by your tent it usually gets a little warmer – sometimes really warm if you’re lucky

Then you can use the bowls for

A quick wash – one bowl
A bit more of a thorough was – one bowl clean water and one bowl of soapy

A bit nicer than a wet wipe! And we have even used them for hair washing.

Then when you leave your tent fill the bowels with clean water and put your beers in them out of the way in your tent – they will definitely be cooler when you get back.

And obviously you can use them for regular washing up if you are taking cooking stuff

And a decent trolley for carting your stuff onto site with.

. . . I take a trangia – so I can cook basic stuff but more importantly have a brew in the morning!

crumpet – cut into the side with a sharp knife to form a pocket but leave the majority of the edge intact

slice some strong cheddar

carefully slide into the pocket you made trying to get a nice even layer throughout the crumpet

toast it slowly and make sure the cheese has melted (if doing it under the grill toast the bottom first unless you want cheese dripping out of your holes 😯 )

when it is nicely toasted I tend to cover it in butter and marmite . . .

Mmmmmm I think it is time for a midnight snack!