Only 4 more biking days until surgery... - Page 3

02-19-2005, 07:56 AM

psycholist <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
> time, a couple times a day. By the time I was able to get into rehab, I was
> weeks ahead of the game because of the flexibility I already had. And I
> don't see why elbow surgery should keep you off of a trainer or stationary
> bike.

Especially something like a stationary recumbent bike. I used one of
these for a fairly long time. They don't require you to stabilize
yourself with your arms at all, and are generally more comfortable
than stationary bikes.

--
Dane Jackson - z u v e m b i @ u n i x b i g o t s . o r g
"A sportsman is a man who, every now and then, simply
has to go out and kill something." -Stephen Lea****

02-19-2005, 08:43 AM

dgk wrote:

> Monday is a holiday, no work. So Tuesday through Friday are it for
> commuting by bike for me. I have my elbow operated on on Monday the
> 28th. Then, according to the surgeon, no biking for six weeks. Youch.
>
> I sort of knew that this was coming. A smart person would have
> scheduled it for early January and missed the worst of winter. But I
> was curious to see how well I could commute during the worst of
> winter. Well, that is pretty well passing by now. So, moron that I am,
> I get to miss the winds of March and part of the April showers.

when recovering from surgery, you can catch up on your reading. if you
already haven't read 'Its Not About the Bike' and/or 'Every Second
counts' both by Lance Armstrong, it is a really a good read - even if
you aren't a fan of LA.

you can find a few reading lists:
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

also checkout movies: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

will help you pass time and keep you motivated when spinning in the gym
and after as well.

cheers and get well soon,
+ravi

> Oh well. It gives me two or three weeks to get back in shape for Bike
> New York, always the first Sunday in May. This year I doubt any kind
> of weather will keep me from doing it. I used to wuss out if it was a
> little cold or wet. Not this year. Not after what I've been going
> through. Today was around 30, a veritable heat wave.
>
> No tennis for up to 10 weeks. I'd better make sure that the gym
> membership is still paid up.

02-19-2005, 08:43 AM

dgk wrote:

> Monday is a holiday, no work. So Tuesday through Friday are it for
> commuting by bike for me. I have my elbow operated on on Monday the
> 28th. Then, according to the surgeon, no biking for six weeks. Youch.
>
> I sort of knew that this was coming. A smart person would have
> scheduled it for early January and missed the worst of winter. But I
> was curious to see how well I could commute during the worst of
> winter. Well, that is pretty well passing by now. So, moron that I am,
> I get to miss the winds of March and part of the April showers.

when recovering from surgery, you can catch up on your reading. if you
already haven't read 'Its Not About the Bike' and/or 'Every Second
counts' both by Lance Armstrong, it is a really a good read - even if
you aren't a fan of LA.

you can find a few reading lists:
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

also checkout movies: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

will help you pass time and keep you motivated when spinning in the gym
and after as well.

cheers and get well soon,
+ravi

> Oh well. It gives me two or three weeks to get back in shape for Bike
> New York, always the first Sunday in May. This year I doubt any kind
> of weather will keep me from doing it. I used to wuss out if it was a
> little cold or wet. Not this year. Not after what I've been going
> through. Today was around 30, a veritable heat wave.
>
> No tennis for up to 10 weeks. I'd better make sure that the gym
> membership is still paid up.

02-19-2005, 11:00 AM

On Sat, 19 Feb 2005 02:17:59 GMT, dgk
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

>On Fri, 18 Feb 2005 17:49:50 -0600, "Pat" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
>
>>
>>: Monday is a holiday, no work. So Tuesday through Friday are it for
>>: commuting by bike for me. I have my elbow operated on on Monday the
>>: 28th. Then, according to the surgeon, no biking for six weeks. Youch.
>>
>>: No tennis for up to 10 weeks. I'd better make sure that the gym
>>: membership is still paid up.
>>
>>When I had my surgery, I arranged for the 24 Hour Fitness Club to put my
>>membership into medical suspension. Why don't you try that? They didn't
>>charge me while I was recuperating. I needed a doctor's note, but I took it
>>to them after the fact and they were really nice about it. I just alerted
>>them before the surgery that it was upcoming, and they put a notation in my
>>file--and just said, "Please bring us the note for our files".
>>
>>If you have an opportunity to get one of those electrically-powered ice
>>thermos arrangements, by all means get one! My insurance paid for it 100%.
>>It is a square, gallon sized thermos box that you put ice and water into.
>>Then, a cuff fits around your arm with Velcro. The pump is plugged in and
>>it pumps ice water around the joint continuously. Not only does it help
>>tremendously with the pain, but it actually speeds up your recuperation by
>>keeping the ice water circulating around the surgery site. I don't remember
>>the name of it, but I'll bet the people at the surgery center know exactly
>>what I am talking about. Polar Care 300 is its name.
>>
>>May the whole experience be as minimal as possible and may you recuperate
>>rapidly.
>>
>>Pat in TX
>
>Wow, great advice. I'll look up that thermos. As for the gym, well, I
>usually suspend the membership for the three months of the summer. I
>spend all my time playing tennis (not this year), biking, or at the
>beach swimming. But I've been paying for the whole time from September
>through now and went once. I keep thinking that I'll go but since I
>took up bike commuting, well, who needs to go when I bike 25 miles a
>day? I never really expected to keep it up through the winter so I
>kept the membership going.
>
>Now I think that I'll need it. After a week or so I think that I'll be
>able to use the stationary bikes and nordic track things. It's only
>the elbow that I can't use and I don't want to get all out of shape.

Oh, sure! If you can, use the treadmill or exercycle, just be careful
with your elbow. It would be better than being totally inactive,
that's for sure. No reason you couldn't get on a trainer with your arm
in a sling- the pros do it all the time with steel plates and pins in
their collarbones. BUt wait a bit, you'll probably be in pain. In the
meantime, enjoy the painkillers!

02-19-2005, 11:00 AM

On Sat, 19 Feb 2005 02:17:59 GMT, dgk
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

>On Fri, 18 Feb 2005 17:49:50 -0600, "Pat" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
>
>>
>>: Monday is a holiday, no work. So Tuesday through Friday are it for
>>: commuting by bike for me. I have my elbow operated on on Monday the
>>: 28th. Then, according to the surgeon, no biking for six weeks. Youch.
>>
>>: No tennis for up to 10 weeks. I'd better make sure that the gym
>>: membership is still paid up.
>>
>>When I had my surgery, I arranged for the 24 Hour Fitness Club to put my
>>membership into medical suspension. Why don't you try that? They didn't
>>charge me while I was recuperating. I needed a doctor's note, but I took it
>>to them after the fact and they were really nice about it. I just alerted
>>them before the surgery that it was upcoming, and they put a notation in my
>>file--and just said, "Please bring us the note for our files".
>>
>>If you have an opportunity to get one of those electrically-powered ice
>>thermos arrangements, by all means get one! My insurance paid for it 100%.
>>It is a square, gallon sized thermos box that you put ice and water into.
>>Then, a cuff fits around your arm with Velcro. The pump is plugged in and
>>it pumps ice water around the joint continuously. Not only does it help
>>tremendously with the pain, but it actually speeds up your recuperation by
>>keeping the ice water circulating around the surgery site. I don't remember
>>the name of it, but I'll bet the people at the surgery center know exactly
>>what I am talking about. Polar Care 300 is its name.
>>
>>May the whole experience be as minimal as possible and may you recuperate
>>rapidly.
>>
>>Pat in TX
>
>Wow, great advice. I'll look up that thermos. As for the gym, well, I
>usually suspend the membership for the three months of the summer. I
>spend all my time playing tennis (not this year), biking, or at the
>beach swimming. But I've been paying for the whole time from September
>through now and went once. I keep thinking that I'll go but since I
>took up bike commuting, well, who needs to go when I bike 25 miles a
>day? I never really expected to keep it up through the winter so I
>kept the membership going.
>
>Now I think that I'll need it. After a week or so I think that I'll be
>able to use the stationary bikes and nordic track things. It's only
>the elbow that I can't use and I don't want to get all out of shape.

Oh, sure! If you can, use the treadmill or exercycle, just be careful
with your elbow. It would be better than being totally inactive,
that's for sure. No reason you couldn't get on a trainer with your arm
in a sling- the pros do it all the time with steel plates and pins in
their collarbones. BUt wait a bit, you'll probably be in pain. In the
meantime, enjoy the painkillers!

02-19-2005, 11:04 AM

On Sat, 19 Feb 2005 09:43:37 -0800, Ravi <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

>dgk wrote:
>
>> Monday is a holiday, no work. So Tuesday through Friday are it for
>> commuting by bike for me. I have my elbow operated on on Monday the
>> 28th. Then, according to the surgeon, no biking for six weeks. Youch.
>>
>> I sort of knew that this was coming. A smart person would have
>> scheduled it for early January and missed the worst of winter. But I
>> was curious to see how well I could commute during the worst of
>> winter. Well, that is pretty well passing by now. So, moron that I am,
>> I get to miss the winds of March and part of the April showers.
>
>when recovering from surgery, you can catch up on your reading. if you
>already haven't read 'Its Not About the Bike' and/or 'Every Second
>counts' both by Lance Armstrong, it is a really a good read - even if
>you aren't a fan of LA.
>
>you can find a few reading lists:
>[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
>[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
>
>also checkout movies: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
>
>will help you pass time and keep you motivated when spinning in the gym
>and after as well.
>
>cheers and get well soon,
>+ravi
>
Most of what I did last year, for the first two weeks anyways, was
veg out on dilaudid and watch tv.I was too spaced out to concentrate
on reading. Of course, I was a bit less mobile. I watched lots of
race tapes when I got sick of the soaps. I had the tour, giro,
vuelta,spring classics. I watched the 2003 giro (it was right after
pantani had died) and it was so sad, but it was also the year cipo
beat the record. Thankk god for those tapes! And of course, dvd movie
rentals. It was at a time of year when everything was reruns anyways.

02-19-2005, 11:04 AM

On Sat, 19 Feb 2005 09:43:37 -0800, Ravi <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

>dgk wrote:
>
>> Monday is a holiday, no work. So Tuesday through Friday are it for
>> commuting by bike for me. I have my elbow operated on on Monday the
>> 28th. Then, according to the surgeon, no biking for six weeks. Youch.
>>
>> I sort of knew that this was coming. A smart person would have
>> scheduled it for early January and missed the worst of winter. But I
>> was curious to see how well I could commute during the worst of
>> winter. Well, that is pretty well passing by now. So, moron that I am,
>> I get to miss the winds of March and part of the April showers.
>
>when recovering from surgery, you can catch up on your reading. if you
>already haven't read 'Its Not About the Bike' and/or 'Every Second
>counts' both by Lance Armstrong, it is a really a good read - even if
>you aren't a fan of LA.
>
>you can find a few reading lists:
>[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
>[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
>
>also checkout movies: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
>
>will help you pass time and keep you motivated when spinning in the gym
>and after as well.
>
>cheers and get well soon,
>+ravi
>
Most of what I did last year, for the first two weeks anyways, was
veg out on dilaudid and watch tv.I was too spaced out to concentrate
on reading. Of course, I was a bit less mobile. I watched lots of
race tapes when I got sick of the soaps. I had the tour, giro,
vuelta,spring classics. I watched the 2003 giro (it was right after
pantani had died) and it was so sad, but it was also the year cipo
beat the record. Thankk god for those tapes! And of course, dvd movie
rentals. It was at a time of year when everything was reruns anyways.