August 4, 2025

My ride went a bit longer than expected. On my way home along Century Drive, I came to an intersection at Sutherland Road that said the bridge on Century was out, "Road Closed." Well, Sutherland was gravel, so I was taking the chance on being able to get through on a bike. 99% of the time a bridge has some kind of access for a bike. Today, was the other 1% of the time. Just over 2 km down the road, it wasn't a bridge, it was a culvert that had been removed for the river underneath the road. The trench edge went straight down about 15'. 20 years ago I might have attempted the climb down, attempt to jump the river and climb back up the other side, bike in hand, but not a chance today or any day in the future. So, I made the 2+ km trip back to ride the gravel road. I discovered later that I was only 300 m from the next paved intersection if I could have made it through. So, I gained another 4.5 km for blindly taking a risk.

MRI tonight at 9:30pm at Victoria hospital :)

August 3, 2025

This ride was exhausting and the back is paying for it. But it's still mentally therapeutic. So it's a bit of a trade off I suppose.

I've always been one to get away with minimal sleep ... although it eventually catches up with me. I discovered the true meaning and danger of Sleep Deprivation during this recent health experience. For the 9 days prior to being admitted, I was barely getting an hour sleep (or less) daily. By the time I was actually admitted to hospital, as Rebecca witnessed, I was "completely out it". She said there were times I couldn't even spit out more than two or three words that were mumbles. During my stay, I had some interesting hallucinations instigated by events that I was watched unfold, but my brain was creating a completely different story for each. After coming home, I assumed it was the drugs I had been given. But Rebecca, in all her wisdom, said it was likely the lack of sleep, along with the drugs. The first time I discovered what I had seen or said during my stay was not exactly accurate was when I came home. Up until then I was convinced what I had seen was for real. (Rebecca had just nodded and supported me during the weird encounters). Anyways, I recently researched sleep deprivation and discovered all of the side affects, including hallucinations. Apparently, it's dangerous to go past 72 hours without sleep, and here I had exceeded 200 hours with barely any sleep. Oh the things you discover.

PHOTO: Rebecca took this while I was "out of it." I had finally gotten a room after waiting 42 hours in an Emergency bed. I was moved to two more locations after this.

August 2, 2025

Today was a very casual ride with Rebecca, who rarely bike rides (she's a morning walker -- which I rarely do). But today, we biked locally.

We love doing things together, even the tough things, like where she spent much of her time travelling to and from Victoria Hospital to keep up to speed with the doctors during my stay in June. If she hadn't been there, I wouldn't have had a clue of what was going on. The doctors would explain something to us, I'd understand it at the time, but then it was gone. She's been my rock and strength through this whole ordeal. She's even had the duty of administering my antibiotics at home, once a day since the end of June. 2 shots of saline solution through the PICC. Hook up the antibiotics that run for 30 minutes. Then a third shot of saline.

One of our favorite recent vacation trips was a week in March in Curacao. We had a house isolated from the main city, overlooking the water and had a cooling pool. We even went snorkeling at a copule of the many local beaches.

August 1, 2025

And so it begins. Two months ago I assumed this riding thing wasn't going to happen. And I still don't expect me to hit the target, but I'll tack on some km's where possible.

Long story short, after being sent home from 3 trips to the emergency at the local hospital in early June, I went to a different hospital and was admitted for 12 days with Streptococcus Anginosus. (Fancy or what). An abscess on my spine where the bacteria travelled all the way up to my neck. No one has any idea how I contracted it. After the hospital visit, I went home with a PICC line where I have continued to pump antibiotics in daily which will conclude August 5. August 4 I have a follow up MRI to see the results. I still have pain in the right lower back where it started, but my understanding is that the abscess damaged the tissue and it will take time to heal again.

The ride today was a blind attempt at what I can do (not much different from most things). Fortunately, sitting is not painful (walking still is), so using just my legs to power the bike was good. After two months of sitting on my butt, the leg workout was probably good (I'll know later today).

One of the awesome sites along this route is the annual blooming of Sunflowers at a local farmhouse. They've just started blooming.