Bad news (century training)

[grey]

I second the reminder that there will be other centuries. Take care of your body.

[turbojackie]

I agree with everyone else, take care of the eye!! Good luck and let us now how it goes!

[Sardine]

Just wanted to wish you well and hope you heal soon.

[bmccasland]

Hope you're feeling better and get to go out to play soon!

[Owlie]

There will be other centuries to ride. Take care of your eye. Hopefully everything goes well with it. ((hugs))

[skywalkerbeth]

Thanks everyone. It's nice to come home from the doctor's and see positive thoughts coming my way. I have some good news but some bad news.

The good news is that the current eye problem is responding. It's slightly better but it's going to take a while to get out of the woods.

The bad news is that my good eye, the other one, apparently has some thinning in the back of it which leaves me at risk for a retinal tear or detachment. He's a retina specialist and decided to look at both eyes.

What this means, apart from the fact that it's bad news, is that after this other eye is healed enough (2-3 weeks) I am going to get laser surgery to "tack it down" so that it won't break free. I am not allowed on my bike until well after that has healed. Which means sometime in October. I'm not going to even do the metric this year I don't think.

He didn't make the good eye sound ominous unless I get head trauma or something. He thinks that once we tack it down I'm going to heal up and be OK. But I'm grounded.

Sigh sigh sigh. Well, the bike is there and ready to go, as soon as I am.

Thanks again everyone. I really do appreciate it. Sorry so short here, I'm reeling a little bit I think. I'll be OK, just a lot to process. Scary. A close call. Maybe getting dragged in for this bad issue was a good thing or they would not have seen the retina issues?

[indysteel]

((((Beth)))). How scary. I hope the surgery helps. One of my childhood memories is of my brother's own detached retina. He was only 18, but is horribly myopic. I've been schooled in the risks and warning signs for years. I've had a few scary moments myself thanks to my own horrible eyesight, but thankfully, my retinas are still intact. Now I have to worry about the effect of Graves' Disease on my eyes, along with a host of other vision problems. So, while none of my problems rise to the level of detachment, I do sympathize. Take care of yourself; the bike will be there when you're ready for it.

[DarcyInOregon]

Another perspective is that biking a century is for the cyclist to have a goal of doing a more difficult ride than usual, to test the cycling fitness with respect to age and health. But it doesn't have to be a century, because a 30-mile ride can be a test of fitness with respect to age and health also, depending on the individual. Now that you know about your eyes, set your goals for next year, and the length of the rides will be related to your health during 2012. A half century or metric is just as monumental to complete as a full century.

Here is what I mean. On September 10 I was one of four Tour de Cure cyclists who volunteered to man Rest Stop #2 for Step-Out Portland, the event for walkers to raise money for the American Diabetes Association. The rest stop was at mile 3.5 of the longest route of 6 miles. Many of the walkers were insulin dependent diabetics, and though for us, the volunteers at the rest stop who are distance cyclists, a 6-mile walk is hardly any effort, for these diabetic walkers completing 6 miles was monumental, equivalent to the volunteers biking a difficult century. We were proud of the walkers, out there in the heat doing their best.

That is what it is all about. The fitness fluctuates from year-to-year and the biggest factor is health. A half century or metric one year is just as significant as a 30-mile route or a full century on another year. In other words, like others said, there are more centuries in your future and if not, there are shorter bike rides or other activities to test the boundaries of your fitness. Good luck!

[Nick]

Oh my goodness. Scary stuff. Eyes are precious, take care of yourself. Biking can wait... you'll be ready, stronger and in full force once you get through all this. Retinal medicine can do wonders, nowadays. Wishing you a rapid healing.