21 posts tagged “2008”
My first thought when I woke up from surgery was “I wanna go back under” followed immediately by “why does my arm hurt SO MUCH”. I was so dopey and drugged. In the recovery room I was faintly aware of a few things: 1) that I was recovering from a surgery, 2) my arm hurt worse than anything ever had hurt before – about the same as when I broke it 3) they took an xray with a cool xray machine, and 4) I was the most healthy and with it surgical patient in that room. I remember hearing snippets of conversations about recovering patients heading back to the ICU, seeing masses of machinery floating around with gurneys with passed out people in various states of bandages. So all considering, I should feel lucky. So I tried hard to not complain about anything.
I was asked a few times what my pain felt like, and I said about a 9 or a 10 – and that made the nurses scurry, giving me drugs and more drugs. And then it was a few more hours of blissful non-pain… wow the miracle of drugs ;)
When I had significantly improved, I moved to the regular recovery room – and the nurses told me I had to urinate and then I could go home. No problem, I thought, I’ve had so much to drink in the past hour, I should be going any minute! Well, minutes turned into hours. My friend AP came to take me home around 6, but since I hadn’t yet peed, they wouldn’t release me. “why don’t you go get some dinner and come back, surely I’ll be ready by 8”. Ha.
What was my condition at 8? Obnoxious. I had a bit of a panic/pain attack around the time that AP came back to check on me again. She got my drugs for me (thanks and YAY) and came back again. I was doped up with two doses of whatever they gave me in the original recovery room. (Reflecting on this episode, I’m sure it was caused by ‘coming down’ from anesthesia – evil evil drugs). Surely I’d be ready to go by then? Nope. I had taken to wandering around with my saline solution bag attached to my arm and my hind end hanging out of the back of the robe. Yes, I was one of those people. I believe I pontificated on the finer points of immodesty to everyone I could. I can’t believe these nurses and doctors put up with people like me (and worse: see last entry for the ‘worse’ category) after surgery.
After AP went home, I begged for a catheter, I just want to go home, please make me urinate and let this be over! I had so many drugs in my system that I was completely unable to relax the urinary tract muscles – it’s something you do voluntarily – but there was a big disconnect thanks to the drugs between my brain and its outlying nerve pathways.
It’s nearing 10pm and my roommates (and by proxy, my Mom) are beside themselves with worry, not quite sure what’s happened to me. The doctors I spoke with wanted to admit me for the night, worried about my lack of urine. By this time I’m bloated more than a bowling ball. I’d had about a gallon of liquid! I was really uncomfortable and really wanted to go home. I must have been convincing to yet another doctor that I was very aware of my pain situation but that I really wanted to go home, could I please have a catheter? (have you ever heard someone beg for one? Me either)
I’m aware that A called and I asked her to be ‘on call’ to pick me up. FINALLY I’m granted a catheter – it took about 5 minutes to completely evacuate! All the while, the nurses lecturing me until blue in the face that “If I cant urinate tomorrow morning, you must come straight to the emergency room right away”, I nodded my assent.
I was ushered into speedy wheelchair, assigned a chauffeur, and we headed downstairs, into a big mess of construction blocking my hallway out – I stumble into my roommates car (both roomies are there)…ahhhh home sweet home…
Welcome back - I've been absent with the holiday, but am back to tell yet another installment of my navigational skills within the health care sector.
Tuesday, the 23rd, 3 days since I broke my olecranon/ulna, and I'm at the hospital. I'm ready to check in, arm wrapped, swollen, and movement seriously limited. After standing in the waiting room, awaiting the 'customer service professional' to acknowledge me and end her "woah is me" speech with her co-worker (neither of whom acknowledged the other person waiting in line with me, or me). I thought, "and it all starts now" as I rolled my eyes and sighed audibly. After filling out brief paperwork and waiting on them to call me again, the niiiice lady took my wallet and keys and locked them up for me. Filing of paperwork was done, and I was ready for the next step. I arrived at the next room, and met with a blank look, and a statement "you arent supposed to be here, we dont have you in our files" from the next uuber professional admin lady. I made sure to tell them I had strict instructions from the lady on the phone that i indeed was slated to be in your office, asking you to get me into surgery today. Finally another doctor arrives on the scene and says "treat her like a fast track patient". I dont know what that means but apparently I had my name on some fast track list OR it's secret code for "she slipped through the cracks" lets sneak her in. I secretly think it's the latter. The same lady took another look at me and said "you go here to check in" and proceeded to draw me a map, complete with color lines to follow on the floor (yes there really are colored lines on the floor). Suddenly a knight in shining armor and a white coat showed up miraculously and led me into the elevator, up another few floors, and into another room, where I awaited to be admitted, again. I received the same treatment as I had in the past two offices. I felt like I was navigating a nightmare in a video game - once I gathered enough stinkeye stares, I was admitted to the next stage...
Admittedly, it gets kinda fuzzy from this point on. I think I finally was admitted, told to 'wear this" hospital gown, and was in a hospital gurney. Various doctors came in and out, checking, double checking and triple checking my paperwork, what arm was to be operated on, what drugs i had in my system, had I peed, did I need to pee, and finally, did I want to watch some tv (there are personal monitors) to pass the time? What? and Miss the most dreadful droning of the 'victimized eye surgery patient in the next cubicle'? No joke people, this woman was clearly elderly, and complaining in the way your great-grandma complains that you're never up on time, only she's at your house at FOUR IN THE MORNING. This woman somehow had checked in at 6am for her 2pm surgery. And she was complaining that the doctors forgot her, that the nurses were willingly avoiding her, adamantly shouting at whomever would listen. It was a real treat. i cant believe people actually act like that! in public! wearing a hospital gown!
So, as it was a Tuesday, mid morning, there was nothing on tv - i think i watched cnn, who knows. I remember the actual surgeon, Dr. Lau, came in to say hi, he drew a star on my left arm, and asked me why I had missed our appointment earlier that morning. I thought "are you serious!" and said "Um the lady on thephone told me to come directly here this morning and not to your office". he asks if I have any questions.. YES but I dont know where to start - so I started with "i've never had surgery before, what do I expect?" I knew to ask for anti-nausea drugs before I go under, and how long it would take (2 hours), and what to expect after that? He said "take your pain pills on time, every time." that's about all I remember.
Then after a few more doctors and various medical personnel came in and out - it was time... and I was wheeled into the surgical room. There was lots of machines and about 15 nurses and doctors - all talking amongst themselves. Another doctor (not the surgeon) announced "we need to do a dry run through, NOW people" - and yet everyone ignored him and kept doing their own thing, talking amongst themselves... I was awake thinking, hm - this is interesting. Someone offered "dr. Lau isnt going to be back for another 15 minutes" so the angry guy just scoffed and walked away. The anaesthetists said "here, we're giving you some oxygen now" and then almost immediately said "okay we gave you some drugs to relax you, you'll start to feel drowsy" and that was it.
Total darkness.....
so many of you know that my thirtieth trip around the sun started with a bang crash boom crunch. The following are excerpts of what I've been up to, the story of the crash, the hospital, the surgery, the recovery. Sit back and enjoy.
You broke your what? Part I
So I was dressed up in my coconut bra and ugly little skirt over my kit on Saturday morning, September 20th. I did all the usual stuff, rode to DFL race in Golden Gate Park – paid my $5 to race, pinned Anthony and he pinned me. Off to reconnoiter the course. All was fine n peaceful and as I made my right turn from grass to pavement, I was feeling good… till the guy in front of me swerved quickly around a fire hydrant that I frankly did not see… I had one of those woah woah woah… almost cleared the hydrant. So close in fact that I was very surprised to be hurtling over my handlebars onto the ground. I brought my arms up to hug myself and protect my innards and head, and landed with a crack/crunch and a *&%$ as I rolled onto my now flattened left elbow. It’s done broke.
Many expletives later, I rolled to a sitting position and firmly asked (once I stopped swearing) Anthony to find my teammates (anybody wearing yellow) and then go get the car, we have to go to the hospital. My entire forearm and hand were turning numb. Just like that. I’ve been through several handfuls of first aid and cpr classes… thank goodness I knew how to direct people. (Flashbacks of the YMCA first aid class, shouting and pointing "you call 9-1-1" , "you, call ems", "you get the AED" were running through my head) What I knew was that I had broken my arm, but I didn’t know where or how bad. And I was NOT prepared for the hand/arm to go completely numb. In fact I was quite scared. What if I’m bleeding inside? Do I need to raise my arm? As these thoughts are cascading through my brain simultaneously, I also knew that I was settling into shock. Any moment in fact. In an effort to lay down and keep my arm above my heart, I jostled the bones and felt the most intense piercing pain I’ve ever experienced.
While Anthony was off and cycling hard to get the golden chariot and my wallet and some clothes, it began to rain. My teammates, Paule and Julie were doing their best to stay warm and keep me warm. They kept me talking and scrounged up some ibuprofen for me to ward off some swelling. It was the best. Paule even fashioned a small sling from a leg of his pantyhose, awww Paule thanks....
Dunnigan RR – start time 8:40 – real start time, 9:10 (or so). 46ish miles. Wom 3 – 9 women in the field.
This was my very first road race. The roads were crap last year – this year most of them were repaved/chipsealed – so much smoother overall. Last year was hot – this year was wind. Wow, was there wind. There were spots where we were moving about 8mph on flat roads. Cross/head wind, Crosswind – a few times was a tail wind. We moved at a snails pace, tried to do some escheloning, and mostly hid from the wind as much as possible. The last 9 miles of flat next to I5 that took forever last year, went flying by this year as we had a nice tail wind. We turned right – and as expected, everyone turned into the right lane, I swung left (again) and charged up and over the overpass, stunning everyone – and clicked all the way down into my 11 ring, essentially in my hardest gear. And I spun out! I was literally pedaling as hard as I could. I heard someone wheezing to my right, I glanced over and saw code 3 gal (Is it karina or Kim, tall and blonde) wheezing and that made me go faster… she faded a little…and I was thinking “wow I cant believe I’m here”– I was leading until I was beaten to the line by Carol from touchstone – but I was literally going as fast as I could go – for 2nd. I was happy with my point.
Giro Crit – start time 9:30 – Cat 3 women – field 30? Big teams from dolce, mint, code 3, and mouse. Teammates – Bergen, kate, bev (superstud mtn bike nat’l champion the day before) and me.
The plan: take a few flyers mid way thru the race to ramp up the pace and make the girls scared/hurt. With 5 to go, Bergen explodes putting a ton of hurt on the girls, then as the field catches her, have Kate go up and hurt the field, and then Bev and I can lead out for the finish. The plan was perfect…
The race: We raced about for many laps – no real attacks – a few primes went, but neither dolce or code 3 were controlling the race. We had our attack plans set, and the girly meece just sat together, watching who was doing what, and sitting in. I marked several other gals (code 3, dolce, and mint) to see what they were doing, how they were feeling, and listening for their breath on the hills. My oh MY was that the predictor of the finish! Wowza, I heard many a wheeze but I was hardly breathing hard! I kept patience, just sitting in the pack watching who was going to do something…well with 5 to go, Bergen storms out of nowhere and just splatters the field and I thought YES ITS ON! Kate works up to the front to cover any attacks that might happen, but she just controlled the field. I really thought Bergen might stay away, she was so far ahead and away for 2 ½ laps! Eventually we caught her and Kate ramped up the pace – working hard – and then with 2 to go, I was up front moving as girls were dropping on the hill, wheezing and wheezing – wow I was still feeling fresh, so I punched it on the hill and got on the front– watching the attacks. I slowed up. Suddenly on my right a dolce girl was streaming fast inside, I jumped her wheel and let her drag me around – she slowed and the field caught us – the next time around there was a group 3 gals on janelles wheel, she slowed and the group caught us. The final turn and I was joined by minty, and two others… we jammed into the final turn and I was using them as a lead out but the two between me and the minty burnt early – I came around and got on minty’s wheel, and then a last ditch effort to come around her, and had I had 10 more feet, I’d have had her… so I didn’t time my sprint just perfect but good enough for 2nd, I was so excited for 2nd that it was like I won!
The girly meece were fantastic – amazing execution of our made up strategy – we really learned how to ride together and work together this season. Our pack skills are decent and we should be really excited to race together next season. I am extremely proud how far all of us have come in just one season! J
so is NOT riding,
NOT racing cross,
SITTING around all day, bored out of my gourd...
going to doctor appointments...
my HAZY outlook, thanks to Vicodin.
The surgery went well last tue. The post op recovery did not. But I lived to tell the tales...
So as I contemplate how to get along the next few months sans bicycle....
I am happy that I'll be really focused on getting better... I am being forced to think 'outside' the box to keepmyself entertained... best of all, extended chillax time with A, the best bf in the world!
till there's more to say...
a photo says 1000 words, like this one... taken saturday morning after my bike and I tangled with a giant fire hydrant...
Yes, often a GROSS topic, I am GOING there right now. I have hives, again. Dont know if it's still a reaction to my medication? An allergic reaction to something I ate yesterday (the only thing I can think of was raspberries), or what. But I've officially had enough of this...
So, my faithful few readers, I challenge you to come up with THE BEST solution for hives. Seriously. I'll try (almost) anything... and for the record, I"m sick of taking benedryl.
HELP!
| 7. Do you have irregular, raised or flat red sores that appeared after taking medicine? |  |
This could be an ALLERGIC REACTION to the medicine. |  |
Call your doctor. Try an antihistamine for itching and rash. |
 |
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| 8. Have bumps formed suddenly on your face or body? | |
These could be HIVES, a skin reaction to an allergen, medicine or infection. They can also appear in some people who are very nervous. | |
Use an antihistamine and cool compresses for itching. If the hives don't go away on their own or are accompanied by other symptoms, such as swelling around the lips or trouble breathing, see your doctor or go to the emergency room right away. |
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Yes, it was my very first time racing the women's Category 1-2-3 crit. In the Bay Area, as a woman cyclist, easily 1/2 of our races (especially crit's) are combined category 1-2-3. Primarily because there aren't enough of any one category to constitute an entire race to itself. So, I moved up to Category 3 in June, and now I'm privileged to race with the pros. Yikes!
Timpani Criterium: Easy four corner crit.
Lots of wind on the long backstretch (which i think ended up a good thing for me!)
Teammates: beverly, Bergen, and me
wom 1-2-3 crit - 55 minutes (longest crit for me!)
Goal: to get Bergen the win (or at least podium) for the three's, and for me to stay
and finish in the pack - gauge my fitness level right now coming off being sick for 2 weeks.
The field: lots of Code 3 and Testarossa gals - so they were the ones to watch - quite a few mintys and dolce to boot.
Race, off like lightning from the start - we were racing together, not as separate - but 3s were picked separate... So - whistle blows and we're off - About the 3rd lap I thought "damn this is fast, i'm going to struggle to hang on and if I get gapped that's it"
Fortunately the pace mellowed a bit - the wind really stopped any big gaps from forming - and i sat in the back with Bergen - trying to hang on for the ride.
Things of note - no (well almost none) scary riders in sight, everyone pedaled through corners (for the most part) and hardly any braking needed - no corner swarm, and everyone held lines - so hey, riding with 'the big girls' is much more relaxed and less nerve wracking.
Middle part: a protech gal that tried to move up on the outside - along the cones in the road separating road (cars) from race (cyclists) - she just yelled "left' to me as the entire peloton (to my right) was moving left - so i had nowhere to go with gals moving into me on my right and her on my left...- and i didnt budge from my spot so she had
nowhere to go except over the cone - nearly taking out Bev and Bergen in the process. she didnt crash - just lots of cone bouncing around - we all stayed up and she took herself out of the race voluntarily (not sure if she had to do that or not...)
Lots of strong capable dependable wheels in code 3 and poggio - and poggio several times led a train up the outside, which i hopped on and we ended up in front - totally fun to freak out the 1/2s... "someone do something!" is what i heard as we passed the front girls...
with 4 to go, we start ramping up speed. With 3 to go i started moving up. I wanted to bridge Bergen up to Bev in the front with 2 to go, and deposit her with Bev and have them ride a fast train to sprint out for the podium - but i hopped a great train up to the front and Bergen didnt catch my wheel (need to practice that) - i started my sprint a tiny bit too late (because i really wasnt sure i had much in my legs - but it turns out I had more gas in the tank then I thought!) but i was so unsure of my fitness (after being sick for 2 weeks) that I underestimated my strength.
Finished somewhere after bev - maybe 8th (turns out it was 12th but I think they messed up the finish - however, doesnt matter, because it definitely wasnt top 6) in 3s and 20something overall out of 30something girls.
next up: Winters RR.
Lessons - excited to race with the big girls as much as I can - I'm more confident that I can hang with the pace, stay on wheels, but have lots to learn - keeping on wheels - closing gaps as they open, so need to work more over unders in the next coming weeks! I'm looking to be more confident, faster, and ultimately able to move around in the pack and up in my category!
I'm feeling like myself. I think that might be a top three sickest I've ever been. EVER. Nasty Sinus Infections.
Anyway - something fun I did this past weekend...
CAVING. Yes, Moaning Caverns in Murphy/Angel's Camp CA. We did the "extreme adventure tour" which was about 3 hours of fun in tight spaces.
First, we funneled underground, slipping and sliding on the mud - and sliding into the first chamber... found out that the crawling starts here, and proceeds to get smaller and smaller and smaller - there was a show by our friend Dori, she wanted to try and be a 'bad ass' and get through a "teeny" hole and back out again. Well, she nearly did it by getting her hips and ribs down the hole - but couldnt get back through as she needed to use upper body strength but the hole was small and wouldn't allow for movement to pull herself out of the hole. But not to worry, she easily went around and through the adjacent larger hole.
We crawled through the meat grinder, experienced some total darkness (freaky brain waves at work there), and had many a good laugh. A and I shared a smooch around the teeny space where only two peeps could fit - something about a donut.
And finally, we exited through the pancake slide and godzilla's nostril. The pancake slide was so narrow that our helmets were too large to fit so we had to slide our head sideways and pull ourselves up and out - to gozillas nostril - where we had a really fun time trying to pull ourselves along a rope, making sure to keep our arms above our heads, for fear of getting stuck! seriously!
It was so much fun, i want to go and find more caves to crawl though. Happy Birthday to Anthony. :)
Here's an idea of how small the pancake slide was - this is from flickr from some guy named "highlander411" but since I didnt take any photos - I found one to share... see - it's narrow!!!
One of my favorite crits of the year! I find that a power climb in the middle of crits is 1) more fun and 2) suits me reallly well! So it has a long homestretch - 90degree left, then another sharp right (narrows down, but you can pedal all the way through), and another right, (the figure 8 part) switches left and then sharp right and up the hill, over the hill, and back down with a sharp right, then a wide right into the homestretch...
There were 32 cat 3/4 girls. 14 laps - about 45 minutes...it was HOT outside - probably 85 - 90 degrees by 10am (our start time) and air was bad - really hazy DANG FIRES.
I started in the front, the only mouse. I worked with Mel from Team Oakland, and some of the mintys (laurie, jessica? and some others I dont know).
I didnt have a particular plan for how I was going to do the race, I had raced badly in davis on Friday and did a nice hill ride on Saturday gaining some confidence in my fitness, and so I felt pretty good...but wasnt totally sure how the hill would favor me... So, I sat in for the first few laps - girls were going slow - finally a prime lap, and I went out for it - why not? I was working for myself mostly - well, I got nipped at the line but in doing so 3 of us made a break from the pack - it was awesome! So I timetrialed quite a bit out in front, (not the smartest) but it was FUN! We worked together a little bit but were eventually caught in the hill after being in front nearly 2 laps.
Things I learned, I have some much improved cornering pack skills, and found I actually passed girls in the corners... as the outside line was one of the best lines to take - I also found that girls were going SLOW during the flat part of the race and trying to maintain up the hill - so I"d race up in front (because i wasnt the strongest climber) before the hill, sometimes crest first, definitely cresting in the top 10 always - regaining good positions on the downhill... Two things I HAVE to work on is my 'jump' and my "top end sprinting" - I lost it when doing triathlon trainings... I hadnt raced for nearly 7 weeks! (worked on the jumps today at the park ride - and will do more over-unders coming up)
So - I sprinted in for a top 10 finish (9th) - the climb was a great equalizer - and the best climbers did win - but I definitely had a great chance to podium if I'd had another team mate or two - and worked differently. But playing off the front was really fun! Cant wait to do this race again next year!
