It’s time to sit down once again with a beverage of your choice and chat – I’ll remind you that I don’t like coffee or tea so my drink of choice today will be water. Let’s chat about things other than just running, cycling, strength training, yoga, and our most recent injuries. Sound good? I’ll go first…
If we were having coffee…..
I’d tell you I’m feeling great and I’m enjoying getting back outside for my bike rides, especially with the weather being so nice recently. Competing with my cycling friends in the Great American Ride has lit a fire under me as I work my way back to getting on goal pace for riding 5,000 miles again in 2025.
If we were having coffee…..
I’d give you an update on my health. After last Friday’s exploratory surgery to determine how to treat my hydroureteronephrosis (a complication from my appendectomy in February), I got about the best news I could have gotten. The doctor inserted a stent opening up my slowly recovering and relaxing ureter – something she didn’t expect on finding after the CT urogram studies – and told me she suspected I wouldn’t need the dreaded follow-up surgery. On Wednesday my stent was removed and I developed none of the expected post-procedure discomforts and was immediately able to go off the meds I’d been on during this ordeal. I have a kidney function test scheduled for mid-May and if that goes well, I’ll be able to put this saga to rest.
At my mid-March visit to the ER while out of town I was told to follow up with a cardiologist once I got home. Why you might ask would I need to see a cardiologist? Because I presented with acute abdominal pain and nausea as well as minor chest pain (I kept telling them that I had just started lifting again after taking several weeks off and I was pretty sure it was muscular from doing flies). Anyway, abdominal pain, nausea, chest pain, the fact that I’m a female, plus my age all pointed toward a possible heart attack. No worries, all turned out well with the various tests my new cardiologist ordered and I don’t need to see him again for a year.
My parents were right, once you get older it seems like you spend more time in the doctor’s office than anywhere else. In fact, I’ve had so many doctor’s appointments and tests that I haven’t had enough consecutive days open to go down to the farm to see my mom in over a month.
If we were having coffee…..
I’d tell you that I’ve hurt myself WHILE SLEEPING a couple of times in the last three weeks. First, I woke up with a badly swollen left wrist on a Thursday morning – fortunately, the swelling was gone by the following Monday. The next injury was right arm and hand numbness which woke me up overnight and lasted for about 15 minutes after I got up for several days. I switched out my pillow and neither problem has come back. I think it had to do with how I was holding my hands/arms during the night with the old pillow.
The ladies at the 55+ gym where I teach a class were laughing at me and said that I now fit perfectly into their group since I now get injured just sleeping. LOL
And speaking of sleep, if we were having coffee…..
I’d tell you that Fitbit has determined that my sleep profile is now a bear which tells me Fitbit has no idea what it’s talking about. I do not “settle nightly into a long, undisrupted sleep.” I used to get up at least one time a night to go to the bathroom, but since this whole ureter/kidney thing started, I’m up about four times a night.
If we were having coffee…..
I’d tell you that I’ve been on a reading tear recently and have read:
- • Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
- • The Book Women of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michelle Richardson
- • The Book Woman’s Daughter by Kim Michelle Richardson
- • Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
- • All the Stars in the Heavens by Adriana Trigiani
- • The Second Mrs. Astor by Shana Abe
If we were having coffee…..
I’d tell you that I dropped my phone on the trail yesterday while pulling it out of my pocket to take a picture. I’ve taken it out of my pocket hundreds of time during rides and this was the first time dropping it. The screen’s protective cover got chipped along the edges, but otherwise the phone seems fine.
If we were having coffee…..
I’d tell you that I thought of two more funny things to share during yesterday’s bike ride, but forgot them both by the time I got home. 😉
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Today I’m joining Deborah at Confessions Of A Mother Runner and Coco at Running With Perseverance for their monthly Ultimate Coffee Date linkup which goes live the first Friday of every month. Be sure to stop by their blogs for a cup of coffee and to say hello; and while you’re there, be sure to check out some of the other bloggers who are participating in the linkup.
- Questions:
- • How often do you crack your phone’s protective cover? ~ I’m clumsy, so more often than I’d like to admit.
- • Have you ever hurt yourself while sleeping? ~ This was a first, I think.
- • If we were having coffee, what would you tell me?
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I am so glad to read that you are on the mend, feeling better and ready to resume all of your cycling and strength activities. Aging and aging well is not for amateurs. Got stay on top of everything~ and roll with the punches
Thanks, Deborah! You’re right, aging well takes work.
Hahaha- I am also definitely not a bear.
Glad everything is going well! Yes, you have seen more than your fair share of doctors lately, but hopefully you’re at the end of this particular journey and will have no medical issues for a while. just be careful with that sleeping, lol. Sooo many of my clients come in with aches and pains because of how they slept. It’s definitely a thing!
Thanks, Jenny! And yes, I bet you see sleeping injuries that you have to fix in your line of work.
Well, I’m most definitely NOT a Bear, ha! If it’s not me waking up to use the bathroom, it’s my dog wanting to do some business outside. I think we’re all in good company here…staying active to prevent aging. Though, I sometimes wake-up with a cranky back and, on occasion, feel random numbness on my hands/arms (probably due to sleep positions).
Tell Max he needs to let Momma sleep! Oh wait, he’s a senior, too, so I feel his pain. LOL
I’m glad you’re doing better – hopefully no more doctor appointments in the near future!
Ha wouldn’t it be lovely to sleep as soundly as a bear – I’m usually up at least once a night…sigh.
Thanks, Michelle, and same with you! And yes, sleeping like a bear would be a dream come true. 🙂
I sleep soundly, but usually not enough! Over the past 3 weeks, I’ve had 2 nights with more than 7 hours. Wonder what animal I’d be – what fun comparisons 🙂 Hope you’re doing better !!
Thanks, Melissa!
That’s such good news about your health! With all my involvement with the American Heart Association I’m glad you saw the cardiologist and that you got a good report there too. <3
LOL on hurting yourself sleeping — at least those issues resolved quickly.
Thanks, Coco! Yep, it’s always smart to follow up even if your gut tells you everything is fine.
That’s funny about the bear!
I’m so glad you’re doing better. It’s been a long road.
Continue to take care of yourself!
Thanks, Jenn!
I’m unfortunately super clumsy so I managed to chip off a piece of my otterbox for my phone with a recent dropping of my phone.
I hope all the health woes are behind you and that your follow up kidney function test will be fine!! Sorry to hear that you’ve been dealing with so much lately!
Oh no, I thought otterboxes were indestructible. And thank you, it will be nice to put this chapter behind me.
Debbie, 592 miles in April is amazing—especially after the health setbacks you’ve had. That’s a serious comeback month!
What do your overall biking stats look like for 2025? Are you on track for the 5,000-mile goal?
And your phone clearly took one for the team—glad it survived the trail test!
Hope May continues to bring more strong miles!
Thanks, Catrina! I’m getting there on being back on track with my 5,000-mile goal, but it won’t be until I’m ahead of the goal that I won’t feel like I’m behind. Strava has a rolling mileage total with goal distance. For example, yesterday I was something like 39 miles behind track and this morning I woke up 62.1 miles behind. I think I was close to 200 miles ahead before I got sick so I didn’t notice those little day-to-day changes. I think one more week of heavy cycling will put me back where I’m comfortable with my stats. Does that make sense?
And yes, my phone took one for the team. Funny thing is that I didn’t even use the picture that I took after dropping the phone, and then turning to go back and get it.
I have the horrible habit of sleeping on my stomach and just this morning I woke up with SUCH a sore back. I start on my side, but occasionally end up on my stomach. I know you can sew a tennis ball onto the front of your PJs or wear a baseball cap (both supposed to make it uncomfortable) if you roll onto your stomach but I’ve been too lazy to do that. But something has to give. I’m getting too old for stomach sleeping (at least on my mattress which isn’t rock hard).
I have not been able to sleep on my stomach since injuring my back about 14 years ago. I used to love it, but just can’t anymore. 🙁