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unfun summer
Last Post 09/07/2013 10:25 AM by smokey 52. 8 Replies.
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smokey52
Posts:498
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| 09/04/2013 09:53 PM |
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This summer has not been much fun. I had registered for a sprint tri in early July, but I had to drop out because I had incredible pains in my shoulders and arms. After a week and a half of doctor appts, progressing from general to orthopedic to neurologist, I got diagnosed with Lyme disease. I also missed a family canoe trip to Missouri. Besides the weakness, joint pain, and fatigue, I had to stay out of the sun while on the antibiotic.
My riding was really funky with my noodley arms. I couldn't even dismount reliably; I had to stop, lay the bike down, and step over it.
I am finally on the mend. One thing that came up during the neurologist's exam is mild carpel tunnel syndrome. She recommended wearing a brace while typing and cycling. Do any of you have experience with this? Does riding aggravate the condition?
smokey |
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79pmooney
Posts:3189
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| 09/05/2013 02:11 AM |
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That sucks, Smokey. I haven't seen Lyme but where I grew up (Eastern Massachusetts) is now Lyme country and I have a sibling and friend who have seen it.
I haven't seen a doctor for my carpal but I am sure I have some. I've been using a 1" dowell in front of my keyboard with pipe insulation over it for years to keep my wrists in the proper position. (The $8 good pipe insulation at Home Depot will be good for 3 keyboards and lasts for years.)
For all that stuff, esp the Lyme, practice acceptance. Yes it sucks, but if you accept it, you can see the good there is around you. Some of it is funny, like those dismounts. Me walking really funky last July with my arm in a sling and a crutch on the side of my good leg because with a broken collarbone, using the "correct" arm was out. (That crash was not a big deal. Lyme is real. I'm not comparing them.)
Next time you ride, start looking at what hand positions seem to cause carpal problems. There is a lot you can do: rotate bars and levers, favor other positions, etc. Talk it up at rides and bike shops. It is a common issue. I am sure there are a lot of answers out there.
Hang around and keep us posted.
Ben |
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THE SKINNY
Posts:506
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| 09/05/2013 09:03 AM |
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i feel your pain about the lymes. i've had it for a couple of years and i can't seem to shake it completely. fatigue, joint pain and weight loss plus constant rotating antibiotics keep me felling poorly. but there are a lot of people that have it worse than me so i just roll with it. make sure you get tested again even after you get the all clear from the doctor and make sure you get the more accurate test (and also more expensive). i've tested clear several times only to get joint pain again in several months.
funny about the doxycycline, i always load up on sunscreen before a ride but one time i missed my knuckles. the doxy plus sunshine cooked the unprotected skin but for days i didn't make the connection. i thought i was having some sort of allergic reaction. after a week my knuckles finally started peeling and then it all made sense.
good luck. |
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| How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. |
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vtguy
Posts:298
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| 09/05/2013 11:41 AM |
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| Sorry to hear about the Lyme -- it's rampant in my area and my wife had it earlier this summer. Fortunately the symptoms were almost immediately apparent and she got on antibiotics, but still had zero energy for about a month. |
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thinline
Posts:325
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| 09/06/2013 04:39 PM |
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| Best wishes on a recovery. I wonder about it every summer given all the outdoor time we get in VT. |
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vtguy
Posts:298
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| 09/06/2013 04:48 PM |
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| My daughter is an MD in the Northeast Kingdom and says that they're getting lots of folks with ticks and Lyme symptoms. When I moved to VT 40-years ago ticks were non-existent. |
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79pmooney
Posts:3189
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| 09/06/2013 07:39 PM |
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When I was growing up outside Boston, deer were basically unheard of. Now they are munching gardens. The ticks are carried by the deer, I believe. There were ticks when I was growing up, but not many and Lyme disease did not exist, at least in New England.
Ben |
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Dale
Posts:1767
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| 09/06/2013 08:41 PM |
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Had a bout of erlichoisis* a dozen years ago... not fun. Felt like the atomic flu. Achy, sore, and my resting heart rate was elevated. I knew something was amiss and went to t he doc. A few viles of blood later, a bill, a bottle of antibiotics and a couple of weeks and I was fine. Had it been undetected for months the cure isn't so easy.
Deer... natures Typhoid Mary
*another damn tick borne infection |
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smokey52
Posts:498
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| 09/07/2013 10:25 AM |
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Thanks for the encouragement. I got a new bike last spring. The LBS included a fitting as part of the purchase, and this bike fits me better than the previous one. I find I can ride in the drops much more comfortably, not just zooming down hill. I think that should translate into less wrist stress too. The carpal tunnel was not my initial complaint. I tried riding without the brace yesterday and found that my wrist did ache more than without it, so I guess I will incorporate it into my riding regalia.
There's no sense in getting tested for Lyme again right away. The tests (both Western blot and ELISA) are not directly for the bacterium but for the antibodies generated in response to the infection. The antibodies hang around for a while even though the infection clears. Fortunately in my case, the tests showed IgM, the antibody that marks early-stage Lyme, but not IgG, the late-stage marker. |
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