Be Careful Not to Hit Your Head

This is a continuation to a post I wrote last night about being admitted to the hospital over the weekend.

I finally drifted off sometime after 5:30 Friday morning to be awoken a little more than an hour later and wheeled through the catacomb of hallways that make up Ridges Hospital for an appointment with an ultrasound technician. She spent twenty minutes going over every inch of my legs in search of more clots. I asked her if she could tell me if she found anything but she said she couldn't discuss the results with me. I was taken back to my room and under a haze of Oxycodone and Morphine, unwilling or unable to sleep I sat up in bed pretty much numb to the world around me.

Well-wishes by the dozens were coming in on my Facebook wall and they did a lot to brighten my day. I wanted to respond to them but I didn't have the strength.

It's so easy to become self-centered in a crisis such as this but I was trying to remember that I wasn't going through it alone. Tammy was by my side every step of the way and I knew Rachel was concerned. She saw my Facebook update and texted both of us: "Id like to be in the loop about this whole hospital business. So someone call me when u can."

The doctor assigned to the floor stopped by our room Saturday afternoon and spent at least 45 minutes with us explaining in detail all that had happened and what to expect going forward. He also told us of a clot the ultrasound technician had found in the upper thigh of my right leg. It was more disturbing news that I would have to try and figure out a way to accept. 'We're not talking terminal cancer...this is not that bad' was all I could think.

The main focus it seemed was in getting my pain under control. No matter what they tried, the sharp stabbing pains typical of those associated with PE were ever present and made it nearly impossible to sleep. I finally managed to drift off sometime around midnight until the pain returned at 4:00 AM. Little did I know that I was done sleeping for the night as the nursing staff did all they could to provide me with relief but nothing seemed to help. I was a complete mess!

We anticipated that I'd be going home late Sunday but the doctor came by Sunday afternoon and said he was keeping me there until Monday or until my pain was better under control. I had no argument for him and was content to remain where I was. Mainlining morphine when it's needed was key and I didn't want to lose access to that supply.

Tammy and I had been discussing the issue of riding my bike once I'd made a recovery. My assumption was that I'd be able to but she wasn't so sure so we asked the doctor and he was very clear. He felt that my time on the bike was very beneficial for me and he wanted to see me resume my riding (not the falling) but that it would have to wait until I was done with my coumadin therapy; anywhere from 3 to 9 months. I simply can't afford to have an incident where I suffer a blow to my head because of increase risk of an uncontrollable brain hemorrhage. Biking is out of the question. I assumed that I could ride my rollers but even those aren't acceptable because they pose the same risk. I'll have to be content with a stationary trainer and other forms of exercise.

I have to take a few lines to say that the staff at Ridges Hospital were amazing! Both the ER and the hospital staff. They couldn't have made our stay more comfortable and we're so thankful for the warmth they showed us. You could tell that they genuinely care about the wellbeing of their patients. To them it was more than just a job. I thought about my own work and felt a little guilty for not having anywhere near the passion for my profession as they show for theirs. We were so impressed. Oh, and the food was much better than I anticipated it being!

I woke up Monday morning feeling like a new person. My pain was under control and I'd been able to sleep through the night. I was happy to be going home but I was also very grateful for my stay at Ridges and the care I'd received. In my debriefing with the doctor he said I was free to carry on life as I had been before this episode but he cautioned me to "be careful not to hit your head." They were simple but important words of wisdom. We said goodbye to the staff sometime late morning and they let me walk out under my own power guided along by Tammy.

I just had a follow-up visit with my regular doctor as I write this and I have just a little more bad news to add to all I've written. I was told by the doctor who discharged me yesterday that there was a good chance I'd be on coumadin therapy for only 3 months meaning I'd miss very little of this year's riding season. To my disappointment today my doctor said no; that when he's treating for PE, (clots in the lung) coumadin therapy must be for 12 months, no less.

Things could always be worse, I get that.

It Must Be the Bike

I hardly know where to begin but from what I gather I'm very blessed, lucky, call it what you will, to be around. Maybe that's overstating it. I don't know.

I woke up two Saturday mornings ago with a tightness in my ribs on my left side. I dismissed it as a pulled muscle from some firewood I'd lifted the previous night. A few days later the pain was still there and it wasn't getting better. I mentioned it to Tammy and she suggested I go in to be seen. Tammy is a telephone triage nurse and this is the sort of thing she deals with all the time. I knew she was right but I wanted to believe that whatever it was it would go away on its own.

I should've listened to her.

We went out to Mall of America Friday night to kick around for a while; the usual...grab some coffees, walk a couple of laps and find a restaurant for dinner. Throughout the night I was finding myself taking deeper than normal breaths trying to ease the discomfort I was feeling on the left side of my chest, being careful not to let Tammy notice. I was also trying to stretch the tightness away but none of my attempts were helping. By the time we left for our car I knew something was wrong. We stopped at the liquor store on the way home for a bottle of wine and while Tammy went inside I moved over to the passenger seat to let her drive. I was no longer in any condition to be behind the wheel. She suggested we go to urgent care and followed that up by stating that if I was calling the nurse-line she'd be instructing me to go to the emergency room. "Let's go there" I said putting a stop to my stupidness of the last several days.

When we arrived in the ER they wasted no time in attending to me. After listening to a brief synopsis of what I'd been experiencing the doctor ordered a blood draw to perform a D-dimer test that would detect evidence of a blood clot. He told us that he didn't expect those results to be positive considering my age and my vital signs but he wanted to be able to rule it out.

Positive they were.

The next step and one that would exacerbate my pain greatly was the CT. Laying in a prone position with my arms above my head while trying to hold my breath waiting for the image to be captured was so difficult. The pain was intense.

I know pain. I deal with Cluster headaches yearly.

I was diagnosed with two pulmonary embolisms, one in each lung. The doctor referred to them as large. I wasn't sure what to think and it was getting late. We'd arrived at the ER around 8:30 and it was now after 2:00 in the morning. My body was tired but my mind was racing. It had been a long day for Tammy and she needed to go home to let the pups out. She kissed me goodnight and closed the door behind her as I sat on the edge of the bed.

I tried making light of my condition and posted to my Facebook wall updating my status with a pain-masked-by-morphine smiling photo from the ER. Alone with my thoughts for the first time I recognized that all I knew about clots was that they sometimes caused sudden death. Could that be me? With the charge in my cellphone running low I did a quick search online and what I read about pulmonary embolisms didn't do anything to allay my fears. I texted Tammy "I'm a little scared honey...should I be?" She responded "What's going on?" I told her "Nothing...I'm just worried" "Call me, ok?"

She drove back to my room at the Ridges and we spent the night together. I needed her reassuring presence.

The next morning an ultrasound revealed that there was an additional clot in my upper right thigh. What's the reason for all of this I wondered? The doctor assured me that for someone in my physical condition the cause was one of two things: I either have a predisposition for developing clots or my body suffered some recent trauma that resulted in the clotting. The only thing I could point to was my Mukluk. I've taken so many falls on it in the month that I've had it that surely it must be the reason. More tests are being done as I write this that will help to determine if I am in fact prone to clotting. If not, then it must be the bike.

To be continued...

We're Being Scammed!

Tammy got a phone call a few months ago from a company calling themselves Yellow Pages saying that they had a refund for us. Before she could ask any questions they informed her that I had signed up for advertising services (we're sitting on a domain name for a possible side business when we're retired) from them but that I was canceling the remainder of the services and that they needed to know where to send the $500. They asked her a series of questions and recorded her answers before transfering her to another telemarketer who began to explain the contract she'd just entered into. Say what? Tammy made it clear to them that she didn't sign up for anything and called them on the scam they were engaged in.

Tammy documented everything that had occurred and sent it off to the Minnesota Attorney General's office wanting to have a record in case they should later come after us. And now they have.

We got a call a couple weeks ago asking for a payment of $500 for services that had been provided in the name of Grapevine Art Glass. They played a recording for Tammy of her agreeing to a series of questions about the contract she had supposedly agreed to. She explained that the questions she answered were different than the questions they had paired up with her answers in the recording. She handed the phone to me and they explained that if we didn't pay they would be turning our account over to a collection agency. I asked the guy if times were so difficult that he couldn't find an honest way to make a living. He hung up on me.

Tammy did some digging based on the phone number they'd given and found that they were located in Canada but were using a drop box in New York. She wrote the Attorney General's office in New York detailing the scam and to go on record with them. She also went online and found that these same people target all sorts of businesses and that often times the victims will attempt to settle rather than spend time defending themselves.

We received our first invoice in yesterday's mail.

My concern has been that they actually do have a team of legal experts working for them who could somehow attach themselves to our assets unless we pay. I think it's a pretty safe bet that they've got nothing of the kind. We'll be hanging up on them and trashing any further correspondence they may send.

Besides...who the heck is Pamela Gilmore?

I made it out to the Red Bull Crashed Ice event in St Paul on Friday night curious to see what this bobsled-meets-roller-derby-on-ice-skates competition was about. I'd hoped to get some cool photos but all I could really manage was some video.  It was too cold to take off my gloves and manipulate my Lumix LX5 the way I'd need to get the shots I was hoping for. I walked back to my truck thinking that this was one of those events much better appreciated from a comfortable chair in the warmth of my home.

I was out on my Mukluk several times this week in temps that ran the gamut from unseasonably warm 50s to more normal single digit temps that had my toes crying uncle after two hours even with my Lake winter cycling boots protecting them. I'm curious to see how my road bikes feel once I hit the streets this spring after having spent most of the winter on what amounts to a tank in comparison.

Each trip out on the roads and trails results in lots of mud caked on my bike that I'm careful to hose off after each adventure especially from the drive-train. I went to turn on the outside faucet after yesterday's ride but it was frozen. Hmm...that's a dilemma, but not to fret. I loaded my bike into the back of my truck this morning and brought it to the car wash and gave it a quick once-over before turning the spray on my truck of nearly 11 years.

Here's some video from yesterday's ride. Not so interesting to most, I get that but very nice to have for me years from now when this thing I do is only a memory.

Pedaling Back Time

We have a lot less blown glass in our home than we did just a few weeks ago. Much of what we didn't give away as Christmas gifts was brought home by Rachel's friends. Tammy and I joke that these are what will be referred to as 'early Gilmores' years from now after we've made a name for ourselves.

Just kidding of course.

Friday's three hours in the studio were more of a humbling experience than anything for me but there are lessons to be learned from all those failed pieces. And actually, this is sort of what Steve was talking to me about last month. Rather than playing it cautiously because I'm so intent on having a piece to show for my efforts I should push the limits of my abilities with the understanding that the piece will more likely than not be a failure in the sense that it won't make it into the 'box'. I can't honestly say that that was my mindset on Friday but pretending it was helps to ease my frustration.

Our Blown Glass set on Flickr continues to grow.

Tammy set up a blog last week. I'd intended to pimp it here but I think I'll wait and see if it actually gets off the ground first. It's still just taxiing. I do hope she decides to log into it occasionally and put down some thoughts.

We went out to dinner with our small-group from church last night. We've been taking a break from our meetings during the holiday season so it was nice to get together with everyone at Chianti Grill in Burnsville. We kicked around ideas for this next phase of our bible study and Rob Bell's name came up. His most recent book, Love Wins caused quite a stir among fundamentalist Christians. Anything that rattles the cages among those that are so sure of themselves (because I'm not) I find appealing. Sign me up.

I made it out on my bike several times this past week in what continues to be one of the milder winters I can recall. Just beautiful weather we're enjoying and I'm so happy to be out of the house experiencing it. I was able to spend some time getting familiar with my GoPro video camera that I have mounted on the bars of my bike. I'm pleased with the handlebar mount and I do think it goes a long way toward diminishing the geek-factor as opposed to using the helmet mount. The best part is that now I'll be able to capture many more of my falls such as the one from my first outing with my GoPro. No mountain bikers were harmed during the filming of this short video.

Another plus of no longer holding my Bionic in my hand to shoot video is that I've got both hands on the bars which allows me to ride more aggressively. I like to say that when I'm on my bike I'm back in my mid 20s. My friends at work like to remind me that my bones would beg to differ. Hmmm.

From My Notes...

I'm sitting here, New Years Eve, relaxing by the crackling fireplace with a glass of wine (oops...it's empty...brb) and my laptop. I don't know that life gets any more relaxing. Tammy has been in the office all afternoon and evening taking calls from people in search of medical assistance, sussing out their needs and coordinating any required help. Our most mild and brown winter is going to have a new look when we wake up in the morning as snow is falling heavily. I'm ok with that. I've got a new snowblower that is itching to show me what it can do as well as my Mukluk. They both thrive on snow. I'm becoming more accepting of it.

It's been a full week for us. Aren't they all? I'll typically make notes on my Bionic throughout the week of things I'd like to touch on in my blog and this week there's a long list. I won't get to them all. I've become more aware in recent years that less is more. It'll be difficult to hold true to that but I'll try.

Rachel took advantage of her Christmas break to have her wisdom teeth taken out on Wednesday...oh no...did she take a shot at my blog while speaking her mind coming off the anesthesia? The razzing she received afterward seems somewhat of a rite-of-passage for people her age. It was all I could do the day after to look at her and not laugh; her cheeks were so big and swollen. She had friends Skyping with her all day Thursday to have a look and a laugh. She's a good sport! The photo to the left was from this afternoon after most of the swelling had gone down.

Rachel showed me a bizarre video she took in Rochester a couple weeks ago. She and friends were driving back to their home when thousands of crows descended on the city. Almost like something out of the movie The Birds except these seemed maybe a little friendlier.

I took advantage of our unseasonably mild weather this week to begin taking down our outdoor Christmas lights. I finished the work this afternoon. I typically wait until after the first of the year but I wanted the job done and didn't want it looming over me until April as it did last spring. In case I never again hang as many lights as I've done in years past (a serious consideration) I thought I'd capture a little video of what our display usually looks like. It's all about the reminiscing.

I was back out on my Mukluk yesterday for what I'd hoped would be maybe 35+ miles on the trails. I only managed just a little over 18 and not because I didn't want to be out there but because I took a fall on my left knee that had me pedaling in pain for the remainder of the ride. In a stupid attempt to capture more video of my rides I failed to see a patch of ice that caught my front tire and brought me down before I realized what had happened. I knew right then that the GoPro camera I've had my eye on was a must-have if I'm going to continue to take video of my rides...and I intend to.

My GoPro should be in Wednesday's mail.

These cameras do a great job and have 5 star ratings but I've always had trouble getting beyond their geek factor. I just couldn't ever see myself with one mounted on my helmet. Not to worry. I came across a guy on a cycling forum I post to who takes some really nice video with the same camera but he uses a handlebar mount rather than the helmet mount. This I can do.

We went to a smaller venue last night in Burnsville (Burnsville Performing Arts Center) to see the BoDeans. Tammy realized a month after tickets had gone on sale that they would playing but she still managed to get us some not-so-bad seats in the front row of the balcony. I was somewhat disappointed to learn when they took the stage that Sammy Llanas is no longer with them. I had no idea. The band revolves around two main performers, Kurt Neumann and Sammy. It was hard to imagine the band without either of them. Still, Kurt did a nice job of playing mostly some of the band's older tunes but with a couple of more recent ones as well. I've seen them many times in concert and while it was a good show it just simply wasn't the same without Sammy. Hopefully he'll find his way back some day.

We finished out the night at Mainstreet After Hours in downtown Lakeville; a coffee shop/wine bar that I've wanted check out. We've been there a few times for coffees but never for a glass of wine. We took some seats next to a table by the gas fireplace and settled in. It was a little discouraging to see such a small crowd on a Friday night but the woman behind the bar assured us that they're usually quite busy but that this has been an off week. That's good to know. We really liked it and intend to go back there regularly. There's an atmosphere within that can't be found at some of the more generic stamped-out-franchise places that we typically frequent. Plus, I always enjoy supporting a local business!

Oh, I almost forgot...Happy New Year!

Christmas, 2011 and the Call of a Mukluk

Quite a contrast between last year and this year...

I love a brown Christmas...well, maybe an inch of snow would be acceptable but no more! Oh, wait a minute...I have a snow-bike now. Strike that!

I had some use-or-lose vacation time to burn through before the end of the year so I took Wednesday off and spent it getting familiar with my Mukluk on the trails along the Minnesota River bottom. I actually had a difficult time falling asleep Tuesday night in anticipation of my ride. I was excited to get out there and that excitement was for a good reason. It was one of the more fun rides I've had in a very long time. I've never experienced anything like that on a bike. More about this later.

Christmas, 2011 is nearly gone as I sit down to add to my blog. I can't think of another year where I felt so detached from the celebration. I'm not sure why. I just never got caught up in much of the hype this year aside from putting up outdoor lights. I'm actually fine with it and to be honest, I'm thinking God would approve because I'm quite sure He's not too keen about what's become of Christmas. I like that we set aside a day where we acknowledge the birth of our savior but the important message of the celebration is so ridiculously overshadowed by the frenzied shopping for just the right gifts and the parties.

Tammy, Rachel and I left for Tammy's mother's home around noon Thursday after I'd had a chance to sleep a little after my all-night shift. We drove both vehicles so I could come back earlier as Tammy and Rachel weren't leaving until this afternoon. We couldn't have picked a better weekend for travel considering the weather we typically have to contend with this time of year.

I woke up Friday morning and took a walk around the city of Babbitt to take some photos. The plan was for Rachel to come with me but she was catching up on some much needed sleep so I didn't disturb her. Babbitt is a small mining town which saw its heyday in the '60s and '70s. Sadly, it's a dying town that never found any identity other than mining even though it's located within a stone's throw of the Boundary Waters which attracts 250,000 hikers/campers each year. Ely, just to the north appears to have done a much better job of appealing to those headed into the wilderness preserve.

Some photos from my walk plus a few others...

Tammy's mother made us a great dinner as she always does and we devoured it too quickly just as we always do. We spent some time opening gifts before I got back on the road to head for home a little earlier than I'd originally intended. I was going to leave the next morning but the forecast back home was calling for temps in the mid 30s under sunny skies.

What sound does a Mukluk make when it's calling to you? I have no idea but I heard it.

Toby watched patiently as I gathered my things by the side door to leave before giving me a penetrating look that was pleading with me to take him. How could I resist? I brought him along to keep me company and to give us some time together, just the two of us as I know he loves that. He snuggled into my lap for a while before making a bed out of my jacket in the passenger seat then drifted off into a contented sleep for the 4+ hour drive home. I love that little guy so much.

I was back on the trails by mid-morning yesterday exploring some routes that I didn't have time for on Wednesday. I'm still attempting to find my footing with these two huge wheels I'm riding atop of and trying not to look too much like a Fred in the process. That's not always easy. I found myself more than once for a split second wondering if I was going to remain upright coming off a hill or negotiating something more technical than the straight lines I'm used to on the road. I'm sure I'll soon look back on some of what I find more challenging now and laugh at my tentativeness.

I survived my first fall yesterday. I was negotiating the small gully pictured here, traversing it from left to right not carrying enough speed to carry me over the top and in too high of a gear to pedal my way out of it. I needed at least one revolution of my cranks to get into the needed lower gear but I couldn't do it. I fell over and slid a few feet back down the hill smiling the whole time. I quickly got up and took a look around to see if anybody saw me before dusting myself off.

Whew! ...nobody saw me...this is too fun!

Bring it On!

We've been experiencing some unusually nice weather here in the Midwest! I believe they're talking 40s for Sunday and I love it!

It appears we're in for our first brown Christmas since 2006 and I for one am very happy about that. Or am I? Hmm...I'm actually somewhat conflicted now because I have an altogether new reason for wanting snow. No, it's not because of my new snowblower and no, I didn't buy a snowmobile. I suppose the photo to the left is a bit of a giveaway. I bought myself a new toy; a Salsa Mukluk! I'm joining the ranks of the fat-bikes! ...or however you say that.

My original intent was to purchase a Pugsley Surly (something I've had my eye on for a little more than a year) but after comparing the two over at Freewheel Bike in minneapolis I opted for the Mukluk with its aluminum frame, slightly larger size and better components and wheels. Thanks to Steve at Freewheel for his guidance in helping me sort through the options.

The fat tires will allow me to take this where other mountain bikes can't go due to snow say nothing of my road bikes. We've got hundreds of miles of trails in Minnesota and now I'll be able to access them with my bike.

I'm really psyched to get out on it but I have to wait as I haven't brought it home yet; hopefully this coming week. I'm waiting on some things to complete the package and once they've arrived I'll go pick it up.

In an effort to realize some of the investment we've made over this past year in our glassblowing endeavors, if you receive a gift from us for Christmas it's likely going to come from somewhere on the table in this photo. Rachel is free to give whatever remains to her friends as we're running out of places to put it.

Coldplay tickets went on pre-sale last Monday for their Xylo Myloto tour. Rachel and I were on the phone together in front of our laptops the moment they went on sale seeing if at least one of us could score something decent. I did...on the floor in the 40th row. Rachel was excited as was I but it was a short-lived excitement. When I went to enter my creditcard data I found that it would only take American Express. My Mastercard was useless to me. I had to let the tickets go. I tried once more days later when they went on sale again but without the previous creditcard restrictions. The seats I got were less than desirable but were just as expensive as the floor seats. I took a pass much to Rachel's disappointment I'm sure. Sorry, kiddo.

I've upped my score in Air Control to 467 attaining the rank of Air Traffic Controller...haha. I was reasonably happy about that until a friend of mine topped it with a score of 609 (12th in Sweden). It puts me in the top 1% of players worldwide but I know I can do better. The only problem is that to score so many points (or landings) it's easily a 25 minute investment of time and that's not always easy to come by. But it's winter in Minnesota and what else is there to do? Oh yeah...ride in the snow!

Bring it on!