mbsbike2002

Jenn, Welcome! I'm a newby here as well... I was just banded a week ago. JC - way to set of a bout of PTSD with all this bleachers running talk. I run up and down the stairs at the house, but they are normal rise/run stairs. Last time I ran bleachers, I tripped on the way down & rolled the rest of the way (grace was never one of my strong suits). If that's what it takes to be a bitchbadass around here, you can keep it... BG, HP, J, D - Morning! Y'all be careful in the weather up there... B

First day back at work is done. Not to bad, just spent most of it surfing a different set of websites than those I've been focusing on the past few days. There was a management change during my absence, seems I'm the last to know that I have a new boss. Should be interesting. J - I am impatient to get back to it, but I am taking it easy. I'm walking around 2 miles a day, and not in any real hurry about it. The sleeping thing is the hardest, which is made even harder by my general inability to sleep through the night anyway. I'm a tummy / side sleeper, and right now that's not happening. I go back to the doc on the 29th, and will seek his advice on doing anything else, like riding the trainer inside. JC - I appreaciate your concern brutha, but J is right, I shouldn't try to move too quickly out of studdom into the lofty realm of bitchdom. All things in their own time. BG - Good on ya for standing up to the psycho bitch! B

Jobstud, Most any steel bike should be able to carry you. The Schwinn you mentioned looks extra tough, so you should have no worries. There are other brands of bikes that are in the same segment, such as Electra Hawaii and Giant's Simple Single. The advantage that both offer is that they are available from a Local Bicycle Shop (LBS), who will be able to help get them adjusted properly for you, and will be able to provide after-sale support. Speaking as a fellow larger rider, the fit and adjustment of a bike is even more critical for us than for a typical small rider, due to the forces at play. A well adjusted bike should cause little discomfort to ride (your sit bones may hurt some at first), and should not cause undue stress on your joints. A poorly adjusted bike can cause a lot of stress, especially for your knees. While your initial interest may be in s single-speed cruiser, I would recommend looking at the Giant Simple 7. If it's in your price range, you might consider it. The additional gearing will allow you to utilize your mechanical efforts more efficiently, and it may allow you to take the bike farther than you currently plan. I don't use all the gears on my bike, but the one that seems to get the most use is the granny gear to keep me moving up some hills. In addition to a bike, make sure that you get a helmet (expensive helmets may be more aerodynamic, but anything over $25-30 will protect your noggin as well as a $100 helmet), here again, you will actually get more for your money from an LBS. I also highly recoomend proper bike shorts, the spandex kind. They do not have seams on the inside of your legs, they have padding to protect sensitive areas, and the material is designed to wick moisture away. I hope that this is helpful, and I wish you the best for your biking future. B

D - Today is first day back at work, so I've been trying to make sense of the 782 new e-mails in my inbox. I was good, though, while I was off and did not check e-mail once. I'm now paying the price. Fortunately, I can and will work from home for the rest of this week and probably next. I love pharmacology. My wife and I met in a psychopharm class, and the professor remains one of our good friends. I'm so happy that you and your husband enjoy biking together! It is great to have his support and to be able to do good things for yourself that don't take time away from him. My wife, while supporting my biking, has no interest in riding, so sometimes it seems like a choice between doing what I need to do for me and spending time with her. In the end, I'll do what I need for me, but the balance is a little harder. JC - Hopefully someday I can attain the highly coveted Bitch status, and maybe if I work really hard, I can be a BitchBadAss, but for now, I'm satisfied being a lowly Stud... HP - I hear your concerns and I agree with Deanna - you are a wonderful person, you have worked very hard, and no one here would ever think poorly of you for any reason. Ride your heart out, your friends will help you (it's amazing how much more you can do when riding with a group of friends), and if you get to a point where you can go no further, ride the SAG wagon back in and know that a few short months ago, none of this would have been possible, and in a few short more short months, you'll be riding farther and faster than you can imagine. BG - Sorry the husband trashed the house. I would be dead if I trashed the house while my wife was out - he should consider himself very lucky, inddeed... Also, sounds like a great plan to get control over food again. J - You are totally my kind of camper - it all sounds well and good until ya realize at the end of a long, rough day that you really are sleeping on the ground... Slack - hope things are improving on the discomfort. A proprerly fit and ajusted bike and a pair of bike shorts should result in little to no discomfort in that area. When I was biking at 310 or so, I had no pain or discomfort there. My sit bones hurt like hell, but that's another story... Hope everyone's day is going well - talk more later! B

Thanks BG! Had to make a slight adjustment to more correctly convey my attitude about it all!!! B

D - Your post touched me, as well. I'm sitting here misty-eyed. You are my hero - all of you are. I am a Brandon-come-lately to this thread, but you all have taught me that the band will enable me to meet my fitness and life goals, not get in the way, and that with hard work, those goals can be reached in an amazingly short period of time (although it may not feel that way as its happening.) I do hope to meet all of you someday, but if not, know that what you have done this summer will stay with me, in my mind (when I need a swift kick in the ass), in my heart, and in my belly... B

Glad to hear that Buddy's back to his normal self!! B

Slack, There are several things you can do to reduce the twins' discomfort... First, make sure that your seat is level, if the horn of the seat is raised even a few degrees, it will put a lot of pressure on them. Easiest thing to do is to put a carpenter's level across the seat and adjust as necessary. Although it may seem like a good idea, don't angle the seat down, it causes a whole different set of problems. Also, like JC said, a bigger seat is not usually better, it just spreads the problem around. The second thing that will help is a proper pair of bike shorts - you know, the spandex kind. There are many, many advantages. They have a pad in them that provides extra protection to your bits as well as your sit bones (which is where most of the pressure from the seat should be). They are also designed so that there are no seams on your inner thighs, the crease between your buttocks and legs, or anywhere else that may cause chafing. As has been mentioned here before, do not wear anything under the bike shorts, you will be chafed and end up with saddle sores. You can wear sweat shorts or something light over them if you prefer. Finding them in large sizes can be tough, and even then, picking the right size can be hard. I found some at Aero Tech Designs. I hope that some of this helps. B

D - WooHooooo!!! Congratulations on the new bike, it sounds awesome! Way to go on the ride, too! Up hills at 18!! No underwear! Sounds like a helluva morning! Btw - I think your mom must be related to my wife - it's a big thing that I'm wearing shoes in Casa Swain this week - all that walking on a ceramic floor is killing my ankles... JC - Good to hear the sleepy time is working for you, will be all over that as soon as I'm off the Codeine (and as soon as I can drink 8 ounces in a reasonable time). BG - Thanks for bring the sleepy time to our attention. B

Seriously, D? It's been almost 12 hours now... Need details, pictures, etc., etc., etc... HP - That is a cutie!!! Just a soft little ball of fur with some legs! BG - Thanks! Made it about 1.8 miles on the walk this morning. Such an over-achiever!! J - Have a great ride. Very jealous of the eggs and toast - glad you got to have some good breakfast! B

Bring it on boy and girls!!! For now, plan is to walk 1 mile or so each day for this coming week, 2 miles or so each day for the following week, then combination of waliking and indoor bike trainer for the remainder of my enforced off-bike time. I will be well behind the pace of eveyone by the time I get back on a bike, but hopefully I'll catch up soon. B

J, HP - Glad to see you were able to get out and ride today! HP, sorry you got hit in the face with weedwhacker crap... I got out and walked a mile or so this morning. It's not much, but it's a start back. J - If I can help with any finance questions, ask here or PM. Just finished a semester of finance last spring. No promises (my now-former MBA program sucked shit), but I also had 2 semesters of finance during my long and illustrious undergrad career... Might also have another semester of finance in my new non-shit-sucking Masters of Management program this fall (haven't decided yet). B

Thanks! I was able to drink 2 liters of liquid yesterday, which combined with the 1 liter IV almost makes me feel human again. Let us know when your date is set. B

Hi Clara Mae, My doctor didn't require a pre-op liquid diet; however, I started a voluntary one about a week before surgery. During that week, I lost about 8 pounds, and my blood sugar was well under control. BG control was important to me, since poor BG control can slow healing. Amazingly, since surgery, my blood sugar hasn't been over 120, and I haven't had any insulin since the day of surgery. Guess it can't get too out of control with only a few hundred calories a day! Good luck on you pre-op diet, the 27th will be here soon! B

JC - Sorry to hear that Buddy injured his hip, but glad to hear he's doing well, and that he's with his daddy. When Grumpy is sick. all she wants in the world is to curl up in my lap (pisses the wife off, but I'm more like a big pillow than her).... D - Thanks! I am doing better. Got a couple of liters in by mouth yesterday, plus the liter IV from Thursday, and I almost feel human again. I wish I were better at the whole "rest and recover" thing - I've been puttering around the house and being a computer dork since Wednesday. I think it's going to prolong the whole recovery period. Today, after a walk in the park with the wife and dog, I'm going to force myself to plant my ass on the couch and rest - how's that for an exercise goal??? I have been using the Nuun hydration tablets for a while. They have the appropriate mix of sodium, potassium, and calcium to ensure you have the proper electrolyte balance. They're great for hydrating when it's hot out, and I found that they stop leg cramps almost instantly. I don't think it's been mentioned here before, but pickle juice is also great for hydration and leg cramp relief. There are a few companies that sell plain, bottled pickle juice (Welcome to Picklejuicesport.com!) no relation to them, except that they are based in Big D and sponsor a lot of local rides... B

JC - That is one cool-ass dog. How did the vet visit go? B

JC - Hope Buddy gets to feeling better. Funny, I bought my wife a nice sparkly ring, then shortly after the wedding, she made me sell my nice sparkly car. Hmmmm. B

JC - Thanks for the advice on the pedialyte; I'll have the wife pick some up when she goes out this morning. I did go get a liter of fluid last night at the doc-in-a-box, and I feel much better. If I can get enough water in today, it should be all good. I also feel your pain on the insomnia - for years I've considered it a major accomplishment to sleep more than 4 hours a night. When I was younger and recovered better, it was very helpful to have that extra 4 hours a day. Now that I'm an old fart, I would give just about anything to sleep longer. Last night I got 6 hours, but that was with the help of 3 teaspoons of loritab... If you figure out a solution, let me know. J - You go, girl, on the big sparkly ring. The first words out of my wife's mouth when I put the ring on her finger and proposed to her were "Oooo Sparkly"! Cool stuff on the combined degrees. I'm starting on my Masters in September. Our finals aren't 'til after Christmas, but if it works out, we might try to make the Vegas trip. BG - Great pics! Sorry to hear about the anxiety attacks. I've only had one or two, and they were no fun. My wife has them fairly often. B

Shelby, Thanks! Things have been going pretty well. The only real problem has been dehydration. Although it is far more comfortable at home, you might want to consider staying in the hospital overnight, so they can get you plenty of fluids IV. I ended up going to a doc-in-the-box tonight to get a liter of ringers in an IV. Also, the dietician that stopped by before I was discharged said that I could have 2oz of Clear liquids every hour Tuesday evening through Thursday, then move to 2oz of full liquids with clear liquids in between beginning on Friday. This is not correct. You can have 2oz of clear liquids and such, but you should be drinking sips of Water between the 2oz hourly "meals". If she would have said that, I wouldn't have ended up with a 2-day Fluid deficit. Other than that, pain is minimal, more like a general discomfort that gets better as the CO2 works its way out. Strangly, my hip flexors are far more painful than anything around my tummy. I wasn't aware how much your abs are used in the sitting/standing routine, and my hip flexors are being called on to take on more of that load while my abs heal. Good luck on your surgery, it will be here in a flash. Let me know how things go. B

I like quenck, too! I'm not even that thirsty - just dry - my eyes squeak when I blink. I'm going to go ahead and get an IV this evening - there's just no way to make up a 2-day deficit when all I can do is take baby sips... And yes, I should have come to y'all for support, but instead I've just been bitching to the computer and the wife... B

Me and my drinks are doing okay - but I am one dehydrated mofo right now. Seems like I got some bad information from the dietician when I was discharged from the hospital - she said for the first two days I get 2oz an hour, then starting on the third day I could have my 2oz of protein and clear fluids in between. I am so dehydrated right now it hurts. I was planning on going to one of the local Doc-in-a-Box places to get a liter of ringers IV to rehydrate. I called my docs office to make sure that wouldn't cause any issues and the nurse ripped me a new one for not drinking more. Since there is no way I can make up a 2-day deficit, I'll probably go to get some fluids IV anyway. Other than that, I'm just laying low - trying to catch up on all of the bike forums I've been away from for a few days. If anyone is riding tonight, ride a mile for me! B

D - Thank you for the warm welcome as well - I agree that it is hard to step in once a group dynamic has been established, but I love biking and I am (finally) banded, and this is one kick ass group, so I'm happy to be accepted! I live a few miles outside of Dallas, TX. I've lived in Dublin, London, Boston, Los Angeles, and Rochester, MN. Would love to move back to Boston some day - absolutely no desire to live in Rochester or LA again. And - to bring everybody up to speed on my status regarding topics of the last few days. My toenails are clear and trimmed, but I'm not a fan of feet, so you won't likely see them in any pictures (other than maybe in profile). I never wear panties under my bike shorts - the chafing would be horrific and VPL under spandex is a romper-room no-no... Under normal circumstances, I sleep a little more than JC - 10p to about 1:45a. J - I agree - eff 'em if they don't like to see me in spandex - it's the appropriate apparel for riding a bike - I learned that lesson the hard way many years ago... BG - At least us guys get to adjust our bits if they start to hurt during a ride - girlie parts are where they are & not much you can do - though there are saddles with cutouts to keep the pressure off. Just went out to the garage to give the bike a pat on the handlebars - it misses me, and i miss it - this is going to be a long 6 weeks. B

Lori, Glad to hear that you're still doing well. I am, too. Like you, the only discomfort that I really feel is when I go from sitting to standing, or anything involving lying down and getting back up. Strangely, my hip flexors hurt the most - I never realized how much your abs were used when standing/sitting, etc. I'm trying to take it easy on my abs, so my hips hurt... I walked a lot yesterday - probably about 20 minutes every two hours, and I walked for about an hour straight earlier in the morning. I'm going to try to do the same today. It's helping get the CO2 out, and it keeps me from getting stiff and sore just sitting around all day. Best wishes for a continued pain-free and speedy recovery! B

J - Thanks for the welcome. Yep, the boy bits figure into the equation; however, a properly fitted bike, a properly adjusted seat, and a good pair of shorts with a nice chamois do reduce the impact on that area... Of course, the problem with good bike shorts is that now the boy bits are mostly on display, and nobody really needs to see a 300 pound guy and his bits in spandex. Mostly, I just like the idea of pedalling a sofa down the road! In the end, though, I will probably sell the hybrid and buy both a recumbent and a roadie. I can ride the recumbent for the longer Randonees and the roadie for riding with one of the local cycling clubs. What a sweet doggie! Grumpy's best friend in the whole world (her boyfriend, actually) is a Wiemaraner. She loves that dog sooo much. They've been friends since she was about 2 1/2 months old. One day we took her to the park, and there was another wiemar playing with another little dog. She thought it was Luke. She came home and sulked and then acted out a little play with her toys - it was one of the cutest things ever. She beat the crap out of one of her stuffies while putting it next to a smaller stuffie - Then she took the little stuffie and put it in the far corner of the room - get away from my boyfriend you little chippie.... There are a bunch of Grumpy pics on our gallery page at http://gallery.mac.com/nbs101103#100039&bgcolor=black&view=mosaic&sel=1 JC - Man, that's just wrong that the ex took the dog... Good luck on the mountain bike search. The last time I seriously rode bikes, I had a mountain bike - bad choice since I mostly rode on the road. Nothing like trying to ride a century on a heavy bike with knobby tires. Yech... BG - It will be a very sad day when I run out of the codeine syrup. I have some prescription narcotic cough syrup that has some codeine in it, but it's not nearly as good... Thanks again to everyone for your warm welcome. You all have been such an inspiration over the past few months - I'm amazed and heartened by the progress that everyone has made increasing their miles and speed. More than a few times, I have had to do the walk of shame up a hill that I just couldn't pedal up even in the granniest of granny gears. It's frustrating, but then I think - let's see Lance or Floyd try to bike up a goddamned hill at twice their current weight. And then, I think of everyone here, and I know that soon, I will be able to pedal up my current hard hills and even harder hills and longer distances at higher speeds and weigh less and be in better shape and on and on and on... Well, off to my hourly two ounces of chicken broth. Don't want to miss out on that gourmet delight. B

Yes, that's my boxer, Grumpy. She's 14 months old, and she said she would kick the ass of the dog that bit you. She's our kid, spoiled so very rotten. She knows something is wrong with me today, and has just been lying there whimpering at me "Daddy, why don't you curl up with me"... Wish she spoke better english... B