Report from the Stroke Clinic

On Wednesday, August 10,  I took my good bike for a short tough ride around the Noosa Hinterland.  My route took about 35Km through some lovely scenery and up and down some steep (> 10%) hills.  On the way I took some photos.

After leaving the Noosa Parklands area of Tewantin, where I live, I climbed the range up Gydnier Drive which is known to thousands of competitors in the Noosa Triathlon as "The Hill".  Actually it's a nice gentle climb if you are not racing.

The Hill is also used for the Noosa Classic Car Hill Climb and has many turns.

At the top I turned left along Sunrise Road and on to the Eumundi Range Road where I stopped for brief rest and some refreshment.

The view across the valley to Cooroy was terrific and Mount Eerwah was in the distance..

I continued on passed Mount Cooroy and stopped in Cooroy for a coffee before riding back down the range on the Noosa Cooroy Road to Tewantin.  The last couple of kilometres were a steep swoop down at 60kph with the brakes on to home.

Going Down

It had been a great little ride of about 35K and showed mw that I can still climb hills.

On Saturday we had a club ride which also went well.

This Tuesday I did the tough ride again and much to my surprise found it harder.  This was disappointing as I felt that I should had been fitter.

Yesterday I visited that Nambour Stroke Clinic Outpatients department for a follow up visit.  My specialist Is great because he treats me as an intelligent person.  First he walked me through the nature of my stroke emphasising that it was caused by Atrial Fibrillation and that my vascular system was in good condition.  The area of the stroke had affected my speech and cognition but these had improved and should return to normal.  While showing me the CT scans and MRI images he pointed out walnut sized cyst to the side of my right orbit which had showed up in the scan.  Apparently it was an old cyst which was benign and presented no risk  but had caused some initial concern.

The specialist said that my treatment was based on four things.  One was to prevent my blood clotting and causing future strokes during an AF attack.   Two was to reduce the severity of an AF attack by reducing my heart rate.  Three was to control my blood pressure and four was to control my Tyte 2 Diabetes.  None of these would cure the AF but it should be under control.

He was pleased to hear that I was back to cycling, Meals on Wheel and my Computer Club as continuing interest and exercise where essential to a full recovery.  I asked him about my disappointing ride on Tuesday which he said was not disappointing and could vary because my heart rate would depend on my medication levels.  I take a quarter tablet of Metropolol twice a day which as the quarters  were not accurate could cause variability in dose.  This only affects one if you are really exercising.  I will be weaned of Metropolol over the next few weeks and my heart rate, while sill controlled, would be closer to normal.  At present it is about 50bpm and doesn't vary much during exercise.  With the new medication It will still be low but will be allowed to increase to 100bpm during exercise thus making me cycle more strongly.

I am of to MOW in a few minutes.

Louis is getting better and allowed longer walks but no running.

Back to Living On My Own

As the title says am back to living on my own.  Helen was able to fly home to South Australia last Wednesday after an eight week stay.  I have been stable for a couple of weeks and we both agreed that she should go home. 

Last Saturday week I did a ride with my cycling club and it came as quite  a shock when I had difficulties keeping up.  I ride with the second slowest group and am probably the oldest rider in the group but before my stroke had no problems keeping up.  I have no problem with the length of the ride just the pace.  I think that this is caused by my medication which slows down my heart rate to about 50 beats a second.  It used to be about 80bps and I think that I am not getting as much oxygen into my system as I used to.  The ride actually started up a steep little hill which soon had me out of breath and I never really caught up.

This Saturday I took it easy on the ride and apart from one steep hill had no problems.  Even then I just put the bike in a very low gear and was able to climb alongside another much younger rider.  Over the next few weeks I shall try and get some longer rides in to build up my aerobic capacity.  If I am going to ride in the Bicycle SA annual tour at the end of October I will have to be able to ride up to 80km a day.  Providing I can average 10kph I shall be able to cope quite well as it is not a race.  In case anybody is worried that I might over do it I will be attending the Stroke Clinic at Nambour Hospital on the 18th August and will only proceed with their approval.

Yesterday I did a 30km ride around Noosa out to the spit.  It was a lovely mild morning and I used my shopping bike.  I rode at about 20kph and had no problems.  I shall gradually build up my fitness and distances over the next eight weeks.

Noosa Spit about 14km from home.

Last Friday I returned to my Meals On Wheels round.  I was a little worried that I would have problems with the route and managing sorting out the individual meals.  Friday is a big day as we deliver the normal Friday meals plus any frozen meals the clients have ordered for the weekend.  This means that nearly every client had a different order.  I needn't have worried.  I got around the round, which had several new clients,  in good time and had no problems sorting out the meals.  I did find that I got very tired with climbing in and out of the car but I recovered quickly after a nap in the afternoon.

My main objectives over the next few weeks are to get fit and also tidy up my front garden.  I  realise that I my take longer over some jobs and ride a little slower but have no doubt that I am on the mend.

With my medication settling down I am looking forward to getting on with life.

Louis Update

Louis made a visit to the vets last Thursday.  His injured leg is getting better and we hope that he wont  require surgery.  He is limited to gentle walks on the lead for the foreseeable future but appears to be happy especially at meal times.