Here in the first week of July we have just entered the second half of 2019. So far 2019 has been a rough go for me. Back in March I wrote about the physical therapy for my back pains as well as the problems I was having with my teeth. You can find the gory details at Spoiler alert – on being 79 years old.
Then in mid-April, I followed up with the details of my subsequent oral surgery and, of course, forced down time to recover. You can read the details here: Taking physical downtime.
My dog has been patient with me. When I started riding in the warmer weather, I did not have the energy to bring her along. Clearly, she likes to accompany me.
Later in April, I wrote an update on my recovery from surgery and biking. As I said in the post, at the age of 79, most of my biking friends are decades younger, so I have a hard time understanding how well (or not) my body is recovering. I quoted the MacArthur Foundation book Successful Aging for a partial reference on that.
I did find some interesting info on aging and fighting illness in the MacArthur book. they compare a 30-year-old with his 80-year-old grandfather afflicted with pneumonia. Here is the part that interested me most, the course of the senior’s illness “might be very grave indeed. This is because the average 80-year-old non-smoker has only about two-thirds the lung function of his 30-year-old counterpart. And, his immune system is impaired as well. ” So, what I drew from this is that my recovery from the surgery will be slow, but is probably on track.
In the first week of June I wrote about my latest and greatest affliction – a bronchial virus. You can read the details at – 7 Days makes one weak.
I came down with the fever on May 26 and was unable to ride my bike for the next three weeks. I have to tell you that I can not remember the last three week period in my life that I did not ride my bike. Even when I was married and working, I always got my rides in.
Here, in the first week of July I can state that I am recovering – not fully recovered from the virus of late May. After my three week down time, I began riding in tiny bits, five miles a day, then eight miles. At this point I am able to get in my usual 30 mile rides, but I find myself napping for at least an hour or more later in the day. Managing my recovery is like walking a tightrope. I work on getting exercise, but have to be careful that I do not go too far, and set myself back. To compound the difficulty, July heat has come to Chicago so I have that to contend with, too. It is clearly a – one day at a time deal.
As I wrote in the header to this post, I am looking forward to a better second half. So as to not leave you on a sour note. I am off to Las Vegas with my girl friend in a couple of weeks. Looking forward to that.
Tony
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