LIVING WITH MCL

No, that isn't a mistake in the title. Because of my enlarged spleen (which can get in the way of the scope), and the potential problems as a result of that, my doctor has obliged my request for a colonography in lieu of the standard colonoscopy. The only advantage to a colonography being, I won't have to endure the torture of having someone stick a 10 foot probe up my butt.  I still have to go through the standard cleansing process (the second most difficult part of this entire ordeal), plus if anything is discovered during the colonography, I may still have to go through the torture of a standard colonoscopy anyways. The other problem with the colonography is I will be exposed to radiation from the CT scanning machine, which is how a colonography is performed, and all the problems associated with that. At least I've not been exposed to much artificial radiation in the past 8 years, having had only one CT scan, and I think one X-ray, during that time frame. So as I sit her...

The further there is to fall. As if it wasn't bad enough I started having withdrawal pains Monday night about not riding my bike, after not riding for about a week, and then over sleeping yesterday morning, and not able to get a ride in before work [and it was too hot afterwards], today I had a visit with my oncologist, and discovered my platelets dropped to a minuscule 112 thou/cumm, well below the norm of 140 to 400 thou/cumm. I had noticed a little more fullness in my spleen the last couple of days, but that isn't really anything unusual. I often have those feelings. They come and go all the time. Even this morning they seemed to have dissipated, and I felt good riding the bike, but that was before seeing my oncologist. Of course now I am experiencing a sensation of fullness again, along with a some feelings of trepidation. Low platelets and fullness in the spleen is a good indication of a malfunctioning spleen, especially when all my other counts were essentially stable. It...

Cycling is a dangerous sport. I know, because I've had my share of accidents. Fortunately, the only thing I've ever broken was my wrist and thumb, about 25 years ago, but I have had my share of road rash along the way, and even a slight concussion in November of '05, which got me started on this blog. Since then I've been pretty lucky. I've had one or two close calls, but basically nothing [that I can remember]. Even the thought of an accident seldom enters my mind. That is, up until yesterday, when an accident occurred during the group ride. Saturdays is our normal pace line training loop (the Hammer Zone) around the streets of Seal Beach. It was a little unusual because we had caught the first [faster] group, and no one seemed to be pushing the pace. It was a nice comfortable 25 or 26 mph pace. There are a few spots where the pace always picks up regardless (usually around turns), so it's easiest if you move towards the front before those points, and then get ...