Retribution, Recovery, Return To Riding… (Sensitive types shouldn’t open this…)

[DDT (12)]

I guess it wasn’t retaliation after all. I’d entertained thought of that possibility, however, but mostly it now seems to have been more coincidence than anything else… See, I’d come mighty close to abusing my bodily waste discharge apparatus recently, and it seemed only logical that those systems just might be more than a modest amount of peeved about all of that. Nope, probably just all part of the normal recovery process after all… I’m still keeping an eye on things, though.

The occasional ‘squirts’ had seemed to this not-so-well informed ‘patient’ to have come… typically during more inopportune times… even more so than simple Murphy’s Law occurrences might explain. Like that event the other day, for instance, on the ride that had taken us back to the Dam Diner for biscuits ‘n gravy.

Well, I didn’t ride yesterday, and I had no plans to do so today either (yes, it’s raining outside as I type this)… but I still had a revisit of ‘symptoms’ a while ago anyway… Nothing like that recent full-blown hydraulic eruption, but it had still been quite fluid, nonetheless. I’d also been feeling weaker than usual, out-of-sorts most of the time, and generally lethargic.

Following the ‘Dam Diner Dam-Burst’ the other day, I’d returned home, and… My landlady had been more concerned than I’d thought to be, so she’d been the one who’d performed the thoroughly modern ‘GTS’ inquiry that hadn’t even occurred to this usually silent sufferer even needed to be performed… Well, according to her findings, all of this can be normal for those recovering from radiation treatments. When she so informed me; I recalled, I thought, vague references to those very things by John Schmidt and others who’d preceded me in that process… How about that, sports fans? I’ve deescalated my worrying for the time being!

I realize some may find this entire line of discussion to be… well, far more than a bit unsavory, and for that I apologize. I’m doing this mostly because I just want to be writing about something, and this is what’s on my mind at the moment. However, I also want to offer a line of reasoning as to why I don’t anticipate riding much for the next week or so.

Recent excursions have been most therapeutic and delightful, but ever so modest re-emersions back into the world I’ve chosen to inhabit during this period of my life. I’ve had a decent maintenance fix to tide me over, so... Now, I think it’s time to continue recovery… I do have an ulterior motive, as you’ve probably guessed…

Soon, it will be time for another follow-up visit with my urologist in Montgomery… and I’d naturally prefer to make the trip aboard our girl. It then seems reasonable to this almost always enthusiastic rider, that I’d want to be on top of my game when the time comes… Who knows… that ride could quite possibly turn into something a bit more than simply a doctor visit…? It’s happened before, ya know…

DDT

[The emperor has no clothes]

It’s got to be hard to deal with. I appreciate you doing the telling. Here’s to hoping that little feller “the orifice” gets his sh!t together, and gets with the program ! (I’m a sensitive type, and I made it thru) 

[Bigwolf]

Bruce,
I have no experience, but I have been told that is a normal issue with that medical procedure.  I have also heard that hydraulic issue does ease up over time and the situation gets better.

[Rams]

For some reason while reading Bruce's post, I remembered something from long ago and parts unknown but, it seemed applicable to this situation.   The phrase poop and Git came to me.  
(Except, it wasn't poop.)  Or maybe, crap Happens.

Rams  

[John Schmidt]

Yes Bruce, the radiation generally doesn't cause problems on the suface. But it does create problems with the plumbing...both fore and aft. It took me roughly six weeks to get back to near normal in that department, even then there were days I thought I was regressing but turned out to be more my own cooking. Considering that, my body must really be strong!

[shortleg]

I have a terrible case of Crohns and have lost quite a bit of my insides to it
  I know from where you speak.
After each of my operations it got worse and worse. But after some time I learned
How to deal with it and even live with it.
   I have to tell you time in the saddle  is much better than time sitting on the pot.
        It will settle down, hang in.

[The emperor has no clothes]

I hope this doesn’t come across as diminishing the situation, because that’s not the intention. But this has made me think back to a time long ago. When I was 5 years old me and my little brother found some chocolate in the medicine cabinet. We ate it all and then ran out to play in the park across the street. About the time my mom discovered the empty package and came out to get us, was about the time it hit me. I must have bogarted more than my little brother, because it didn’t hit him for another 3.2 seconds. It was a live changing experience. It’s about my only hope of understanding the situation.

[DDT (12)]

My friends,

Sure hope I'm not coming across as whiny or anything! Just commenting on my experiences... and a few lessons learned. I do admit to a little surprise I've found out about myself, though... I respond way better than I'd ever thought to encouragement!  I felt a truly positive vibe when my landlady gave me her findings... I can't explain it, but...

Near as I can tell I'm a bit prone to the negative spiral after all when things aren't right with me. I'd always thought I was mentally strong enough to cope with just about anything. That when things weren't going smoothly I could come to terms with them, keep a cool head and calmly work through issues... Apparently I'm more emotional that I'd thought...

I'd felt such a relief when she'd told me the news. I hadn't even realized it had been weighing on me like that until then! I seemed to instantly begin to feel better, though... that had to be mostly mental. The following morning she mentioned that my color had improved and I was looking better... That I had seemed pale and 'not so well' since my return, but then I appeared different... WOW!

I missed a call a while ago, but it had been enough to wake me up to stay for awhile... So, I logged back on here and read the responses you all have made... WOW! Another lift! I am amazed with my own reaction to all of this. Could I have been more down spirited than I'd known? Apparently so!

I then reflected upon the visits Dennis and Sheila had made during my treatments... and of how much those had lifted me! That celebration party last week following the end of treatments with those wonderful friends who'd come... and of how truly happy I'd felt with all of that. Reading your replies tonight... Know what? For a loner, it seems I really do need people far more than I'd thought possible to help me keep going... Is it possible perhaps, that I'm not actually a loner at all... I'm starting to wonder... I do know this... I appreciate all y'all more than you could know... and apparently far more than I ever knew either!!! Thank you all!!!

DDT

[DDT (12)]

I have a terrible case of Crohns and have lost quite a bit of my insides to it
  I know from where you speak.
After each of my operations it got worse and worse. But after some time I learned
How to deal with it and even live with it.
   I have to tell you time in the saddle  is much better than time sitting on the pot.
        It will settle down, hang in.

Shortleg,

Man, that's some burden you carry! I've had a couple of family members who've also suffered with that, and some friends, too... I have seen up-close some of how serious and unpleasant that experience can truly be! I appreciate your sharing of your probably rather sensitive condition, and of the encouragement also included! I appreciate ya, dude... I will hang in... you too!!!

DDT