05.07.08
Waiting on the next step
I think the pollen is taking a toll on my endurance lately. I’ve been increasing my mileage on the bike a little, getting to the 30 mile mark. By this time last year, I was easily doing 50 mile rides on my fixedgear IRO. Now, I’m pretty wiped out after a ride and an afternoon nap is not unusual. With such a difficulty in breathing, my body doesn’t get the oxygen it needs and my muscles are oxygen-starved. I thwart that with a less intense pace, ie. I ride slower. My typical pace these days is about 14 mph average, pretty slow considering that most of the terrain is flat. The farther out I go allows me to get to the hillier, and more fun, parts in Central Jersey. I’m just starting to be able to reach those parts again.
The results of my recent chest and sinus CT showed no sign of lymphoma. This is always welcomed news. But, checking for lymphoma was not the purpose of the scans. It was to check for any signs of chronic infections in my sinuses and lungs, because I’ve been fighting infections for the entire winter. The decision on what to do next has been slow. I think I’m supposed to go back on immunosuppressants, but my case hasn’t been on the radar of my doctors for the past two weeks, so I’m sort of in that “waiting mode.” None of this is on the order of being immediately urgent, so I have not been “tightening the screws” on my doctors, but with chronic GvHD, waiting too long to do something can be bad. It’s good to start treating minor symptoms early, as cGvHD is a complicated disease and tweaking meds according to ever changing symptoms is an art as well as a science.
I’m noticing a lot more pigmentation changes in my skin. The “webbing” between the fingers on my left hand and spots on my face are noticeably paler. There could be a certain amount tanning involved, but my sun exposure has been minimal so far.
I did a 23 mile ride with Steve in the evening for a 14.4 mph average pace. The omni-directional headwind was persisently ever present. He did a half-marathon in Indiana last weekend, so doing an easy ride with me today wasn’t interfering with his training schedule.