Good luck JP, this all sounds kinda rough, sure sounds like you'll be all set soon, hang in there!

Feel better JP and thanks for keeping us posted. 

Not to steal any thunder but a quick update on me. I did indeed tear my Achilles and had it repaired yesterday at HSS. Long road to recover but trying to stay positive in terms of my season. Maybe I finally focus on GMSR this year. See you on the road... er forum. 

Ooof! Hope you recover completely and quickly Jeff. Ok guys, that's it for injuries. This thread should be closed until 2020.

Nice to hear some encouraging news JP, fingers crossed for your angiogram. Heal up quick Jeff! 

Jeff Condon said:

Feel better JP and thanks for keeping us posted. 

Not to steal any thunder but a quick update on me. I did indeed tear my Achilles and had it repaired yesterday at HSS. Long road to recover but trying to stay positive in terms of my season. Maybe I finally focus on GMSR this year. See you on the road... er forum. 

Take good care, and good luck! 

Good lord, i just opened this thread. JP I wish you a speedy and uneventful recovery!

I've been out since Monday afternoon and yes, a rollercoaster.

Muscles are all out of whack.  Sleeping about 2.5 hours a night, and any time I'm asleep, the dreams are really weird and disturbing.  Lying down sometimes feels like a leap of faith.  

Appetite is still really down.  Not that I was trying to hit race weight in January, but I dropped six pounds in two weeks.  Gotta make a bigger effort to keep calories coming.  

I live in a walkup, so right now that's the bulk of my training.  Better be, because I'm not flexible enough to pick up anything off the floor.  Sometimes lying on the floor with my legs on a stool is the only way to loosen my back, so I'm getting some upper body work just with that.  

More thoughts to share soon.  Hoping people are getting out and enjoying the miles.

Jeff Condon said:

Feel better JP and thanks for keeping us posted. 

Not to steal any thunder but a quick update on me. I did indeed tear my Achilles and had it repaired yesterday at HSS. Long road to recover but trying to stay positive in terms of my season. Maybe I finally focus on GMSR this year. See you on the road... er forum. 

Jeff,
     That's the good kind of bad news.  HSS has a whole department for working with athletes, so I'm hoping they've set you up with some physical therapists for stretches and off-bike workouts.  Improve the core while you're at it.

Glad to hear they've sprung you from the room-of-interminable-beeps!

Update, January 25, 2019.

While I'm still waiting on blood tests and a third angiogram is scheduled for February 8, looks like I'm largely free to start working back into normal for me.  The general diagnosis is that the event appears to have been a one-off and, pending the results of the added tests, I shouldn't worry about a recurrence.   While I'm not supposed to lift heavy objects, I can ride indoors, and have done so the past three days.  Working on form and efficiency, trying to limit by hr and see what I can eke out in the lower effort ranges.  

I've also been walking a good bit and doing core exercises and stretching.  

Not sure when I'll be able to ride outside yet, but I'm hoping by shortly after the angiogram at the latest.

That's a great update JP. Fingers crossed for the next test. What a terrifying way to start the year.

Thanks for sharing your experience, JP. Wish you a speedy recovery!

sweet. little by little, but you'll be back in top shape in no time.

I'm glad to hear that you are on the mend JP.

Thanks for the update! Truly a strong person on and off the bike. Please continue to up date us on your progress. 

Glad to hear they think it was a "one-off". Knowing you, you must be chomping at the bit to get out on your bike. You'll rebuild that base in the spring and just peak at a later point. Looking forward to your being healthy, whether on the bike or not.

Hopefully the rest of the year can only get better from here

update February 18, 2019

I've ridden outside several times now.  40 miles on Sunday felt great.

The third angiogram revealed nothing new. From the perspective of the neurosurgeon, I'm good to go.  From the perspective of the hematologist, we need some more tests.  Still have a slight headache a good portion of the time, though the portion of the day when I feel I have a headache has been dropping and dropping.  Made an appointment to see a neurologist, but unless an appointment opens up, that won't happen until mid-March.  The waiting is really annoying; I feel like I'm waiting to find out if its safe to live my own life.  

Reading up on recovery from concussions.  It's rather mysterious.  The advice is to stay away from mental stimulation and be careful about riding, but how you feel should guide your recovery.  Does that mean if you feel like reading or watching a movie, you should do it?  At what point can one tell his brain is sufficiently recovered to be safe?  There are very basic mental tests that can be performed, but doctors generally need a baseline, and such a thing exists for few people, unless they've undergone a screening in the relatively recent past.  

If you’re still having headaches (even mild) that sounds like you aren’t fully recovered. Duh. In the grand scheme of things a few more weeks isn’t that much. I’d say your odds of getting recruited for Movistar’s Vuelta squad haven’t even dropped yet. So you’ve got that going for you

sorry this this has been such a kick in the teeth

i suppose the good news is you have still won the same number of tour de frances as lance armstrong...

Jules said:

If you’re still having headaches (even mild) that sounds like you aren’t fully recovered. Duh. In the grand scheme of things a few more weeks isn’t that much. 

That I'm reasonably sure of.  It's beyond that which seems largely unremarked upon in what i've read.      

mugwump said:

Jules said:

If you’re still having headaches (even mild) that sounds like you aren’t fully recovered. Duh. In the grand scheme of things a few more weeks isn’t that much. 

That I'm reasonably sure of.  It's beyond that which seems largely unremarked upon in what i've read.      

Indeed. The brain is clearly uncharted territory. As always the body it’s it’s own best doctor when it works correctly...

Great news!
My latest PET scan revealed last Friday that I don't have a single cancer cell residing inside my body for now. As you can imagine, I'm extremely relieved about my prognosis and again I eternally grateful for all your support throughout this ordeal.
Lots of love,
Thierry

Thierry - so glad to hear that great news.

So awesome, Thierry!! 

That is truly fantastic news Thierry!!

Thank you! Now it's time so swallow some riding miles so that I can keep up with you all!

@Thierry Bonnaire Very glad to hear it. You’ll be back to your old self in no time. Looking forward to seeing you on a ride 

@Thierry Bonnaire - I'm glad everything turned out fine. See you on the road soon.

Update on @WilliamCheng who, crashed heavily on the Saturday KCC ride trying to avoid a non-KCC rider who lost control of his bike: After going through two surgeries Saturday and Sunday—one to rebuild his lip with skin grafts—Will has been eating through a tube and talking has been a bit of a trial. He'll be out of NJ hospital this arvo. I'm sure a few words of support from his teammates wouldn't go amiss: cheng.william@gmail.com

Oh man oh man that’s super rough. Hope you he’s up soon Will