What's going on - even the doctor doesn't know...

First a word of warning: The following text will not be fun or humoristic. The author hasn’t had fun for a while.

As I wrote last time I had had fever for almost a week, but it hadn’t been any severe. However, the universe kept playing with me and the temperatures kept getting higher and higher. Thursday night I had 38,9 and it only went higher. Friday it was 39,1 and then 39,2. Sunday it was 39,3 and I was so dead that even the normal GP system here wasn’t quite enough to wait until Monday. I couldn’t eat or even watch telly.

After a couple of calls, I got to see a GP that worked out of hours. He eventually sent me down to hospital for some medical tests, as I had been ill for 10 days. My guess is that it wouldn’t be so in Finland. The normal GPs even hesitated with blood tests, but finally took them on Friday morning. However, there was no results even today on Monday for me. “Sorry, your results seem to be late. Please come back tomorrow.”

Not to get lost now then. There I was in Royal Gwent Hospital for blood tests, x-rays and several other tests. The procedures were new to me, but I was only too happy to receive some treatment and get my problem solved. The lab results came out in an hour, and it became obvious that my CRP-value, which indicates infection, was rather high. Actually it was roughly 70 times the normal healthy value. Also my haemoglobin was very, very low. No can do and yet no-one knows what is the origin.

So I had to stay overnight in the hospital to receive antibiotics straight to vein and also for inspection. Anyway, this morning I got back home with my third kind of antibiotics. I really hope this one works and I can start to feel normal again.

Time will tell when I can get back on my bike again. But first it is time to kill the infection. If these antibiotics start to work I might be able to be back on my bike late this week. If not, I have no idea....

'It is the universe that makes fun of us all.'

This has been my training program from last Friday and still counting:

Friday – 37,3

Saturday – 37,6

Sunday – 37,7

Monday – 37,8

Tuesday – 37,7

Wednesday – 37,6

No they're not even miles unluckily or anything else, but fever temperatures during these days. It hasn't been too easy to stick on the sofa and see the sunshining and temperatures rising outdoors up to +15.

I still gotta say that I've really done something. I've watched both season of Life during four days. That's not bad really. Besides one can really learn things from Charlie Crews, but still you don't have to be here to be here. Charlie is really cool guy with the Zen thing, and not to forget his funds or the Maserati with bullet holes. To be honest, what he says is clever at times and there are seeds of wisdom in his words and he eats shitloads of fruit, which is wise as well – or is it? Actually, I'd really like to be his friend. Too bad he is a just a character...

All in all, I haven't done really anything last week, but watched telly. To be honest it isn't easy to see the bikes in the corner waiting for miles, but no can do. All I can do is just wait and see, yes, and most probably watch Dexter for example...

And yes. As mr. Crews said: 'It is the universe that makes fun of us all.' At the moment it is playing with me as well.

An unforgettable day on bike.

Notorious crank?

Monday was bloody brilliant. The weather was really good and I had planned to go out for some three hours on my road bike. Sounds like a plan, but things ain't that simple always. It was all good until three I had ridden for five minutes – somehow the jockey wheel had dried and got stuck. U-turn and back home to fix it. Alright then, I'll try again and five minutes into the new start I notice that, yes, I have forgotten my bottle to kitchen table.

Frustrated I was, but I came back home to collect the water bottle. Then I decided that I'll have one more go today and if it sucks I'll have a rest day. Not that I was hoping to have one though. Off I went, again. I passed the five minute mark flying this time, took tight right and the first hill of the day was there. I haven't felt that good on my road bike for ages. I just rolled it up and kept going. New route, new sceneries, new feeling – could be worse. I just hadn't taken all the possible faults into consideration. Yes, I had spare tube, allen keys and all the small stuff. But at times the dude up there somewhere decides to play unfair and this was one of those days.

I had been riding just a tad over a hour as I thought about the day: ”How can such a bad day turn into brilliant one in just a minute?” Don't think too far, you idiot. I took a smaller road to countryside, bit bumpy one but still very much alright. I didn't quite know where I was going anymore and I came to a crossing; Llanvairrir kilkölikll to left and something else to the right. Well, the right sounded well good and I started again, but only for two strokes. My left feet felt weird and I thought: ”Jeez, there goes the cleat!” How wrong I was, with my guess about such a minor problem? Terribly wrong! It was quite and unforgettable feeling to notice that the pedal threads from the left crank arm were screwed totally. There I was somewhere some 30 odd kilos from home with one working crank. The good day turned to I nightmare in a second, but I was used to it from Christmas time.

I tried to get help as I found a construction site, but they didn't have allen keys!? Thanks anyway mate, you did your best to find one. Then I found a house in which lived really nice and helpful older couple. As said they were so nice, but didn't quite get my problem. I wasn't ill or anything. So I passed that house and found a sign to post office. I went there, but I think that everyone can guess the answer. Yes, it as closed and moved out earlier this year. I still rolled around the village called Llanover. It had couple houses and huge graveyard, I felt that quite funny at that time. So I wandered around looking for a pub or anything I could get to know where I am and what's the best option to get home. I found bus stop, but next bus would have left in two or three hours. Well good.

After a while I just decided to start walking towards home and other (dead?) villages with my cycling shoes on. That's not the best shoe for a unknown distance walk, is it? But now I want to refer to my earlier post considering the relationship between good and bad luck. Let's call it 'Do I believe that good luck follows bad luck? Vol. 2'. Back then I wasn't quite sure yet, but now I definetly am and for a reason. I had walked a mile or so when a Nissan Micra turned stopped and a nice lady offered me a lift to somewhere closer Caerleon and quickly added that she'll take me home anyway. How nice was that from her. I'm only too grateful, thanks Rach, you saved my day.

At home I started to see if can get spare parts and remove the crank I couldn't do it myself. It only took three guys and one feet long hex wrench to be removed. But that's another story...

(c) Anton Aro