I was riding in perfectly fine form. Between vacations and other commitments, I wound up being off the bike for most of September. Once I was back riding again in October I started struggling to keep up on regular club rides. I was even "dropped" a couple times (oh no!... that never happens to me). I mistakenly thought I was struggling due to recent inactivity. The only obvious symptom was a constant light cramping feeling in my left calf. I diagnosed myself... with a pulled calf muscle due to trying to ride myself back into good form too quickly. I also started wearing a compression sleeve over my sore calf to support the muscle.
I went out for light-riding a few more times but the calf was now very sore. My last ride was on my mtb and when I finished, it was obvious to me that extended rest was needed. Riding through the pain was not working.
So I limited my activity to only walking my dogs. But by the time I finally made the long overdue doctor's appointment, I could barely walk a block without starting to hobble and needing to rest. I started experiencing the dreaded intermittent claudication. My condition had worsened quickly and now I was really in need of help.
I saw an orthopedist who sent me out for an ultrasound to check the blood circulation in my "bad leg". It revealed an aneurysm in my popliteal artery located just behind my knee which would require a "fem-pop artery bypass" procedure. I could be off the bike for up to two months and may never return to my previous level of riding. Yet, I'm so very lucky. Unfortunately for some people, aneurysms rupture and cause uncontrolled internal bleeding. Wow. And if I were deep into the woods, alone on my mountain bike, that could have spelled the end of me.
Once you reach a certain age, it is imperative to see a doctor at the first sign of trouble. Self diagnosis can be disastrous. Plus, even though I can't prove it.... I also think wearing that compression sleeve on my calf was a huge mistake. What may have helped a pulled muscle was very ill advised for what turned out to be a circulation problem. The top of the compression sleeve coincided exactly to the location of the aneurysm. The sleeve may not have caused the aneurysm, but compressing an already constricted artery during vigorous exertion may explain why this problem worsened so quickly.
Before this blog moves ahead with more details about my experiences before and after surgery, I'd like to repeat my advise to you: Don't self-diagnose. Don't delay seeing a doctor. Any diminished performance could be an indicator of something brewing. Don't ignore warning signs. We all want to stay active and ride strongly into our old age, but we must be very mindful of how the years have affected our physicality. At a certain point, even those of us who have enjoyed a bullet-proof life full of active adventures must accept that our machines are running on worn parts, and more frequent check-ups are now required to maintain our performance.
Ride strong. Ride smart. Ride safely.
