My last post was about a weakness I felt in my left wrist and arm on long bike rides. I had to stop and rest every thirty minutes or so. My legs were fine. My fitness was fine. I just could not control the bike. I also said that this is something I have felt for years. Even so, I was puzzled why it had gotten so much worse. My thinking was that when I crashed my TT bike in May I landed on my left shoulder and strained a bicep tendon.
Over the past week the picture has sprung into focus. On Tuesday July 28 I had strange sensations from my left arm, which got worse driving home from work. I had Pattie take me to the ER where they discovered I had bilateral subdural hematomas, pools of blood between the skull and the brain. I believe that the symptoms were more pronounced that day because it marked my return to full Ironman training, and Tuesday morning is high intensity intervals on the indoor trainer. The pool of blood was pressing against the brain, affecting motor movements. The right hematoma was much larger, and the right side affects the left side of the body. No issues with lack of blood flow or cell death.
I had two procedures. The first was to drill through the skull and clean out the muck. The right side was larger so they left a drain in for a couple of days. The second procedure was to inject a glue-like substance to close off some arteries that could otherwise start leaking again.
Today is my second full day at home, and as with any major surgery there is a shit-ton of fatigue. All I can do is eat well and rest. My body will heal itself. I did a fifteen minute walk yesterday that felt like a marathon!
I will close with this advice. If you are over 50 and crash your bike, go to the ER and get checked out. Us old folks don’t bounce like the youngin’s.