Peter Saying Thank You Tripleshot
Posted: Fri May 08, 2020 6:47 pm
Wow. Where to start.
I have just been released from the hospital (more to follow on that) and am home. Arriving home my email goes “bing” and I download an extraordinary get well soon card. While I am not 100% sure about this I’m reasonably confident I am feeling emotions.
Thank you all.
I cannot tell you how touching (and humbling) it was to read all of your messages of support. They say friends are the family you choose, and I absolutely have chosen the best family anyone could ask for and am so privileged that you have let me be part of this great thing that is Tripleshot.
I must also specifically thank Martin and John D. and Andrew N. and those that conspired to get flowers and a cycling book delivered by Andrew A. while I was in (although the chocolates were ruined by the water from the flowers, allegedly). Also, while all the care I received was first class, it did wonders for my well being to have Andrew Attwell, Craig Bosenberg, and Penny Davis take time from their busy work at the hospital to spend time with me and bring me magazines, tea (I have never been so grateful for a cup of tea) and friendly company. The texts and emails from so many of you were funny and touching and made me continuously smile and feel deeply just how lucky I am. You all made a real difference in how I felt each and every day.
So to the update.
It’s sorta crazy. I went from fine to not fine - fast. Two weeks ago on Saturday I did a good long ride with no problems. Sunday I went to run the Lakes and couldn’t (yes, running got me!!! Figures). I had a sharp pain in my foot. So I made a dr appt for a few days later. The pain hadn’t improved by then so my dr sent me the next day to do a same day mri. I had the mri in the morning and that afternoon they called back and had me come to emergency and that’s where things really picked up speed.
In my head my worst case (that I was denying, of course) was that I had a stress fracture in my foot and wouldn’t be able to run for a few weeks. That proved a tad optimistic.
Nevertheless, the great news was that there was no sign of a stress fracture. Instead they found an arterial clot in my aorta and one big one in my leg. The clot in the leg was a pretty complicated one. It had almost fully blocked my right leg at the knee down through the foot (so the foot was at some significant risk).
They did a surgery Thursday to insert a microcatheter from the femoral artery to alongside the clot to deliver a powerful "clot buster" drug directly alongside the clot. That seemed to go well and I woke up Friday with about 1/3 being treated and happily my knee being freed from any clot. That left them looking to do the same procedure for the three arteries in my foot.
Friday morning arrived and they went to try again but unfortunately after getting a bit of the clot buster drug delivered onsite the artery that was being worked on was punctured. This led to some excitement. I know this as I was awake throughout and I can assure everyone it was definitely more than a bee sting! However it was all under control by noon. Unfortunately that meant they couldnt try that same method again.
So late Friday night the vascular surgeon (who was a-mazing!) opened me up to try to "fishhook" as much of the clot out as possible. More than 7 hours later I was in recovery with the surgeon letting me know that he was simply unable to do anything with the three arteries that feed the foot and lower leg (they are completely occluded and not salvageable).
But the great news was that he was able to do a bypass by taking, actually he said “harvesting”, a big vein from my leg (all the way from ankle to groin!!!) and flipping it over, then grafting it to an artery in the knee and pushing it down inside my calf (he referenced “with a curtain rod”) and attaching it down in the heel. I pause here to note that for nearly 50 years I have taken enormous comfort from the sure knowledge that I had a complete set of spare parts walking around (I never planned on the spare parts being on another continent!). So to learn I had to “self supply” that vein….
But I digress, the bypass *should allow blood into the foot where it is hoped there are sufficient "collaterals" to allow adequate blood flow throughout. But it’s all dependent on the bypass keeping working. If it fails that’s it. There are no other options to get blood to the lower leg and foot. So if it fails then it’s time for a big chainsaw!
The really good news is the bypass went in ok and it held up well enough this week that the Surgeon was prepared to let me out. He assured me it was not at the request of the absolutely stellar nursing staff who have been hugely entertained by my whimsical sense of humor and were likely to shed tears upon my departure.
Now it’s just a question of the length of time the bypass will last (this is most commonly done in more elderly folks that aren’t very active and who dont always have lots of years to go. The challenge is I’m young and fit (yup, that was a DOCTOR that said that!!!) so my activity level may end up hurting the bypass. Again it’s one reversed vein doing the job of 3 arteries. But all of that is a tomorrow problem and frankly even if the thing fails the result is still pretty awesome as with some below the knee amputations you can get up and walk the next day. And with Tokyo postponed…….
So its now onto rehab. No weight bearing for a while and August 1st is circled in my calendar for a ride. I’m super motivated and pumped to do this right. And Im extremely keen to at least get to coffee from time to time as the current restrictions get eased. Im actually not sure there is any difference between the lies I tell about winning a sprint where I wasn’t on the ride than those I have told when I was on the ride so?
And lastly since we all know the most important person on a group ride is everyone else I want to reiterate my absolutely humbled thanks to each and every one of you, my Tripleshot family. I don’t have words to express what your kindness and words mean to me. It leaves me resorting to language that I simply do not use but today it seems only right to say that I am truly blessed. Please everyone stay safe, stay healthy and most of all stay Tripleshot.
Peter
PS. Im also investigating the competitive world of hopping. So watch out world!
I have just been released from the hospital (more to follow on that) and am home. Arriving home my email goes “bing” and I download an extraordinary get well soon card. While I am not 100% sure about this I’m reasonably confident I am feeling emotions.
Thank you all.
I cannot tell you how touching (and humbling) it was to read all of your messages of support. They say friends are the family you choose, and I absolutely have chosen the best family anyone could ask for and am so privileged that you have let me be part of this great thing that is Tripleshot.
I must also specifically thank Martin and John D. and Andrew N. and those that conspired to get flowers and a cycling book delivered by Andrew A. while I was in (although the chocolates were ruined by the water from the flowers, allegedly). Also, while all the care I received was first class, it did wonders for my well being to have Andrew Attwell, Craig Bosenberg, and Penny Davis take time from their busy work at the hospital to spend time with me and bring me magazines, tea (I have never been so grateful for a cup of tea) and friendly company. The texts and emails from so many of you were funny and touching and made me continuously smile and feel deeply just how lucky I am. You all made a real difference in how I felt each and every day.
So to the update.
It’s sorta crazy. I went from fine to not fine - fast. Two weeks ago on Saturday I did a good long ride with no problems. Sunday I went to run the Lakes and couldn’t (yes, running got me!!! Figures). I had a sharp pain in my foot. So I made a dr appt for a few days later. The pain hadn’t improved by then so my dr sent me the next day to do a same day mri. I had the mri in the morning and that afternoon they called back and had me come to emergency and that’s where things really picked up speed.
In my head my worst case (that I was denying, of course) was that I had a stress fracture in my foot and wouldn’t be able to run for a few weeks. That proved a tad optimistic.
Nevertheless, the great news was that there was no sign of a stress fracture. Instead they found an arterial clot in my aorta and one big one in my leg. The clot in the leg was a pretty complicated one. It had almost fully blocked my right leg at the knee down through the foot (so the foot was at some significant risk).
They did a surgery Thursday to insert a microcatheter from the femoral artery to alongside the clot to deliver a powerful "clot buster" drug directly alongside the clot. That seemed to go well and I woke up Friday with about 1/3 being treated and happily my knee being freed from any clot. That left them looking to do the same procedure for the three arteries in my foot.
Friday morning arrived and they went to try again but unfortunately after getting a bit of the clot buster drug delivered onsite the artery that was being worked on was punctured. This led to some excitement. I know this as I was awake throughout and I can assure everyone it was definitely more than a bee sting! However it was all under control by noon. Unfortunately that meant they couldnt try that same method again.
So late Friday night the vascular surgeon (who was a-mazing!) opened me up to try to "fishhook" as much of the clot out as possible. More than 7 hours later I was in recovery with the surgeon letting me know that he was simply unable to do anything with the three arteries that feed the foot and lower leg (they are completely occluded and not salvageable).
But the great news was that he was able to do a bypass by taking, actually he said “harvesting”, a big vein from my leg (all the way from ankle to groin!!!) and flipping it over, then grafting it to an artery in the knee and pushing it down inside my calf (he referenced “with a curtain rod”) and attaching it down in the heel. I pause here to note that for nearly 50 years I have taken enormous comfort from the sure knowledge that I had a complete set of spare parts walking around (I never planned on the spare parts being on another continent!). So to learn I had to “self supply” that vein….
But I digress, the bypass *should allow blood into the foot where it is hoped there are sufficient "collaterals" to allow adequate blood flow throughout. But it’s all dependent on the bypass keeping working. If it fails that’s it. There are no other options to get blood to the lower leg and foot. So if it fails then it’s time for a big chainsaw!
The really good news is the bypass went in ok and it held up well enough this week that the Surgeon was prepared to let me out. He assured me it was not at the request of the absolutely stellar nursing staff who have been hugely entertained by my whimsical sense of humor and were likely to shed tears upon my departure.
Now it’s just a question of the length of time the bypass will last (this is most commonly done in more elderly folks that aren’t very active and who dont always have lots of years to go. The challenge is I’m young and fit (yup, that was a DOCTOR that said that!!!) so my activity level may end up hurting the bypass. Again it’s one reversed vein doing the job of 3 arteries. But all of that is a tomorrow problem and frankly even if the thing fails the result is still pretty awesome as with some below the knee amputations you can get up and walk the next day. And with Tokyo postponed…….
So its now onto rehab. No weight bearing for a while and August 1st is circled in my calendar for a ride. I’m super motivated and pumped to do this right. And Im extremely keen to at least get to coffee from time to time as the current restrictions get eased. Im actually not sure there is any difference between the lies I tell about winning a sprint where I wasn’t on the ride than those I have told when I was on the ride so?
And lastly since we all know the most important person on a group ride is everyone else I want to reiterate my absolutely humbled thanks to each and every one of you, my Tripleshot family. I don’t have words to express what your kindness and words mean to me. It leaves me resorting to language that I simply do not use but today it seems only right to say that I am truly blessed. Please everyone stay safe, stay healthy and most of all stay Tripleshot.
Peter
PS. Im also investigating the competitive world of hopping. So watch out world!
. 
). You have been such a positive force for all of us and great role model; here is just one more example. Sending positive healing vibes your way!