Inspirational story

[cajun]

This is an article about a mountain hike/climb that an SCI person just did to raise money for equipment: http://www.idahostatesman.com/outdoo...e96111007.html I thought that it was much better than the usual superficial treatment of SCI and about a great accomplishment.

[Revis]

Thanks for posting this article, Cajun. I met Jon in a chance encounter at the Devil's Washbowl just off I-84 about 3 years ago. He was showing his brother the gorge there and I knew by the way he walked he was a SCI victim. So, I struck up a conversation with him. I've tried to see him at St. Luke's in Twin Falls. But he's a busy guy. I can't imagine hiking to the top of Borah and back, especially with his limitations.

[cajun]

Thanks for posting this article, Cajun. I met Jon in a chance encounter at the Devil's Washbowl just off I-84 about 3 years ago. He was showing his brother the gorge there and I knew by the way he walked he was a SCI victim. So, I struck up a conversation with him. I've tried to see him at St. Luke's in Twin Falls. But he's a busy guy. I can't imagine hiking to the top of Borah and back, especially with his limitations.

I was especially amazed that he could walk down after walking up. Down is definitely harder for me. I have thought about trying to see him because I believe we are similar in abilities, and it would be great to get his perspective.

[Revis]

I have a friend, an incomplete quad, who works at St. Luke's and knows Jon. He says that Jon has become so popular that it is hard to have a conversation with him even as someone who works in the same facility with him. I went up to Jon's floor and talked to the desk people about seeing him. Left my name and number. Never heard back from him. Yes, you two would have much in common. I'm amazed he can work full time as a physiciatrist with his level of impairment. That's impressive in itself.

[trekker6]

I was especially amazed that he could walk down after walking up. Down is definitely harder for me. I have thought about trying to see him because I believe we are similar in abilities, and it would be great to get his perspective.

Walking downhill is very difficult, visually it's scary, when I went to Athens I walked about 10 miles, then walked up the acropolis and back down, scary on all the marble stairs up there.

[trekker6]

Cajun,
Revis has told me about you, he said we walk the same, but the bike riding you do is insane, you're my hero.

[cajun]

Cajun,
Revis has told me about you, he said we walk the same, but the bike riding you do is insane, you're my hero.

I couldn't walk ten miles now. I could a couple of years after SCI, but I have degraded some, and I feel like walking lots damages my body. Cycling is the only cardio I can do well so I do that lots. Riding a bike has always been fun. What limits your cycling?

[cajun]

I have a friend, an incomplete quad, who works at St. Luke's and knows Jon. He says that Jon has become so popular that it is hard to have a conversation with him even as someone who works in the same facility with him. I went up to Jon's floor and talked to the desk people about seeing him. Left my name and number. Never heard back from him. Yes, you two would have much in common. I'm amazed he can work full time as a physiciatrist with his level of impairment. That's impressive in itself.

I am always amazed with quads that work full time, and doctor's lives seem especially busy. Wow, is all I have to say.

[trekker6]

I couldn't walk ten miles now. I could a couple of years after SCI, but I have degraded some, and I feel like walking lots damages my body. Cycling is the only cardio I can do well so I do that lots. Riding a bike has always been fun. What limits your cycling?

I can't do 10 miles now either, I got small cell lung cancer last year and got chemo and radiation, got very sick with salmonella, camphylobacter and c-diff because of the chemo killing my white blood cells, but the worst was brain radiation, I lost leg strength and balance, some brain damage too, so I'm slowly rehabilitating, am planning to try riding soon, mostly I have a lot of fear, but maybe I'll get over it, if I can do it, i'll get an electric bike to train with. Right now I'm so bummed I can't ride my bike it's a santa cruz heckler I built up from a frame.

[cajun]

I can't do 10 miles now either, I got small cell lung cancer last year and got chemo and radiation, got very sick with salmonella, camphylobacter and c-diff because of the chemo killing my white blood cells, but the worst was brain radiation, I lost leg strength and balance, some brain damage too, so I'm slowly rehabilitating, am planning to try riding soon, mostly I have a lot of fear, but maybe I'll get over it, if I can do it, i'll get an electric bike to train with. Right now I'm so bummed I can't ride my bike it's a santa cruz heckler I built up from a frame.

Trekker6, I'm so sorry to hear that you had to fight lung cancer. It sounds like some very tough times. I hope you've got it beat and can get back to fighting SCI. I think I know what you mean about fear of riding because I have some of that going on now with my mountain biking. My clumsiness and memories of bruised ribs and near misses have me a little spooked. Maybe I will try some crash pads. Best wishes, and I hope to hear that you are back on your Heckler sometime.

[Revis]

I can't do 10 miles now either, I got small cell lung cancer last year and got chemo and radiation, got very sick with salmonella, camphylobacter and c-diff because of the chemo killing my white blood cells, but the worst was brain radiation, I lost leg strength and balance, some brain damage too, so I'm slowly rehabilitating, am planning to try riding soon, mostly I have a lot of fear, but maybe I'll get over it, if I can do it, i'll get an electric bike to train with. Right now I'm so bummed I can't ride my bike it's a santa cruz heckler I built up from a frame.

Trekker6 and Cajun, Just wanted to give a big thumbs up to the e-bike idea, especially for mountain biking or getting back to riding. I was able to buy a Felt Duale back in April 2015. It's a serious full suspension mtn bike with the Bosch pedalec system. I've been able to return to mountain biking because of it. Previously I would try to access my mountain (just in front of my house, literally) with my regular mountain bike. By the time I climbed to the better trails I was too worn out to enjoy them. The e-bike is very intuitive. It knows when to kick in with assist, and when to stop. Now I'm riding 14 to 18 mile rides on the mountain. It makes me feel like super man, seriously. I've been teased some by the younger riders as a "cheater", but I tell them my story and they back off. Although e-bikes are expensive they are worth it.

[trekker6]

Something has been improving lately, I was getting testosterone injections but I quit, didn't feel comfortable with some changes so I quit a few years ago, a few months ago I started using clomiphene (clomid), which makes your testes produce their own testosterone, got a blood test this week and my testosterone was 928, which is high, so I'm dialing it back a little, it is off label use so it's hard to find a doctor to prescribe it, but there are a lot of studies showing good results for clomid in men.

I'm 65 so my test was low around 240 after my sci, which is low but not unusual.