Chipseal, Cobbles, and Pedals

As I stood there watching the dirty riders slug through the muck, the freezing rain pummeled my bright yellow jacket.  My feet were soaked.  Rider after rider pulled off the course.  It was hypothermic conditions and most felt it wasn’t worth it.  “Aaron!” I yelled, “If you finish, you might make top ten!”  Half the field was missing as they were already in their heated vehicles.  “Melissa,” someone said, “Did you race today?”  “Nope,” I replied.  “Why, you’re a smart one!”  Though the weather was fierce, somewhere deep down, I was envious of the riders, that they had the opportunity to fight that battle. I on the other hand, had fought a big battle that week, as I had spent several days in the hospital with a very serious infection on my right leg.

The infection started the previous weekend, the Providence Cyclocross Festival, October 10th-11th which featured some of the very top cyclocross and mountain bikers in the country and even the world!  The race was only a 45 minute drive from my apartment, so Saturday, I drove up, ready for action.  The course was made almost for a BMX’er which made the technicality very inviting!  I was tired, but excited for the quality of riders and course I was going to compete on. That week, I had a little sore on my leg that I thought was an ingrown hair…so I had been picking at it all week.  It was slowly growing bigger and bigger. As I sat at the start line, the sore on my leg lay exposed.

The race was very fast and I didn’t finish where I wanted, but still knew I could improve the next day.  I went home that night, and this is where the ‘real’ story begins.  My sore had become very inflamed.  I knew it was becoming infected so I boiled some water, got some salts and started soaking it with a hot rag.  “Aaron,” I asked, “could you come in and help me poke this thing with a pin…it really needs to drain.”  It was sooo painful and we didn’t get much drainage, so  I retrieved to bed for a sleepless night.

The next morning I awoke feeling more miserable than ever.  My leg was on fire and my glands in my thigh were so swollen it felt like they would burst. I tried to walk to the bathroom but could barely put any weight on my right leg.  “I think it’s infected.”  So, being that it was a Sunday, I called our amazing friends, Tom and Barbara.  Tom’s a family doctor, and Barbara is an Orthopaedic surgeon.  They called in a prescription for and antibiotic and I took it immediately. 

Aaron and I drove up to Providence for the festival.  Aaron’s race was before mine.  I was unsure if I’d race, being that I couldn’t walk very well, but I brought my things just in case.  I rode around the course; every bump made my leg throb with pain.  “Not sure if I’ll race, Aaron,” I said.  “Do what you think is best.”  So I rode around more, and somehow ended up at the start line….”Damn it…I’m racing!”  Needless to say, the race was not so good.  I probably finished in last place.  My handling sucked and I got so banged up.  I didn’t feel well.

The next day, I rode my bike to work.  My leg was still in pain. “Melissa, what’s that on your leg?!”  “Oh,” I said, “Just an ingrown hair I think.”  Their eyebrows turned, “That doesn’t look like the work of one hair follicle…you should go to the ER!”  So, after work, I took a picture of my leg and emailed it to my family…I couldn’t decide if it was worth going to the ER over.  But immediately when I pressed the ‘send’ button, Aaron’s Mom called, “Melissa, get your butt up to the ER NOW!!”  So, I grabbed some reading materials, a few snacks, and hopped on my bicycle and rode up to the hospital, just a few blocks up the road.

In my delusional mind, I thought when I got there that they’d just use a special cleaner, clean the wound, and send me home…but the doctor said, “Here’s my recommendations…we are going to admit you for the night so we can pump you full of antibiotics.  You’re oral antibiotics aren’t working, so you need an IV.”  I was stunned and in denial, “Can’t you just clean it and send me home…isn’t there an outpatient option?!”  “Nope, I can’t force you to stay, but this is my recommendation.  You’ve never been hospitalized before, have you?!”  I was terrified.  I didn’t want to miss work!  I text-ed my boss, “I won’t be into work tomorrow.  I’m getting admitted to the hospital.  Sorry for the drama.”  I couldn’t believe it.

 

Finally, Thursday came and the infection specialist had promised he’d start his rounds on my floor.  He walked in the room, took a look and explained the process my leg was going through.  He said, “You can go home.”  I was stunned as my Primary physician had told me that morning I’d be up there a few more days, “Is this a joke?!”  “What did I just say?!!  You can do home!” he said.  Thank God!!  I was sick of that place and ready to sleep in my own bed.  The nurse came, pulled out my IV, I packed my bags, called Aaron, and waited impatiently for him to pick me up. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So,where am I now?  I started riding last Monday, very gradually.  My energy had been diminished from fighting this infection and  drained from a full day of work.  Now, I am getting back to full force…still no running, but I plan on racing this weekend in Canton.

 

 

This entry was posted on Monday, October 26th, 2009 at 3:25 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.