Major Victories

This week I did something pretty epic and amazing. I bought myself a bicycle.

For most people this wouldn't be a big deal. A bike would be a standard item in their garage. Maybe it would get used, maybe it wouldn't, but it would be there if it was wanted or needed.

I used to have bikes. I'd started riding as a child, and kept the bicycle nearby even if I didn't ride it as much anymore. I had one, I could use it, and it was an absolute non-event.

That ended about ten years ago. I started having some weird issues with food. Suffice it to say that for a while my diet was pretty restricted and no one was sure why. 

Then I started getting vertigo. At first it was the odd spell. Then suddenly it was more than that. I'd be fine one minute and the next the room would be spinning so bad I couldn't stand.

I ended up in ER several times. I had pretty much every test that could cover the symptoms. A few years later a diagnosis was made on a best guess, I was put on some medication, and we just hoped it wouldn't get too bad.

It did, a few times. There's a period where I couldn't drive a car. There were times when walking any distance without a cane meant I would fall over. I had a disturbing tendency to shift left without even realizing it. 

During this time, I got rid of my bike. It had been sitting in the shed for years, untouched. It was in rough shape, and when I heard a neighbour was looking for a bike I gave it to her. It made more sense than having it rust itself out. 

That was it, as I got told I would just have to get used to feeling like the room was spinning. I was sent to a specialist on the off chance that he had an idea of what was going on since no one else did. His was the wrong specialty it turned out, but he recommended I see a vestibular physiotherapist - someone who helps people with vertigo and other ear issues to regain their balance. After four visits in two months, the vertigo was gone.

I've been free of the vertigo for almost a year now. One of my goals this year, to prove to myself the dizzy spells really are finished, was to buy a bike and ride it to the local grocery store a few kilometres away. The whole idea of owning a bike is still a bit terrifying for someone who not that long ago had a hard time just staying upright, so I've had to work myself up to it. 

But I bought the bike. 

Today I rode it. It wasn't far, and it wasn't elegant. I rode on the street for a bit, but it's a busy street and the cars made me nervous. So I switched to a trail. The trail was too muddy to ride, so I walked until it connect back up to a street. I rode most of the way home. 

In the end, I was disappointed that I didn't go as far as I'd wanted. Or for as long.

Then I remembered. A year ago I was lucky if I could have walked what I just finished, never mind covering it on two wheels.

Amazing. 

Epic even.

I can't wait to do it again tomorrow.