April 21, 2014
Back on the Road
The hospital kept up an active program of "nebuliser" treatments, IV antibiotics, steroids, and whatnot, all night Friday. Both they and I watched the critical oxygen saturation figure. In the morning it was stable at 97%. Good enough. They let me out, with a prescription for a bagful of vasodilator "puffers".
The doctor that signed my release, though, recounted her own personal story of stopping breathing when in contact with the same general type of spray that got me. Only thing, she reacts even to the dried product.
Many case studies can be found online. There are descriptions of "outbreaks" of lung problems from fluoropolymer sprays in various countries. One hypothesis is that manufacturers vary the solvent/propellant used, and that some of these are more dangerous than others. See this report from Michigan State University.
We think it is wrong for REI and MEC to be stocking this stuff so cavalierly on their shelves, with only teeny tiny fine print warnings on the cans, and much more legible "Earth Friendly" claims prominently displayed. We will be writing to both co-ops, asking them to treat this much more like pesticides or herbicides, and at least to post prominent warning signs by the product.
So, that gives me a fortnight to go from death's door back to long distance cyclist.
Given our freedom, the predictable first thing was to go and retouch base with Avi and Violet and the other parts of the family who had got together for Easter, near Seattle.
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Easter of course means chocolate easter egg hunting. Easter in this part of the world also means the full onset of Spring. So that means frolicking among the flowering trees and, of course, bike riding. We took the opportunity to continue getting Avi and Violet used to their latest bikes. And of course, we began to talk up our next big bike adventure with them. We are hoping that can happen in August - a trip from Portland to Eugene Oregon in the Willamette River valley.
At night Violet chose a book for me to read to her. Her choice - the photo illustrated account Dodie made of our Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes crossing with the kids last year. That's the way to melt a Grampie's heart.
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