Heart Has History, Too

Family History...!

I had a great talk with my Auntie Ann today. She filled me in on cardiac issues that existed in two branches of our family tree — Tedlock (Uncle Victor and cousins all died of heart attacks and Bertie [nee Marshall], my grandmother, had angina) and Smith (three generations back, both branches, and Aunt Trudy). So genetically, I am disposed to heart problems. Oddly enough, my father does not have coronary artery disease, but he did suffer twice from rheumatic fever, leaving him with a heart murmur that has not slowed him down (he’s 93 y.o.). He gets periodic cardiac ultrasounds and EKGs. Genetic dispositions can skip a generation; I suspect this has happened in my case.

At least in these times we have wonderful medical diagnostic techniques, mitigation protocols (drugs, knowledge of good lifestyle changes) and fine invasive interventions. I should live a long time — just like my Dad — with good health management — both by myself and health professionals.

The family history is essential to my being able to stay in good health. Knowing this is very helpful. It indicates to me that I will probably be having regular cardiac ultrasounds and catheterization/angiograms. Note that there is a 30% occlusion in my right coronary artery — not too terribly bad, but it needs following. (Dr. Boateng mention it during my presurgery consult.) I do need to change out my statin, though; Lipitor (atorvastatin) makes me dizzy and has more interactions than the newest one (the name of which escapes me right now).

I had such a wonderful experience at Mount Sinai that I'm going to try and get my psychiatry there. WNYC featured a half-hour segment (don't remember what the show was) on research that had been done on the possible psychiatric benefit of three psychedelic drugs (ketamide, LSD, and a popular marijuana derivative). What I heard indicates to me a psychiatric section at Mount Sinai that is willing to think "outside of the box" — very important as regards the treatment of Adult ADD.

I might even consider transferring all of my care to Mount Sinai. That way, I could get the benefit of their fine Attending Physicians, rather than just their rotating residents and fellows (for the most part) that come from their medical school programs through Elmhurst Hospital Center. I'm getting more frustrated with the administration of this particular NYC-HHC hospital. Their policies are unhelpful and, I think, becoming unhealthy to deal with, especially mentally. Too many apparatchiks.

Knowledge is power — in medicine, too!

Lotsa Heart...

Wednesday and Thursday, October 14-15

I had my one follow-up appointment with Dr. Boateng and the follow-up surgery team. I am doing incredibly well; we all came to the conclusion that I’m in about the 90^th percentile of good recovery of heart surgery patients. This is only two weeks and two days after bypass surgery!

I’m going to miss all of the medical professionals at Mount Sinai. I’ve never had such a wonderful experience in hospital. The level of knowledge and skill, the kindness and appropriate firmness with which they treated me, the fine attention to infection control — all contributed to my being able to head home and continue what is a fine recovery.

I was able to nail down some concrete limits for heart rate, weight limits to bear on my arms, and a better timeline of recovery. I am going to have to rein myself in a bit and be especially careful of stressing the chest pectoral muscles and the sternum before they are ready to bear more of a load. This is something I have experienced before, with my hip, but my hip was screwed together. My sternum is held together with glue...!

Also, there is extensive healing going on under and in each pectoral muscle, necessitated on the left by moving a large artery and repurposing it to feed my heart and on both sides with the need to open my chest to access the heart. The total timeframe is about three months (probably a bit more) with possible additional physical therapy once the chest has sufficiently healed. The idea is to get blood moving without stress in the upper body, and using the lower body to deepen breathing and gradually get the heart beating faster over a period of several weeks.

One more PT visit, then I’m on my own. I see Dr. Sternheim, my Cardiologist, at Elmhurst on 10/20. Check shortly after that for another post.

You Gotta Have Heart... Lots and lots and lots of heart...

Out of the Hospital and Into Recovery (10/1 to 10/15)

10/1 — Second day with the physical therapist. Today, a pain volume control decided to click down a few notches. I had to tell the PT to let go of the device (a more robust version of the four-legged walking aid, with wheels) so that I could push it along on my own. Surprise! We got along well after that.

Both of my roommates watched Fox. I watched a good deal of MSNBC in retaliation... :-o Now the bed is empty. Wonder if it will be filled?

Later on — Got a new roommate. Watches sports. African-American guy who called me out in my reaction to a patient in another room yelling for assistance. He rightly asserted that I don’t know what this lady (also African-American) was calling for and how she was feeling, and that I was prejudging her. We discussed this a bit, and I apologized. After that, we had a great relationship. I do know that my reaction was too much tinged by my prejudice about young, “loud-mouths”. It’s always best to stop and think before reacting when you do not know all of the facts.

10/2 — Don’t really remember much about the day. The food is still good, but I’m having trouble eating because of constipation (normal after a major operation). Had a couple of good dumps today, and ate like a horse, getting hungry overnight.

During the day, the social worker and another PT came by (different person) to assess my needs at home when discharged. I waved off the walker which was offered; I felt (rightly) that my balance and strength were such that I could walk without any assistance. I did so a couple of times when evening came — to the bathroom, and taking a good walk around the hallway outside the room.

10/3 — Discharge. In a way, I’m sad to leave, but I’m ready and well-prepared to go home. Ray and his wife picked me up, we stopped by the pharmacy, and then Ray helped me by bringing my heavy backpack (items inside that I never used — five books!) into the apartment and setting it on my freezer. Shame he had to see my dirty nest, but maybe I can get some cleaning done in the next few months.

10/6-8 — Woke up and got up after two days of sleep, punctuated by bathroom runs followed by snacks and bowls of cereal. Actually had chili with Parisi’s bread for a good meal. Got outside to pick up groceries (o.j. & milk). Started a log of health measurements recording temp, pulse, walks, bike spin, and comments. Keeping the comments mostly clinical. Want to have this as a tool for visiting nurse and visiting physical therapist.

Over the next several days, I slept from 14-16 hours every day, leaving not that much time to reply to email and phone calls, eat, and get a decent walk (usually to the grocery). I’m not bored, but I do get concerned that I can’t get back to everyone in a more personal manner. I only ask that everyone be patient; father and sister get priority as does my recovery — food and sleep (14 hrs/day) included!

You Gotta Have Heart

Wednesday, September 30

Well, I had my “procedure”. Why I use that word instead of “major operation” reflects the skill and smooth transitions that I made from operating room to recovery to ICU to the cardiac care unit.

Like the doctor’s said, they took an artery from under my left pectoral muscle and redirected it to the left ventricle of my heart. There was no need to graft or redirect any other vessels.

My heart was stopped for about an hour. They wanted to make sure that my right atrium had sufficient blood supply. Apparently, there were some marks on the right ventricle which could have appeared as a result of lack of blood. However, when the doctors took the clamps off the arteries, the right atrium appeared to look quite healthy.

I was pretty fortunate not to have had more than superficial damage to the heart. Around the areas of the occluded portion of the left coronary artery, there was some surface scarring, but not too thick. Yes, I did have an infarction, a “heart attack” — but I don’t know for sure when that happened. I do know that there was enough blood redirected through the right coronary artery to really minimize any damage to the heart muscle and to promote healing of some damage that did occur.

Recovery has been quite painful. And I don’t know what gets into these physical therapists; mine was absolutely brutal. I know he needed to have me walk, but the way I was feeling, I didn’t need to make a full circuit around the central desk on the floor! Outside of that, I have pain in around my chest, my back, and my shoulders, primarily.

Most of the pain seems to be muscle pain. I’ve been successful in avoiding pulling on the sternum — which was the “access” point to my heart once they sawed it open...! And Mount Sinai has been pretty good about pain management. Today, Wednesday, I was in horrible pain in the morning; I had not kept up with the meds, and my roommate had the television on all night, keeping me awake. Well, I slept some this afternoon, and I’ll probably fall right off when I go to bed.

One of the main bothers has been the amount of mucous accumulating in my throat. I am unable to get it out, and it builds up until I finally am able to expel it. My lung capacity is fairly low right now, because the lungs collapse and don’t fully reinflate for a while. And it hurts to cough!

In fact, it was hurting when I made any motion with my body. I expected that and was somewhat prepared for it, but it was still a bit more pain than I thought I would have at this point. Also, the body’s reaction to the major, big-time surgery that I had is as extreme as the surgery itself. Wrenching the sternum apart and spreading the rib cage open is pretty serious stuff!

With that, I wish you Sweet Dreams and a Good night!

You Gotta Have Heart...

Heart Surgery, Part the Third

Last Friday (9/18), I cycled over to Mount Sinai Hospital, Guggenheim Pavillion, to meet with my surgeon and a Nurse Practitioner. It was the first rather cool day in a long time, and the trip was mostly uneventful and quick with only a hint of angina pain.

Armed with a fistful of questions and items I wanted to cover in my discussions, I of course first had to make it by the person taking my temperature and quizzing me about my possible exposure to SARS–CoV–2. Soon, I was going through the double glass doors into the Coronary Surgery Department at Mt. Sinai. Quite impressive on first sight.

My meeting with the N.P. went quickly. After checking my blood pressure, we discussed some things, mostly about what happens after surgery. I gave him my meds list and list of “questions”, which he took to the surgeon. Not long after that, I was led to a conference room and I sat down to wait for the surgeon. In the next half-hour, I was able to answer some of my questions by reading about open heart surgery in the textbook that was on the table. One would think it was left there on purpose, eh?!

Percy Boateng, M.D. is my cardiac surgeon. He is well experienced, doing many procedures on the heart during any week at Mt. Sinai. Dr. Boateng is a “man of color” — originally from Ghana! We had a wide-ranging conversation, about heart surgery, running, and cycling, among other things. And, of course, we talked about my upcoming surgery.

I was able to view the angiogram, taken during the cardiac catheterization procedure I had. On angiogram, there is little evidence that a left coronary artery even exists — it is either completely occluded or my body has gotten rid of it! Dr. Boateng (and also Dr. Sternheim) concluded that the left coronary artery gradually closed up over a period of time. This allowed the heart to build new blood vessels and reverse the flow of blood in parts of the left ventricle and other places in the heart. As a result, I never had a heart attack, only angina (which I didn’t recognize as such until after I was first diagnosed with coronary artery disease in August). Being active and cycling for moderately vigorous exercise helped.

Our human body is an amazing organism. Its capacity for self-healing and adjustment to injury and dysfunction is equally amazing. But equally amazing is the ability of skilled health care professionals to intervene when the body is unable to self-repair. I have the greatest respect for health professionals; it also helps that I worked as a secretary and word processor for some in the not too distant past at New York University Medical Center. This work has helped inform and guide my decisions about my own health care and feed my ample respect for those who take care of me.

So — I am scheduled for coronary bypass surgery on Monday, September 29. The surgical team will open my chest, hook me up to a heart bypass machine, and redirect an artery under my left pectoral muscle onto the proximal surface of the heart (right on top), replacing the occluded (and possibly missing!) coronary artery. My heart will probably be stopped for all of 15 minutes. (Dr. Boateng mentioned that they could do this with the heart still beating, but I decided, for more accurate placement and suturing of the artery to the heart, that I would like my heart to be stopped during this part of the procedure.)

I am certainly reassured by the skill and knowledge of Dr. Boateng. I’m also assured of a quicker recovery than I thought. My breathing tube will be taken out about an hour after surgery ends. I will be out of bed and sitting in a chair by evening of the same day. The hospital health care professionals will have me walking the next day, Tuesday. And I should be out of the hospital on Friday, or Saturday if they determine that I need one more day of hospital care.

Although cardiac bypass surgery has become quite routine since it was first successfully performed in 1969, this procedure still has its risks. But in my case, death (0.45%) or morbidity (<5.0%) are rather rare. I have confidence that the team from the Cardiac Surgery section of Mount Sinai Hospital are very good at mitigating risks like post-op infection, stroke, aneurism, and others. I am in good hands.

Once I get home, I’m told that I will be able to do a good many things, just as long as I don’t stress my sternum, which is cut through and separated to access the heart. I know from experience with my femoral neck (hip) fracture that major bones take six to eight weeks to heal sufficiently so that they may carry heavy loads again. I can reach, but not stretch. I can carry loads under 5-10 lbs. I can exercise on my bicycle indoors (I have a spinning stand for that), but only put light weight on my hands and arms. I’ve already been advised to begin taking walks every day immediately upon returning home. A physical therapist and a visiting nurse will stop by to check up on me, and they will give me more direction and advice.

It helps that I’m a well-informed patient, asking detailed questions and doing my own research. By doing so, I have been able to clarify issues regarding medication and pre-existing conditions with my surgeon and cardiologist. I am fairly confident that we’ve “covered all the bases”.

Next step is pre-op testing and intake. More about that in my next blog post.

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You Gotta Have Heart...

Heart Surgery, Part the Second

I tolerated the cardiac catheterization procedure very well. Interesting that I hardly felt any sedative that they may have used; I was quite alert during the whole experience.

The angiogram(s) showed that my main coronary artery is completely occluded. However, blood flow has been shifted to the "back door" — collateral vessels now supply 70% to 80% of my heart. I got the sense that there is no apparent necrosis or scarring, only that, because of limited blood supply, the heart muscle isn't moving properly. Their analysis is that I had somewhat gradual occlusion of the artery, allowing the heart to shift the flow to the collateral vessels without undue damage to the heart muscle. However, the flow is not sufficient, and heart-muscle damage is probable in the future. My heart needs fixin'.

There are two procedures that can be done:

►         Another cardiac cath, performing angioplasty + stent insertion. Both doctors told me that there is not a great chance of success and that it probably would only last 5 to 10 years. To me, the integrity of the main coronary would be in question anyway, not having handled any blood flow for possibly a year, maybe longer.

►         Replace the artery by coronary bypass surgery. This would graft an artery from the pectoral muscle area onto my heart, Serious surgery, three- to four-month recovery period, some serious pain but, with a good lifestyle, it will last me much longer and allow me to remain a rabid cyclist. (I intend to live at least to 90 y.o., like my Dad...!)

Guess which one I immediately chose? Yup — coronary bypass surgery. I don't really have any mitigating factors any more that would count this option out. And — they told me I'm still young. Great guys!

Dr. Sternheim already gave me one chance to chicken out, in the recovery room after the procedure. The surgeon will give me another opportunity on 10/20. The surgery would be done at Mount Sinai Hospital, Manhattan (Fifth Avenue). I'm not going to chicken out.

And MetroPlus, my insurance, damn well better not get in the way! If so, they'll have a rabid cyclist, at least two doctors, an N.P., and a fine nurse comin' after them... eh?! New Yorkers: Wear your masks, so I don't have to delay this surgery due to COVID!!!

I have to thank my primary care N.P., Yalto, for her thoroughness, though which she noticed the dysfunctional heart rhythm on EKG.

I'm in good hands with Dr. Sternheim, and I trust him a lot. The doctor heading the surgical team is very experienced in coronary bypass surgery. Dr. Sternheim mentioned that the surgeon probably does ten or so of these per week at Mt. Sinai.

It'll be a great adventure...! As far as pain goes: I'll make sure that I have good pain management in place before the operation. I have experience — my hip fracture and surgery. I had a pain specialist who did good for me. The eventual meds were 2, 3, or 4mg hydromorphone + 75mg Lyrica, which lasted the entire time between doses and relieved serious level 8 pain. Only took a bit of opiate once I got home, and then only occasional OTC pain reliever after that.

Next: A visit with the surgeon and a nurse practitioner in the Coronary Surgery section at Mount Sinai.

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You Gotta Have Heart...

Heart Surgery Time, Part the First

Well, I have problems with my heart. I found out late last year that I had an abnormality in my EKG, which we take regularly because of a medication’s effect on heart rhythm. Because of our current COVID-19 crisis, I was unable to follow up on that until July, when I scheduled a transthoracic echo-cardiogram and a visit to my cardiologist, Dr. David Sternheim.

I might mention that Elmhurst Hospital Center, at which I get my primary medical care in the I.D. Clinic, was the “epicenter of the epicenter”. They were slammed by the COVID-19 crisis, taking more than their share of critically ill patients. By mid-April, the entire hospital was devoted to taking care of COVID-19 patients. I had to reschedule appointments, cancelled during this time, and some of my appointments were (and are still) moved to telephone consultations. Fortunately, by the middle of June Elmhurst was able to resume some sense of normalcy. My heart goes out to all who lived through that crisis, taking care of so many who came down with COVID-19. I did what I could to support the health professionals with encouraging words and some humor as well.

However, I resumed my regular care at Elmhurst, and rescheduled (among many other appointments) the echocardiogram — a type of ultrasound.

On the ultrasound, the "apex" of the heart (bottom of left ventricle) showed that it was not functioning properly. After discussion, Dr. Sternheim and I concluded that it was probably a "silent" coronary event, which occurred some months before the EKG that showed an abnormal heart rhythm. I can still do moderately vigorous exercise; he told me "just don't push it". That, in itself, is encouraging.

I’ll be having cardiac catheterization/angiogram, during which a dye will be injected to show blood flow through my coronary arteries and into the smaller vessels. It’s possible that I’ll also have a stent or two or more inserted to widen a partially blocked coronary artery. The wait won’t be too long — just a couple of weeks.

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High Camp is Alive and Well and Riding a Bicycle

A "Conversation" Regarding "Crash, Not Accident" Article in The New York Times

AstoriaCentric facebook Group

May 31 to June 1, 2016

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Sometimes you just can't make logic work — like this post I made regarding New Your City non-profit organization Transportation Alternatives' campaign to change the nomenclature used to describe those unfortunate, often deadly physical meeting of motor vehicle and pedestrian and/or motor vehicle and bicycle.

Unfortunately, AstoriaCentric member Kara Bell nailed the location where I was born and grew up. Is it possible? Could she actually be a blood relative on my father's sister's side of the family?? I shiver with dread to think that this could actually be true. You'll see why.

In any case, she needs help. Again, you'll see why...

Oh... and I should define "/snark" for those who experience only a big "?" in their mind. It is [fake] HTML code, switching off SNide remARK. (I do have to admit that I've been visiting Daily Kos far too often.)

And, please note: "High Camp" (usually considered a 1970s phenomenon) is not dead.

As Harry Shearer says at the beginning of his program, Le Show: "Here it is!!"

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HALLELUIA!! About time. Transportation Alternatives is very much behind this change of nomenclature, and so am I, having had a recent CRASH (bicycle v. car and/or motorcycle... I don't remember...). There is no such thing as accidents, when it concerns vehicles and pedestrians.

[link to nytimes.com article]

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Kara Bell: That is foolish, if it is an accident that is what it is. If you spill a drink on someone, or bump into someone, are you at fault? No, it is an accident, unless you did so on purpose.

MVS:  It is certainly a crash until law enforcement determines who caused it. Still, few if any vehicles crashes or vehicle/pedestrian incidents are "accidents". There is almost always a causative factor - inattention , equipment failure, alcohol, and more. If you are not "in control of your vehicle at all times" [paraphrase from NYS Motor Vehicle Code] or if you are not actively watching where you are going, then it is not an accident. And if you are not "at fault", it is still a crash and not an accident, because someone else or something else caused it. There is always a cause - it is no accident.

If you spill your drink on someone or bump into someone, you are at fault; you were not paying attention and "in control". If a stain results from a drink, wouldn't you offer to pay to have that stain removed? I hope that you would take responsibility for your lack of attention.

Kara:   No, I disagree, this nonsense is just part of an attempt to get rid of as many car drivers as possible by people who want to have New York City to themselves so they can ride their bikes.

MVS:  Getting rid of automobile traffic is not nonsense in the majority of neighborhoods of a city — one that was only designed for this 1-ton, often dangerous, personal transportation hunk of generous portions of steel, plastic, iron, and other materials (too many of them rare or of energy-intensive manufacture or toxic to humans and animals and plants) by Robert Moses for a short period in the mid-20th Century.

I drive a car on occasion — when I can't carry what I need by foot (you forgot to dis those selfish pedestrians, too!! [/snark]) or bicycle. We got rid of dirty, s**t-producing horses by the 1920s, improving our quality of life and health, only to replace that with a vehicle more detrimental to one's health, our environment and, most importantly, to one's life. Aggressively or negligently driven 1 ton vs. bicycle/pedestrian... I think you know who "wins" hands down (or up or sideways depending on the circumstances of the CRASH ["A" word banned for good reason]).

If you can't bicycle or walk because of disability or age, I can understand you owning and driving a car; public transit is still difficult to use for those who are less able to walk and pedal. But do not accuse us who speak truth of being SELFISH ("people who want to have New York City to themselves"). Talk about nonsense...

Kara:   I am far from too old to bike, I know to do it in a park or upstate. New York is not a city for mixing bikes int the traffic at the rate they have been introduced. You state things that we all know already, but telling us that a crash betweena car and a person hurts the person--well, everyone know that. It does nto mean we have to go along with the agenda of a few who are loud most people in New York, an Astoria dont want the changes being forced on us regarding bikes.

MVS:  We are considerably more than a few — I would say that at least a hundred thousand bicyclists a day deliver, commute, run errands, and exercise and train using the roadways of New York City. We ride on bike routes (shared lane) and "usable" [c.f. NYS Motor Vehicle Code] bike lanes and bike paths, which are great safety improvements and allow ALL traffic to move much more efficiently. We've been around in significant numbers for the entire 26 years that I have lived, walked, pedaled and, yes, also driven through this cosmopolitan city — even through the reign of anti-bicycle Mayor Giuliani.

You are, however, part of a [hopefully] fast-diminishing breed of driver who holds on to the false premise that bicyclists do not belong in the city. Nothing could be further from the truth. Many of us regularly can and do ride AT THE SAME SPEED as motor vehicles in whatever lane is clear and safe on many cross streets in Manhattan and most certainly on the avenues that don't have reserved lanes for bicyclists. And we have the right to do so. To bicycle is to feel a freedom from traffic jams and mass-transit snafus. Often, bicycling saves time getting from one point to another. And Queens and Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn features wide streets and avenue lanes, increasing the pleasure and safety of bicycling.

You say that "upstate" and a park are where bicycles belong. Again, untrue. Have you ever been almost swiped by a vehicle going 55-65 MPH on an "upstate" road? I have. Also, many park paths are reserved for PEDESTRIANS, and bicyclists are limited to the ROADWAYS and reserved paths.

State law states that bicyclists "have the SAME rights and responsibilities" as do motor vehicle drivers. We are required to keep as far to the side of the road as is "possible"; every state in the Union follows these protocols. The NYC Bike Map states many times that if you cannot do so, "Take the whole lane"; in this manner, we remain visible to ALL traffic, including you. Be glad that you can see us. And I hope that you follow the law and leave the lane you are driving in when passing a bicycle — just like you would do passing a motor vehicle or tractor.

Some believe that bicycles do not belong on the roadway, yelling at me and many others to "Get on the sidewalk where you belong"! IT IS ILLEGAL TO RIDE ON THE SIDEWALK. Most of us follow the laws enshrined in NYState's Motor Vehicle Code, albeit sometimes pushing the limit a bit (something I see too many people operating a ton or more of metal also doing). Note that we become a pedestrian the second we dismount, so... well, look at all the pedestrians that cross against the light... o.k.?

We are not going away. You cannot force us to disappear, because the law, the State, and the City administration support our existence and growth. Accept the variety of vehicles that ply the streets of NYC and from here on in strive to CO-EXIST with them. Stop kvetching and accept bicyclists as a efficient, environmentally friendly, health-improving fact of New York City life — certainly in your and my neighborhood of Astoria.

Kara:   Your neighborhood is not Astoria, it's Michigan. I don't just drive, I also walk, and bike. But I see way too many people on bikes runnign lights, going wrong way, and swerving in and out. I know about 100 time smore people in this area than you, and we are fed up with this yupppie BS you and a few ohters are trying to force on people. If you want to ride a bike everywhere, then live out in the country.

MVS:  I grew up in the Motor City, N.W. suburban Detroit, where I learned BOTH to ride a bike AND got my driver's license at age 16. How did you know, my dear?

Is it such a terrible crime to slide through a red light or change lanes like a typical New Yorker driving in New Jersey?? (Uhh... oh... maybe it's the other way around. Are you from Jersey?) If there's such a problem with so many bicyclists, why don't you ask the NYPD 114 Precinct to take charge? Or even better, YOU stand out there with a case of thumbtacks.

How could you know more people than me?? That's illogical... and with YOUR personality...

Yuppie??? I am nearing 60 years of age. Most bicyclists I know, whether here, in Manhattan, in "outer" Queens and Brooklyn, are younger physically and more my age mentally — unlike you.

I'm sorry that I disappoint you, Ms Bell. But, as you can see, I am through and through a New Yorker.

Now go away. /snark

(up one level in this rather shallow thread...)

MVS:  NYC DOT has taken up the "crash" NOT "accident" change for Vision Zero! See the DOT poster on the bicycle parking area on the S.W. corner of 30 Ave and 31 St (before Ms. Bell destroys it and the shelter [/snark} {I'm done.}).

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Note that the poster and shelter mentioned above are barely three blocks away from my home.

What great fun that was. I not only nailed her to the wall with my logic, I thoroughly destroyed my opponent. I sharpened my arguments supporting the cause of bicyclists everywhere, not only in New York City, and reminded everyone to exercise, keep the environment in good shape, and enjoy the cleaner air minus the smell of horse poop.

Still, there are too many folks out there that try to hold on to badly perceived "good ol' days", and also try to bully their way through to get their way.

Unfortunately, one of them is running for President. Unfortunately, he's a born-and-bred native New Yorker.

What is happening to U.S.?? Will we survive? Should I high-tail it to the Canadian Consulate and try to claim the Canadian citizenship that may be waiting for me?

Stay tuned...

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Trumped Again

Daily Kos can be a cruel environment. Or... is something else at work? Have we all been Trumped?? Does The Donald have the last laugh???

Last night on Daily Kos, I riffed on the following phrase:

 

... did you mention "small hands", too? ...

The response:

          {cruel, Puritanic criticism... not worth quoting...}

So I had to say:

 

Oh well… sorry. Never mind. Gads!! My attempt at assuming a Monty Python characterization failed horrifically.

It seems that every week yet another Trump deficiency rears its ugly hea… uhh... mmm... becomes apparent.

I’m becoming too influenced by the [pornographic??] low-brow over-the-top nature of The Donald’s discourse. I even glee-fully started to write lyrics — a parody of a Frank Loesser musical, How to Succeed in Real Estate Without Really Trying At All. I’m rotting… please stomp me with a boot and put me out of my misery! (And please don’t hum The Liberty Bell March before you do it.)

And I don’t even have a television! Internet radio streams — and an overactive mind’s eye — and overexposure — and those increasingly annoying ever-present NPR talking heads… dancing around in my dreams… circling around me... Oh God!! Never thought that I’d ever come to call NPR presenters and commentators annoying, but there it is. And, now, I can't get to sleep. Is death by political campaign my fate??

Next, you know: Pigs will fly. It’s a cruel world. Uggh. Blehch! Phffhtth!!

Such a unique political year. Unfortunately, a whole string of unique, back-to-back, one after another — endlessly strung out into the infinite future?? AAAGGHH!!

So — What's next? (henh, henh, {snort} hee, hee, hee!!)

What a woild.

My Christmas Present — Hit By a Motor Vehicle while Bicycling

This past year for me has featured several significant events. And it ended with yet another one.

I got hit by a motor vehicle while riding my bicycle on Christmas Eve. One moment I was riding south around St. Nicholas and 122^nd Street and the next moment — seven hours later — I was in Harlem Hospital's Emergency Room, with two cops standing in front of me asking me to describe my bicycle. Scrambled brains from a concussion don't do well in such a situation, and they left without giving me any information, even their Precinct location.

Fortunately, all scans were negative — multiple CTs, multiple X-rays, and an ultrasound; they were quite thorough. I received exemplary care from hospital staff during my one-day-of-observation stay (the food, too, was quite good!), and I was discharged on Boxing Day. And, if MetroPlus doesn't kick about not getting an NYPD incident report (see below), I'm fully covered for my healthcare.

To this day, I don't know exactly what happened. My discharge papers state my "All Treated Diagnosis" as "Assault by being hit or run over by motor vehicle..." and under "Hospital Course" states in part "...hit from the side by a low velocity SUV." My brain has blocked or has had erased any memory of the incident and the seven hours after it. My belief is that I may have been a victim of "hit and snatch". Whoever hit me probably wanted my bike or its head and tail lamps. But without proof of an investigation and the help of memory, I can't prove that.

I don't believe that an Incident Report was ever filed by the cops which, one of my friends says, is not unusual for bicycling/motor vehicle encounters. Nor was I in good enough condition to quickly follow up on my own once discharged. Also, it doesn't help that it was the Christmas/New Year's holiday period. However, a representative from Harlem Hospital's Patient Financial Services needs an accident report in order to file a no-fault claim, so I need to do some digging. Although the report (if it exists) costs nothing for me to obtain, apparently it is not automatically sent to me. Also, apparently the EMTs did not leave a report at the hospital, which they are supposed to do.

My prized road bike is gone, and I need to replace it, but I don't think I'll be able to retrieve it. But I've pulled out my receipt of purchase from 20 years ago, just in case it has been stored for me to retrieve. However, I'm alive, and thankful that I received good medical care. The only scars I have seem to be a few scratches, a bit of a sore right ear and, unfortunately, another realization that the NYPD needs an upgrade.

There are lots of bicyclists in New York City, most densely in Brooklyn. Queens presents more problems than Manhattan or Brooklyn. I think here (mostly east of me, away from Manhattan) and on Staten Island (the "forgotten borough"!), too many motorists still don't want to share the road. But they are going to have to get used to it — a lot more bike paths, lanes, and routes are planned, and there are more bicyclists doing their bit for the environment, their health, and to save time — really! Bicycling rather than taking transit, bus, or driving often gets you to your destination faster, especially when you're in shape.

New York has been praised as a "bike-friendly" city, comparable to many European cities. It's better than London, believe it or not, which embraced the automobile with a vengeance when North Sea Brent crude oil was discovered. That evaluation, however, does not take into account motor vehicle drivers' attitudes toward two-wheeled vehicles. Bicycles have a right to use the road in much the same way as motor vehicles, with some relatively minor exceptions. Enforcement of traffic laws needs to bear that in mind, accept that, and fight the perception that every bicycle/motor vehicle incident is always the fault of the bicyclist. It is not, period.

During the December holidays, stress seems to get to more motorists who act out on seemingly anything smaller or slower than they want to go. Rather more than a few are from out of town and don't know our bicycle-respecting customs (Tourist drivers! New Jersey drivers! Yuk!!). But that does not exonerate NYC residents who drive; they can be just as bad.

I'm out again, riding my "street bike", commuting and doing errands. It's a heavier, straight-handlebar mongrel, pieced together by a local bike shop so that I could have something that isn't terribly enticing to thieves and which can well take the abuse thrown at it sometimes by the streets of New York City. I won't stop riding a bicycle — still the most energy efficient form of transportation invented. It remains my main source of exercise and well-being — after making music, of course!