Relative Something

I have gone from hardly being able to move, to successfully riding my bicycle. I doesn’t make any sense to me. I did a little test ride last night and was able to stand and pedal, twist to look over my shoulder, climb a steep hill, and lean forward on a descent without pain. After I rode, I mowed the lawn and felt like I was able to bend more than I have in a week. Biking must be good for my back.

I wish I could trust that the disc wasn’t going to surprise me again at any moment with more painful degeneration. My initial physical therapy appointment isn’t until next Tuesday. That doesn’t leave me much time until the scheduled departure for my annual June bicycle trip. That will be a real test, with not only biking, but daily carrying my heavy duffel bag, setting up and taking down my tent, and especially, sleeping on the ground. That combination is enough to make a healthy back react with pain.

Feeling better physically does wonders for the mental state. Chronic pain is a dangerous affliction for someone with a history of depression. I feel like I am really walking a tight rope with something like this. I’ve lost my favorite therapeutic exercise in being told not to play my regular games of futsal on the wood floor, or any soccer, for that matter. Biking was authorized. It could become a real life-saver for me.