The weathers improved enough now to move the exercise bike out of the dinning room to the garage. Its a different view and fresher air so I thought that we would test distance and time against previously recorded sessions.
The first 2 minutes went well as usual but then the legs started to complain and then the cough followed like it always does.
Its now pain and uncomfortable feelings from here on but still I pushed on in search of a new record time. I always do 15 minutes on level 2 while the oxygen concentrator is on full throttle supplying my lungs with 4 litres of oxygen. My old Hi Fi system is blasting out some music to help distract from the torture of turning those cursed pedals round and round, all in the belief that exercise will somehow help the situation that I find myself in these days. 10 minutes have past and I'm feeling pretty bad now, my legs are aching and my lungs are burning. The glass by my side is slowly filling with the gung that Iv'e coughed up, its clear which I always see as a good sign but I would prefer things the way they were when exercise produced nothing but heavy breathing and carbon dioxide.
Another song has finished on the radio so I check the time, 14 mins 30 seconds so with every last ounce of energy I spin those dam pedals and count down the seconds. 15 mins Yeh' as I collapse, spawled across the handlebars gasping for air.
Its probably a few minutes before things have settled down enough to check the recorded distance on the digital readout. Yes!! a new record 2.9 miles in 15 mins thats .2 further than the last record but was it worth it and am I doing myself harm or good?
I guess the answer to this is the distance I am capable of covering now has increased so the evidence is there in black and white. Exercise is good for us even though it can be painfull and uncomfortable, its worth half an hour of suffering a day so the rest of the 23 and a half hours can be made easyier.
I do tend to take things to the extreme but it does seem to be helping my general alround fitness and more importantly my breathing.
I can do more without oxygen than I have for a long time, so I will continue to push the limits and see where it takes me while I wait for the transplant co-ordinator to ring.
An obvious side effect of the exercise is, its helping me reach the weight target that the transplant consultant wants me at, to improve my chances of surviving the operation.
Look after yourselves everyone and do your best to stay fit and healthy.
Tony.
A new record?
