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Coming back after Toxic Shock Syndrome

 
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jaymck
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Joined: 01 May 2003
Posts: 53
Location: Houston

PostPosted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 5:55 pm GMT +0000    Post subject: Coming back after Toxic Shock Syndrome Reply with quote

Doc,
I was recently discharged from the hospital after a 2 week stay for TSS (10 days of which were spent in the ICU). I got a very small cut on my wrist removing a pedal, which turned septic after about 4 days. The bug I had was Strep A. Anyway, after a lot of dialysis, plasma-phoresis(sp), spinal tap, and having my lungs drained, I'm back at home 20lbs lighter. Its really depressing looking at my atrophied legs! How should I begin to start riding again? Sounds like a stupid question, I know; but I'm still trying to get my head around the fact that I was SO STINKING SICK. Yes, I'm still a little weak and the Amoxycillin horse pill I'm taking makes me a little loopy. I have been spinning around the block a few times.
Also, my resting HR is now about 30bpm higher than it was before i got sick. Its been hovering at around 75-80 bpm. Could 3 weeks of complete inactivity cause this?
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The Bike Doc
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Joined: 08 May 2003
Posts: 1398
Location: Corpus Christi and Warda, Texas

PostPosted: Sun Aug 02, 2009 12:47 pm GMT +0000    Post subject: Reply with quote

jaymck:

Your loss of conditioning is quite expected given the seriousness of your illness, multi organ involment and forced inactivity. It will take several months for you to regain your form. Your good health before hand likely helped pull you through. But as you learned, even healthy stock can get laid low with what might otherwise seem an inoccuous scratch if the environment is right for the nasty bacteria to set up shop.

Go easy at it. Do easy spins and work yourself up over the next two to three months. Do not expect yourself to be back on form until spring. Also be very cautious about heat as your are more likely to suffer from heat related injury given the recent seriousness of your illness. 15 to 30 minute easy rides in the morning should be all you should be doing for now on the bike.

To help build up your muscles, do some weight training in an airconditioned gym. Do low weights with high repetitions two to three days a week working on both upper and lower extremity strenth as well as abdominal and back muscle strengthening exercises. Seek out a professional trainer and discuss with him or her your goals of regaining your form but to do it gradually over at least the next 6 months.

I am grateful you pulled through and hope for your complete recovery.
_________________
Paul K. Nolan, MD
AKA: The Bike Doc
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