My riding schedule just got changed - Health

[Ga426owner]

Sorry this is not that related to YZFs specifically, but I have been here a long darn time and some of you are like brothers to me, only long distance. Hopefully Grey will keep it here

After a very hot summer and very little riding due to heat and daddy responsibilities to my 1yr old, (yep I am a late starter)I just had a MRI on my heart done this week. I have a blood clot in my left ventricle and now I am on Cumenden to break it up. Some of you know, I had a heart attack on Sept 9th 2001 at 38yrs old while racing (yes on the track) Motocross in N. Ga.....stupid divorce and high cholesterol...helped cause this and attached a $10k dollar heli ride to Hospital in Atlanta coupled with $275k hospital bills that were covered by insurance thank God! Since then I have been almost 100% until recent chest discomfort past 3 weeks.

Unfortunately, my cooler riding scheduled for between now - next 3mos has been cancelled by my Cardiologist. I am so friggin bummed. Racing & Riding, you see, has been and continues to be my therapy for stress mgmt and emotional well being.....now I must find something else to do to help in these 2 areas. I am praying this clot is gone in 3mos (new echocardiogram then), otherwise my days in the dirt may be gone forever. And my outlet my go back to 4 wheels fulltime or 2 wheel street.(totally new)

Sorry to vent, but if you youngers guys can learn anything from this.....get the cholesterol checked and if it is high....get on some meds to get it down. And get on exercise routine! I ignored taking pills in my early 30s and now I have to take 8 per day the rest of my life. The Heart can not ever repair itself...once damaged always damaged. Learn from this ?

[Tcfairlane]

Sorry to hear that man... Hope you get better i dont know anything about all that stuff but sounds like a pain :/

[grayracer513]

David,

That's not good news, buddy. Take care of yourself and come back so you can enjoy the sport for a few more years. If not that, take stock of what's really important in life and focus on that.

It's a good point though, about staying in shape. Riding once a week won't really do it when you get past 35 or so.

[cowboyona426]

Sorry to hear it David, I'm hoping it all works out for you and you can continue to enjoy riding!

[FinchFan194]

Sorry to hear about that I am at the ripe age of 28 and I will take your advice and get more serious about my health. . .thank you and get well soon.

[mxmaddman]

I hear you man, Im right on track to the same thing as you. High cholestorol

(270 even back when i was 19) and I eat like crap fast food everyday at work still and don't exersize like i should. Doc told me you dont have to be fat to have a heart attack. I take aspirin everyday to help reduce heart attack risk, but thats not going to save me if I dont change. your advise is like a wake up call from another tt rider.

[wobblyknobby]

Thanks for sharing. I am glad you made it thru the heart attack. I am thinking you can still ride but take it easy. If you fall, turn your gas off and just relax a minute before picking up your bike or straining to get unstuck,etc. Just take it easy. Obviously this is your decision to make. Most of all good luck to you. ?

[Ga426owner]

Thanks Guys - this is not for a pity party !

I will be back on 2 wheels soon...as I am a fighter and quiting just ain't in my vocabulary. Although my racing has tamed the past couple of years, ask all the racers that I spanked after my heart attack in 2001-2007.....?

If 1 person can learn from this, I will be happy. Don't be stubborn or stupid like I was in my 20s and 30s. Just because you have always been invincible or felt like everything is always 100% health wise......get that cholesterol checked, under control and get regular exercise, and eat right! Your body is your temple and even the slightest thing can cause things to not work right.

Believe me you do not want to live like I have to. And I was doing all the right things the past 8 yrs.

[DPW]

Hang in there buddy and good advice about getting your cholesterol checked, making a note to call the DR Monday morning. I'm approaching 40 and age is starting to slowly catch up with me...urgghgh!

Thanks for sharing...

[hillclimbguy]

Sorry to hear that David. I can only hope the best for you.

[The Italian Stallion]

All the best man.I feel for ya I'm going through something similar {but different]myself.I have a small brain tumor that might have to come out in 6 months.It was discovered when I got meningitis in Feb.I get bad headaches when I push it,DR says its meningitis recovery not the tumor.I have put MX on hold for now but I have been trail and play riding with the kids and riding my street bikes..but I am craving that rush!...On a good note my cholesterol is below normal:smirk: take it easy for now man.? Get a new KTM super enduro for now..check it out on youtube

[Wiz636]

Sorry you are going through that but happy to hear that you caught in time to do something about it! My GF is always nagging me to get my cholesterol checked and I keep blowig it off. I've never had it done but I think I will now!

[mywifefarts]

It's probably a good thing to have checked out regardless of how well you take care of yourself and how healthy you think you are. Be aware of your family history.

[laserracer]

Hang in there it will get better ive had 2 heart attacks the first one i needed 3 stents and the 2nd happened out riding that was a blood clot..which they broke up with a clot busting injection .. i use to hate taking my blood pressure pills ...i really should have because like you it lead to my 1st heart attack ..i cant take them fast enough now im on 5 pills a day...i still ride.. but not competitively and i found that if i take a homeopathic type of stress relief something like panic med.. im fine to ride.. the key is to stay calm

Cheers buddy all the best Dave

[Ga426owner]

All the best man.I feel for ya I'm going through something similar {but different]myself.I have a small brain tumor that might have to come out in 6 months.It was discovered when I got meningitis in Feb.I get bad headaches when I push it,DR says its meningitis recovery not the tumor.I have put MX on hold for now but I have been trail and play riding with the kids and riding my street bikes..but I am craving that rush!...On a good note my cholesterol is below normal:smirk: take it easy for now man.? Get a new KTM super enduro for now..check it out on youtube

Jason hang in there and think positive buddy:thumbsup:

I also had spinal meningitis when I was 15....talk about the worst headaches I have ever experienced......that one almost killed me...thank god for respirator on a van ride to the hospital 3days late

[Ga426owner]

Hang in there it will get better ive had 2 heart attacks the first one i needed 3 stents and the 2nd happened out riding that was a blood clot..which they broke up with a clot busting injection .. i use to hate taking my blood pressure pills ...i really should have because like you it lead to my 1st heart attack ..i cant take them fast enough now im on 5 pills a day...i still ride.. but not competitively and i found that if i take a homeopathic type of stress relief something like panic med.. im fine to ride.. the key is to stay calm

Cheers buddy all the best Dave

Laser thanks for sharing...you got me beat, 2 heart attacks/3stents vs 1heart attack/1 stent (me)?

I am calling my doctor on this Clot busting injection.....I assume it broke up the clot very fast?

Pm me on this homeopathic stress relief - I will google and bing it

THE KEY IS TO STAY CALM!!!!

definitely great advice.....

[jayh300]

keep positive david... and calm..

do what the Dr's you trust tell you to do, to the letter..

I went thru a ton of that stuff when I broke my neck in 95 at a mere age of 33. One thing I learned is I know my body and I know when something is not right. Stay on them, keep pushing the Dr's until you are satisfied, not them.

I had 3 dr's tell me I was fine, then finally got to a guy who listened to me and sure enough, c1-c2 fracture. Just most people cannot function with a broken neck...

[WB450]

Take care of your self. Your health and the little one are most important, he's going to need you around for a long time. If your dirt day's are over you can still come on and spread your knowledge and help Grey tell us why our header pipe is glowing.

Take care.

WB

[grayracer513]

Before indulging homeopathy, be sure you look into it. A lot of well educated people have serious doubts as to it's efficacy.

In fact, there's an old joke about the homeopathy patient who forgot to take his meds and died of an overdose.

[Ga426owner]

Take care of your self. Your health and the little one are most important, he's going to need you around for a long time. If your dirt day's are over you can still come on and spread your knowledge and help Grey tell us why our header pipe is glowing.

Take care.

WB

She sure is and thanks WB

I hope to still get dirty.....

I will still harrass all here don't worry.?