The ride to work today was a frozen, shivering, torturous experience despite being clad in my winter riding gear. The worst part was it was only 50 degrees outside. Fahrenheit.
At work it was suggested I just needed to acclimate to the colder days. 50F — seriously? This is almost summer weather. It was worse riding home for lunch, so much so that I returned to work in the toasty, elegant environs of a minivan. Later in the day I would test the arctic weather on foot with winter jacket, hat and gloves. The dogs were indifferent but I was freezing.
A phone call with a knowing friend suggested a reason — the little pink pill — clopidogrel; an oral, thienopyridine-class antiplatelet agent used, in my case, to prevent myocardial infarction — another heart attack. As it does it work to thin my blood is it making me less cold tolerant? Is my soldiering through winter on the Vespa scooter on the edge of extinction?
I don’t know.
As evening approached I found myself photographing a construction crane over State College, Pennsylvania, an act unique solely because I didn’t get out of the warmth of the van to make it opting instead to photograph through the dirty windshield of the minivan.
A quick search of the web showed a variety of ways a heart attack victim could die in cold weather and practically every shivering symptom a body could produce was a harbinger of doom. While writing I was reminded of something my cardiologist said to me when questioned about activity limits — “Experiment. Test your limits. Explore what’s comfortable. You know what symptoms of a heart attack feel like for you. Pay attention. Take your medicine. Live your life.”
Basically he told me not to worry and get on with it.
So maybe this cold angst is just a passing discomfort that I’ll adapt to. The morning promises to be even colder and mixed with rain. And I plan to experiment.
As American poet and essayist T.S. Eliot said, “Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”
I’m going to see how far I can go…
Good luck in your quest to see how far you can go.
An option may be a ride with a larger alternator or getting some of the new fangled heated jackets with rechargeable batteries. I just noticed that my heated gear wasn’t working today. Just by the lights not blinking not from feeling cold. Is it a placebo?
Took a walk with the dogs this morning — cold and rainy. They’re impervious while I’m prepared. Seems as if it’s manageable if I keep the cold and wet on the outside.
Not sure if heated gear has a placebo effect or not. I know sunshine on a frigid day does! No options for larger alternator on the Vespa but there are some nice looking lithium powered heated gear options in the outdoors shops now. I’ll check into those.
Since you already have heated grips a pair of electric socks may be in order. Cold starts in the extremities and usually when my hands are warm, my body is warm.
I’m going to look into battery powered electric socks. The heated grips and muffs are great. My feet are the remaining weak points.
I am not discounting the possible effect of meds on your body’s ability to endure cold, but also feel I should mention one’s mind can also be led down false paths due to bad or wrongly used information?
Cold days, without sun, are colder (to my aging mind) than same cold days but with sunshine.
Also, a modern URAL’s alternator puts out 400 watts of power, enough to power any and all possible heated gear you could own/buy/borrow…. Just saying.
I hope you find the improved/updated version of dealing with the cold while riding.
The mind can play tricks on a person. Like I think you’re trying to steer me toward a URAL but I know that’s just not the case.
The (your) system has been changed!
The heart problem has messed with your physical (and to a lesser extent your mental system)so what in your past years as an adult was once normal is not so, now!
It’s a whole different world Steve. Ruled by the medicine men and their concoctions.
Those little pink pills pack a wallop of a dose,! Never judge a tablet/pill by its size.
In my own case take a drug named Pradaxa, a form of blood thinner, not the same as what you’re taking. Just kooked at my morning (before breakfast) intake of tablets:
17 of the darlings!
There are no supplements ie vitamins, and there are none which are self prescribed or liquid in form.
My three different specialists want to know when, where, with what i used to consume said tablets, each and every time i do so. Carry a small lined date book for just such a purpose.
Interestingly five are heart related drugs, and this is severe heart
damage as a result of almost four years of chemo. With but one functioning kidney four of the next tablets are diueretics, and another three are for my diabetes (discovered two years ago). The balance are mood stabilisers, for lack of a better term. With the onset of colder temperatures my mental existence changes for the worse, so drugs to help that
situation.
As I have aged, found that which I could easily accomplish and enjoyed doesn’t happen. And what I would want to make me happy once doesn’t. Take away those “things”
that make you what you are beyond employment, then see how you cope; I didn’t for a long time. Still don’t. Now force myself to be where there are like-minded people if only to justify my own existence. I do crossword puzzles, read historical text and talk to my 18- year old rescue cat. Oh and the cat talks back to me when he wants to do so; he is a cat! Am involved in two different amateur radio nets duringthe week, one as co-moderator. I do historical research on a paid basis for authors writing books which in turn allows me to also broaden my own knowledge. Stop working the little gray cells and you soon die or wish you were doing so.
Your heart is a muscle; keep it healthy by working it; it was one of the feed sources that caused the heart attack in your case; so just keep going as your cardiologist has noted. Keep doing this blog and do those ride to faraway eating and tea drinking places.
I would recommend a silk weight balaclava that you can stretch from your shirt to up inside your helmet, and then heated socks with Gore-tex boots. Much of your heat leaves through your feet and head!
I have the balaclava and it is essential when it gets cold. The heated socks and perhaps better boots are next!