This blog is submitted with permission from my wife to help educate the cycling community. She has this! And she is scheduled to have surgery this Tuesday.Dot had been complaining since an ICUP race in July that her right leg was getting numb and painful when she would run or bike. Then this week it would hurt when she would even try to walk fast for a few minutes. When this happened her right foot would turn completely white. She went to a sports doc yesterday and had an Ultrasound that showed an Arterial clot in her Iliac artery! Today she had the angiogram shown below. The ends of the paper clip show where there should be signs of the contrast in the artery but there is nothing. That section will need to be bypassed by a graft.
Apparently, this is a relatively new condition being found predominantly in intense cyclists that is becoming more prevalent as there are more people taking up the sport. The theory is that the constant bending at the waste causes repeat trauma to the artery and it begins to scar. Scarring then narrows the artery limiting flow and also sets up increased clotting risk. Signs to watch for is exercise induced pain and numbness to the leg with some loss of capillary refill (color). In the end stages diminished pulses than the other side are possible.
Dot is being a sport about it but the frustration shows. Her frustration is that by doing all the right things such as exercise, diet, and no smoking she gets a major health problem before she would have if she didn't stay "healthy". Not fair. Is it?
The recovery from surgery has generally been 90-100% to full activity with some athletes returning to full competition. But as Dot said at the end of last season- she is retiring from racing. Was her mind and body telling her something then?
I love you, dear!
