“So what did I learn from getting a partially collapsed lung?
1, It’s best not to get one.
2, A heavy weight across your chest, an inability to breath properly (who would have thought that would have been a symptom) and fear – does not mean your having a heart attack.
3,The output form your Garmin heart rate monitor suddenly becomes really, Really, REALLY, interesting.
4, As you have no nerve endings on/in your lungs – it doesn’t hurt.
5, You remain ‘tentative/hesitant’ about pushing on for a while, after you get back on the bike, especially if someone locks out your small fount ring.
I had it easy, probably due to it being ‘only’ a partial collapse as they, reinflated me, (insert your own preferred joke here, I went with the autopilot deflation/reinflation one out of the Airplane film) and I didn’t have to have an incision to let out air between the chest cavity and the lung. Its was a spontaneous event, it just happens, its just one of those things, however once you have had one your 50% more likely to have another.
Day 5
Today, I started on the double loop Port Melbourne to Portsea – Ossie Nicholson’s World Record route now I’m less tentative. I’m not sure if Schwalbe make snow tyers for bikes but I sure am glad these Durano’s are puncture resistant, as well as hardwearing because I would not have been able to change an inner tube if I got a flat this morning – sooooo cold. Must get me one of those RV’s to follow me around all the time. Always having a warm fully kitted out bolt hole/restaurant/workshop, 10 meters away from your wheel and not having to carry a full set of tools, spares and provisions or even cold and wet weather clothing. Have you noticed, the perfect bit of kit for the weather you are facing is, nine times out of ten, hung up in your wardrobe at home. Once it warmed up at 9 (ish) got a 35 kph headwind with stronger gusts, as days in the saddle go – not the best – as days go – where else would you want to be. As it turns out, I probably I want to be elsewhere other than Melbourne, as it’s forecast rain for the next three days..”