Where are we going this month?

Egypt. For two years, I traveled back and forth to Cairo, as part of a team that designed some classes for accountants living in seventy different third world countries. I was in awe of the capabilities of those people and wondered what made them able to learn. None of them spoke English as a first language, yet the company that hired us insisted that we develop instruction in English. I developed research, based on the experience, to use for my PhD dissertation.

During those two years I was able to get out once in a while to play tourist. Now, I want to relive those precious moments through the camera lens and pretend to be riding my bike through this awesome country. I invite you to take the tour with me. I realize I can't remember the names of all the places - 7 years later, but I remember the people, the smells, the visuals, and the food.

The food. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that my kidneys were beginning to fail me in the last year of my life in Egypt. I was sick all of the time, throwing up at the mere mention of or smell of food. Some of you can relate. I wish I could go back now and taste the food all over again, with my new found health (due to dialysis).

We are in the plane, looking down at our destination

Cairo is in the Middle East.

There has been no rain in thirty years so the leaves are covered in years of dust (those that can't be reached by human intervention).

Let's find a camel to ride. Get off your bike a minute.

We have to get to know the desert and the Pyramids. There is a tiny little tunnel that we will climb into and up in order to see what mysteries hide inside. If you have claustrophobia, you may want to wait outside.

Let's ride over to the Sphinx and kiss his broken nose. Remember, we are on magical bikes that don't sink in the sand.

And we have to take time to visit the Mosques. Take your shoes off and if you are a woman, put on your hijab (or scarf that you will have with you at all times) and enter into the ancient history with reverence.  Running out of time, will post more pictures for you to think about while biking on your dialysis bike.

 

 

Let's Start a Bike Club for Dialysis Patients!

Dialysis. I am six months into the experience. Diagnosed with kidney failure four years earlier, I unwillingly gave in on April 13, 2015.

Soon after beginning dialysis I realized that sitting in one place for 4 hours without moving was probably as bad for my health as not having working kidneys. I did a little research to see if others felt the same way I did and found that in other countries, dialysis patients have been riding bikes during dialysis for more than a decade. I put together some of that research and gave it to the head nurse at my dialysis center. Soon, and because of her wonderful energy and enthusiasm, a bike arrived at our center.

I supplied the rubber rug so the bicycle would stay in one place and one hand weight (started at 2 lbs) and began my dialysis workout routine.

Every time I get on my D bike I pretend to travel through Europe, Asia, Canada, South America and Africa. It helps to pass the time. It has become a joke at the center. I am asked what country I am biking through today.

At first, it was hard, very hard. Now I travel an hour at the beginning of dialysis. Several people at the DC are now using the bike, even if only for a short time.

Because we are having so much fun with this we want to start a Dialysis Bike club and 'travel' with other Dialysis Centers. 

I will post a “place” where we will bike every month. Posting pictures would be fun – so if any of you can support this effort that would be great.

Question: Where do you want to travel during your dialysis bike adventure? Please put your vote in. And submit any ideas you have for this site. What would you like to see? What would you like to read about (besides exercise)?