I don’t post personal stuff that often so here is one not about adventure on two wheels but the back story on why its almost October and I’m not back on the road yet.
I had a medical close call that was drawn out over most of this summer. When I was down in the desert Southwest earlier this spring, I noticed a little lump on the outside of my jaw , about the size of a jellybean. When my yearly check up came along in early June, the referral went through to the Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist where they did a biopsy and came back with a “likely cancer” diagnosis and “we need to get it out sooner then later”🥴. I offered the surgeon my pocket knife to get it out right then and there 🤭 but he wisely suggested we do it the following week in an operating room the right way….. whatever 🙄😉 Surgery was supppsed to be about 3 hours but ended up being 5 due to some suspecious looking lymph nodes under my jaw (which were removed too) I was eating bacon and eggs for breakfast in the hospital room the next morning asking when I can go home, so feeling pretty good. The only thing that really slowed me down was the “leash” of a drain tube that was only supposed to be in 3 days but stayed in 14!
After a full dissection and review by the pathology lab, it was determined NOT to be a tumor! 🙌🙏🙌🙏 The cyst needed to come out so the operation had to happen one way or the other. The scar would have been the same either way, luckily I can hide most of it in my beard. Currently about 4 weeks post op and still just enough swelling not to get a helmet on, at this pace it will be thanksgiving before I’m riding again🥴
I want to send out a huge thank you to Elsa for letting me recover from surgery at her house in Arlington and the cabin on Lake Bronson. Also for the funky brownies🤭😉 that kept me sedated and just stupid enough not to pull out my drain tube for those two weeks! Wouldn’t have made it through without your caring and support❤️ THANK YOU!
A few other things happened this year that are worthy of mention….. I’m down about 50 lbs after switching to a Keto’ish /low carb/clean eating diet. The food in South Louisiana around the holidays is always hard to avoid and the last few years have been rough. I made up my mind that I needed a change and just did it. The transition took 6-7 months so it was the slow and steady approach that worked for me.
Its actually been pretty easy going with just diet modification. I started cutting out 95%-98% the bread and gluten, then alcohol and starches like rice and potatoes. High fructose corn syrup and just about all other forms of sugar went too. I do put a teaspoon of honey and tablespoon of 1/2&1/2 in my morning coffee though. Another big piece was the processed oils and fast/fried food. Keeping it clean with whole, real food without all the additives and preservatives really makes a difference!
All this weight loss had a side effect of needing new gear🥴🙄 that actually fit me. My pants size dropped from a 38 to a very comfortable 34. New smaller Klīm K-51 riding jeans and a Klīm Carlsbad jacket from Revzilla were the first to be replaced as they will get used the most . The old jacket went to another T-7 owner in the PNW while the fat pants and several moto jearseys went to Heidi at Cruise in Consignment in Vancouver Washington. She’s a great lady that does good things within and for the riding community, worth a stop when in Vancouver. She has a cool patch making machine too!
I’ll finally be back on the road here in a couple weeks after my last 2 medical appointments🙌 Can’t wait!
Heading SE stopping in Denver to attend the grand opening of the new RevZilla store there where a few of my Colorado friends Brady and Tana will be working. Then its off to Arkansas to book the bulldozer guy for the driveway and parking pads on the property. Can’t get my van to the property without a good road back there.
Thanks to everyone that reached out through social media and text wishing me well for a quick recovery, staying positive throughout this entire ordeal really made a big difference!
One last thing….. if you feel a lump where one isn’t supposed to be GEAUX GET IT CHECKED OUT!
Tenere Across the USA 