Dialysis Diaries Part 14: Pedal On by Ron Steinman Normally, riding an exercise bicycle as I do most days does not seem to warrant a full episode of the Dialysis Diaries. But it does and here is why. I ride my bike an average of 14 plus miles every day. I am on my bike about 40 minutes for each session. I burn more than 500 calories for each ride. On dialysis treatment days I ride in the morning. On off days, I ride in the late afternoon. I think when I ride. I often write when I ride. I never count the minutes. The machine does that for me. It seems I feel stronger late in the day. In my old building, I had a gym on the main floor. I worked out every day, which made me something of a gym rat. I used lightweights for my legs and upper body. I used several different aerobic machines for my heart and lungs. My workouts usually lasted an hour or more. I did not talk to anyone. The gym was just that, a gym, not a clubhouse, not a social gathering place. Anyway, sometimes being a loner, there really was no one I wanted to talk to. I moved from machine to machine with purpose and alacrity. Often I thought the hour went too fast. At the end of my time in the gym my lungs and heart felt good. My legs and arms seemed stronger. My helpmate was ice-cold water that I made in my apartment that I drank during my workout. There is nothing better to sooth me, even though I hardly sweat, than ice-cold water when my mouth is dry. My kidneys had been in trouble for years. When they really started to fail in December 2018, my workouts became harder. I was short of breath. My edema ballooned my weight more than 25 pounds of what I normally carried. Reluctantly, I went in for a stint in case I needed dialysis. While on the operating table, the stent proved impossible so the surgeon created a graft instead. After my kidneys failed and I entered dialysis, I had to find another way to work out to keep in shape. I did not want to lose my edge, especially at my age. But there were complications. The graft made access to my arteries and veins easy but there were still problems. Over my months on dialysis I would undergo 4 radiation interventions to keep the graft open to allow the needles easy access. My nephrologist warned me not to do any weight lifting, no matter how light the weights might be because he was afraid I might harm the graft by stretching it or pulling it apart. I had to be extra careful not to tear the graft from its moorings. So, weights were not longer a part of my daily routine. I could not to sleep on my left side for the same reason. Everything I did with my left arm was to protect the graft. My solution to exercise would have to be a substantial indoor bike. There are many pluses to my bike. I can ride in rain or shine, never getting too hot, never wet, staying dry. Maintenance is almost non- existent. I don’t have to change the tires because there are none. There are no wheels so I don’t worry about damaging and then replacing the spokes. I set the speed I want. I set the difficulty I want. I then start pedaling and away I go, never moving from my seat, not ever worrying about bumps in the road, oncoming traffic, vehicles behind me trying to get me out of the way or pass me for going at my speed, not how fast another driver may want. I pedal away, happy to be going someplace but actually nowhere. At 14 plus miles a day for seven days I average probably 90 miles a week, not bad for going someplace without really moving. It means that since February 2019, I have ridden about 4300 miles of so on my road to nowhere. A stationary bike is not for everyone. It takes time get used to pedaling without getting anywhere. But once you cross the line of reality versus imagination, knowing that you have not traveled far but have worked hard to get there, being on the bike is worth every minute. You will understand there is no limit, except in your mind as to how far you can go. Not all my rides are good. There are days when my body aches. There are nights I slept badly. My legs are sometimes stiff. My muscles tight. My heart beats too fast, or at least I think it does. My lungs are operating on high. The other day my normal 40-minute ride took 44 minutes with no additional calorie burn. I was sluggish, yet almost breathless. But I completed my journey anyway and finished satisfied. Try it sometime but be patient. You may not think you are getting anywhere, but you are. Get tuned into your imagination. Let your deepest thoughts play out. Let yourself fly. You just may be going on an unforgettable trip.