My true love is my beemer. . .f650gs. I am a hack on the dirt bike, but it can be fun. Unless it gets too hard, and then I cry. My husband has learned to tone it down a bit. He does not come out in a good place if I have a bad day on the dirt bike.
Wish I could say that was me in the pic, but until I get around to figuring out how to get my own pics in the right format, I had to download one from google images. The pic is, however, what my bike looks like.
I'm not the highly paid one in my family. . .my husband is the fed. I'm a lowly school teacher who doesn't make nearly enough money. My school insurance plan used to be good, but then they went to a stupid plan that had me paying $4000 out of pocket the first month, when I ordered my meds. I had to go on to my husband's plan. Pissed me off enough that I quit being on the teacher negotiations team, of which I had been a part for many years. My colleagues on the team did not understand how the health care system worked. I could not convince them.
More bike info. . .when my husband first bought a bike, it was to be a shuttle vehicle for when we kayaked with just the two of us. Safer than a hitchhike shuttle. That seemed fun, so he moved up to a bigger bike. I rode on the back of the bike once. It became clear to both of us (immediately) that I needed my own bike. I seem to be a control freak (and he says I'm a terrible passenger). Bought my first bike 3 days later and had to ride it down I-25 (Interstate through Denver. . suicide. . .Coloradoans do NOT know how to drive!!!) 2 hours to get it home. After that ride, it was true love. Who knew I could become a motorhead?! I did not grow up around bikes.
We are SO looking forward to the day that we are both retired and can pack up the bikes and hit the road for months at a time. We love camping off the bikes. Have taken them on many trips, but have always been tied to work, which has been a frustration.
Anyway, just an FYI that I used to be pretty timid about speaking up. You learn, in this cml business, that often you know more than the docs. My doc just left me a message that he wants me to go back on Sprycel (off now due to pleural effusion) on 20 mg twice daily. I know that Sprycel is NOT to be taken twice a day, as that increases the risk for pleural effusion. So I talked to his nurse and (hopefully politely) asked her to have him check on that.
The more time you spend on this forum, the more you will learn, and the more you will realize that you probably know more than your doc does. Cml is an "easy" disease now. . .unless there are complications. The specialists know a lot, but most cmlers don't need a specialist. Know your stuff, and don't be afraid to let your doc know that you know.
I bring a list of questions to my doc appointments. Even if my questions are stupid (and often they are), I ask them. I think my onc respects the fact that I am pretty well informed. Most patients probably are not.
AND. .lastly. . .I do tend to jibe a little bit about Harley riders. But I have great friends who ride Harleys, and anyone on a bike is a compatriot. There's just nothing like smelling the trees as you ride through a pine forest. You don't get that in a cage. You guys need to come out to Colorado to ride. There are no better roads in the nation!
Ride safe!
Marnie
