How to express how glad I was to be riding today….? I can´t yet.

BUMP IN THE NIGHT

Like things that go bump in the night and wake you from your happy slumber, illness or accident can rudely interrupt your life. It´s one thing to have a cold and need to sit tight as it passes through your body but when an unknown takes hold of you, the outcome is uncertain.

BELFRY OF BATS

My troubles began when I woke up with the start of a five-day headache and Diplopia, a condition that caused me to see double. I thus found myself suddenly in the domain of Ophthalmic and Neurologists who plugged me into modern science and an array of wizard machines. The result after initial tests led to some satisfying conclusions of what it was not, but not what it was: Not a brain tumour, yes, a CT scan provided evidence that I have more than a belfry for bats to fly freely in between my ears. It was also not Glaucoma, a Stroke, Diabetes, a major circulation disorder or a Thyroid problem, nor an Aneurism, and in fact anything that was nasty.

What was it? I have overnight become a little crossed eyed.

With both eyes open I see a scrambled egg world of multiple images confusing my brain, by abandoning stereo for mono vision and wearing an eye patch covering one eye made me a pirate but without a parrot but with at least a less chaotic world view.

The message is correct and how I see the world with Diplopia/Strabismus

ON YOUR NERVES – SPINAL TAP

A wink of an eye, a few tip toe steps or a giant leap are signalled from within the insanely complex nervous system of our bodies. On the enigmatically named Station 3013 I spent over two days, here they made sense of my nerves. Compared to the poetry of the CT scanner the MRT was a cacophony of noises and was as if Kraftwerk did Heavy Metal as it searched through the spaghetti of my nerves.

During my stay I gave more than an armful of blood for tests and although Spinal Tap is a cool spoof movie rockumentary the actual procedure (Lumbar Puncture) is eye watering.

FRAUD

Despite feeling a fraud, I was relieved that they found nothing extreme or a threat to my further wellbeing, but they did find that I was Vitamin B12 deficient, and this can be devastating to your nervous system, but not necessarily in my case. My diagnosis is that I developed Idiopathic Trochlearisparese which is paralysis of the fourth cranial nerve rendering the eye muscle inactive (Palsy). Idiopathic is Doctor speak for they don´t know how or why and that the SAE (Serious Adverse Event) probably happened spontaneously. An infection or a very localised mini stroke (Lacunar/Ischemic) could be viable reasons.

Thus, my eyes are misaligned leading to Strabismus. With my fingers crossed and medical evidence on my side this nerve/muscle should become active again with time. For the present, I will wear a temporary prism foil (patch) which will balance my vision.

I put this before you in the hope it offers something useful and to suggest you get your blood and blood pressure checked.

Lying in my hospital bed to quote the Adverts, my ear worm was ´Looking Through Gary Gilmores Eyes´.

Prisms unscramble the messages being sent to my brain

RIDE

Today, I wore prism lenses which was weird, but I felt safe for myself and others I might meet.

I kept my ride short and stayed on trails I know well and because it´s the weekend of the great cycle race Omloop Het Nieuwsblad we rode a variation of a Gö Feldweg Omloop, but slowly.

On Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/10834378150