"Congratulations, you have a hernia"
- Actual diagnosis at the emergency room in Kenora's hospital
I should be clear that I'm not in any pain or need of immediate medical attention! Last night I noticed a slight bump below my stomach, but since Kenora has no walk in clinics, I had to wait in the emergency room to get a diagnosis.
For those who don't know, a hernia is kind of a scary issue where a small part of your intestine gets pushed past the muscles and whatnot that usually hold it in place. It actually pushes to make a visible bump just below your stomach and complications can make it very painful and dangerous. The doctor said that I should try to get surgery for it sometime in the next month or two unless it starts becoming very painful, in which case it needs to be taken care of in a matter of hours. Also, that strenuous activities (lifting in particular) should be avoided. Interestingly, he said that cycling should actually be okay and that I should decide for myself whether or not to continue the tour.
The main problem and ultimately the reason why Kenora will be the last checkpoint for this tour is just the huge distance between checkpoints and lack of larger towns in Northern Ontario. Because our route home called for a few stops in between towns at campgrounds off the highway, it just isn't worth the risk of being in the middle of nowhere if my condition does happen to get worse.
It's hard to accept that something unrelated to the actual act of cycling is preventing me from continuing on. After over four weeks on the road, I've never felt stronger, so it's a bit disheartening to get hit with a condition that sometimes occurs because of muscle weaknesses.
If it did have to happen, we're glad that we managed to reach our home province! Four provinces cleared entirely by cycling is no small feat! Our odometers actually just passed the 3000km mark which is kind of amazing to think about. There have been a ton of experiences along the way and it's been a pleasure sharing them with our dedicated readers! :)
Tomorrow we're packing up our bikes and hopping on the next Greyhound back home. Not looking forward to that 29 hour bus ride!
Thanks again to all our readers! See you next tour!
That sucks! But overall still an amazing trip. I'd say u saw the prettiest parts of Canada, but Western Ontario is very nice as well.
ReplyDeleteWe'll have to have feasting and coffee sessions when u guys return.
thanks for all the replies along the trip, dude :) We'll see you shortly in O-town
DeleteMaybe u can still get some pics from on the bus?
ReplyDeleteThat is so damn sad. Boo! What a disgusting turn of events.
ReplyDeleteIt's not your fault. That's why it's so much worse.
For this to randomly pop up is not cool.
The only positive thing I can think of is that it leaves it open to another year, and another try.
Obviously it goes without saying that 3000 km is a huge feat. Thats almost the entire width of Europe. Canada is one of the biggest countries in the world. There is no shame in finishing where you did.
Still, for me to have to live vicariously through you guys, I feel a tiny bit of your pain and it sucks.
Get well soon. And best of luck!
Well done nerds. Well Done!
Thanks bro! We definitely gave it our all every day of the 5 weeks!
DeleteWe'll see all you guys soon :)
Whoa Jan, that is brutal! I think you made the right decision. What a bummer though. On the bright side, you guys'll be home soon! Can't wait to see you both. You should hold a "we're home" gathering at a pub or something...I'm sure lots of folks would come out :)
ReplyDeleteGreat idea! Jan and I are sorting it out. Thanks for all the support along the way! :)
DeleteYes, "congratulations"! :(
ReplyDeleteThat really sucks guys, sorry to hear it. On the other hand, we were starting to misd you around here, so it'll be good to see you soon!
You got it! See you soon, dude :)
DeleteYou defeated Saskatchewan, but now u're defeated by your home province. Canada strikes back!
ReplyDeleteOh no :( I'm glad you're okay. That's total balls. On a selfish note, glad that i'll get to see you guys soon!
ReplyDeleteAn epic journey, which should by no means be considered a defeat. Making it through the rockies strikes me as an absolutely massive challenge in itself.
ReplyDeleteI actually had a hernia like 10 years ago. The surgery was fine, none of it seemed like a big deal really. Though there was a bit of pain after the surgery and when all the pain killers wore off, it wasn't really that bad at all, so, in my experience, nothing to fear there. Probably the right call to end the trip a little early just to be on the safe side.
Thanks for the stories and pics dudes!
Couldnt have said it better myself.
DeleteSorry to hear it dude, but it's been a pleasure hearing about how the trip went up to the point. Congrats again on the feat!
ReplyDeleteHey where are you guys at? I hope ur not stuck on a bus with no wifi!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to explode your hernia's throat when I see it.
ReplyDeleteAccording to my calculations the distance you travelled on this trip (by bike) is approx 1/4 of the Earth's diameter. It's also approx 0.78% of the distance from the Earth to the moon.
ReplyDeleteOh balls! Sorry to hear your guts decided they didn't want to stay put!
ReplyDeleteYou guys are making the right decision to bus it the rest of the way, though. You don't want to be stuck in the boonies with a hernia complication.
There's nothing stopping you from picking up the trip again later!
Aw man that sucks! You made the right call though. Don't mess around with hernias. Jan, you'll have a cool scare from the operation. We can be hernia scar buddies or something less creepy.
ReplyDeleteYou guys did some serious damage to the country. We'll have to have some brews to celebrate your survival and maybe plan the next one ;)
Congratulations, and what an epic trip! Superbly done :-)
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about the mishap, congrats on your accomplishment :) Even if you were unable to reach your goal I'm sure you'll get to try again some day! Nonetheless, I'm sure you created a memory that will last a very long time and it was an unforgettable experience, way to go!
ReplyDeleteCheers,
~Brent
The old cyclist that regaled you with stories, John Baker, is back at his home in Port Stanley as of today. We're glad he made it home safe and sound.
ReplyDeleteSorry you had to cut your trip short. Good blog to read. Take care.
HELL YEAH! Fellow Canadian here :)
ReplyDeleteWWW.ROXTHEFOX.COM