It’s been said before, but CA2Q is a warm, loving and caring family. Once again, we were blessed with the love from our family when my appendix decided to rupture and sent me to the hospital for 5 days and recovering at home for another 4 weeks.  I was so thankful for the cards, emails, texts, visits and of course, the food that people sent to us. What I love about CA2Q is that no matter what is happening in your lives, you can take out time to help out a fellow member with their life. Thank you for caring about my wellbeing and for keeping us fed while I recuperated from all this stuff going on in my body.

There were a couple of things that happened during this time that made me realize that while I am a pretty organized person, I had let things slack off a bit. One example is my drug list. Like many of us “old folks”, I rely on a couple of medications to keep things going in my body. A couple of years ago, a friend had mentioned that when she had taken her husband to the hospital, she couldn’t remember the names or dosages of the pills he took, which is vital when someone is being admitted for an illness or injury. So I created a list of my drugs, including vitamins, and the surgeries I have had, told Don where I kept it and went on with life.  What I didn’t think about was keeping it up to date! After this last two trips to the ER. I realized that this list needs to be a living document, so I am putting in an app on my phone so I can easily keep it up to date. If you don’t want to use an app, create a paper list, make sure you review and update it regularly when you add or subtract a medication or supplement, so it’s always current.

The other and most important step in this process is keeping the list available to others. If you are riding, have it on the bike so it is available should you have an accident. Make sure your significant other(s) know where you keep it, so if you can’t provide the information, they can. It is critical that medical staff know what you are taking, so they can properly assess you and provide the correct level of care. A simple list like mine could save your life – be prepared.

I also found that I am indispensable at work. Now, that might sound like a great thing – wow, isn’t she fabulous. But really, it wasn’t (well, it was kind of nice to come back to all the adulation, I won’t lie!) However, I should have had more back-up so that while I was gone, the tasks that I do could have been handled more smoothly and my team didn’t have to scramble. It would have also made my return to work less stressful and I might have stayed home one more week to recuperate. If I had been more prepared for an emergency like this, my work life would have been less chaotic when I returned.

This applies to riding as well. We talk a lot about being prepared when we ride, but it’s so critical.

• Make sure you do a T-Clock and check your bike every time you go out for a ride. We’ve all heard stories from other riders about this – “I had checked the bike yesterday and everything was fine, but I checked this morning and there was a screw in the tire.” Changes to your bike can literally happen overnight, so it’s so important to make sure you are prepared to ride safely every time you ride.
   

• Check the weather and road conditions before you leave – it might be sunny where you live, but is it windy and cold up on that mountain pass? Do you have adequate gear? Or is the pass even open? This year, the passes have been closed early several times due to snow – you don’t want to get stuck in that kind of situation (unless you are Don, who seems to love it!)
   

• And most important, check yourself – are you ready to ride? One rider who is a friend to many at CA2Q takes a quick pre-ride on his property before heading out, just to see if he’s ready to take to the road. If you’ve been sick or tired or just not all there, it might be better not to get on the bike today. It’s all about being prepared.

Thanks again for your kind words, thoughts and food! We certainly appreciate your love and support.

Beth & Don