My health journey - a summer ride

It finally started. The hot weather is here, and I couldn't be happier! There's just one tiny problem. My medications make me sick the last few weeks, which isn't pretty. Oddly enough, I've never had this issue before. Why am I telling you this? Because on Sunday, I forgot to take my pills and felt amazing. That is until my husband woke me up in the morning and said I had a seizure. Luckily, it was just a petite mal seizure. I wasn’t shaking and didn't hurt myself because I was still in bed. And, surprisingly, there was no pain, so I didn't believe him at first. A few minutes later, my head started to hurt, confirming it was indeed a small seizure.
For those who don't know, a petite mal seizure is when you're awake but staring blankly and can't talk. You have words in your head, but nothing comes out. This episode lasted only 30 seconds, so I slept for another hour and didn't remember it until my husband told me. He suggested I sleep a bit more, and after two hours, I felt good and started my day as if nothing had happened.

But seriously, I skipped my pills for a day, and a seizure happened? I thought I could eventually stop taking them, but now it's clear. There's no way to stop, and I can't afford to forget them. I'm pretty sad because I hoped to be off pills soon, but those hopes are now dashed. But it’s okay. If I’ve lived with them this long, I can keep going. My doctor said we might try again next year. Who knows, maybe it will be possible soon.

The point of this story is that we had planned to go biking in a nearby bike park. My husband doubted my strength due to the seizure, but I insisted I could do it. And guess what? I did! I was a bit scared about how I'd feel the next day, but I’m good. It means I'm still strong and can ride like crazy even after a seizure.

We have a beautiful bike park just 15 minutes away from Graz. What kind of bike park is it?

On a 4.2-kilometer stretch, you can try out all difficulty levels, from green (very easy) to black (difficult). The mountain bike trail park is in the forest near Lannach train station, making it super accessible by train. There are twelve different trails and lines, three practice areas, a recreation area with park & ride, bike parking, a washing area, toilets, and even drinks and snack machines, and NO entry fee. Since the park is small, there’s no cable car or gondola, so you need to bike back up on your own. I didn't want to walk, so I rode my bike back up the side road. Now, I have excruciating pain in my behind, but it’s worth it because my arms and legs are strong enough not to hurt. Woohoo!

We focused on the jumpline to learn how to jump properly. I can already take corners without braking and lean into them well, but jumping the bank is still a challenge. I'm determined to master it without landing on the bank. So far, I haven't succeeded, but just jumping up without braking and not falling is a big win for me.

We started riding around 9 in the morning when it was still pleasant. The park is in the forest, so the sun wasn't a problem, and it wasn’t too hot. But by 1 o'clock, the heat was unbearable, and I felt like I was melting. I think I lost 3 kg of water! 😊

So, we packed up and headed out for lunch and, of course, beer. It's supposedly the best drink for electrolytes. I'm not sure if that’s true, but the guys insisted, so who am I to argue? The food and one beer gave me a boost, but when I got home, all I could see was the shower and my bed. I slept almost the whole day, but it doesn't matter. I'm happy I managed to ride part of the track without braking, and falling ! Next week, I'm determined to master jumping the bank!

Until then, here’s to small victories and the thrill of the ride! 🚴‍♀️

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” – Albert Einstein

With love, @tinabrezpike❤️