Holy smokes, I keep hearing about more and more peoples lives ruined from this. Yes, fluoroquinolones, I knew about Cipto, I took Levaquain and didn't know until a few hours later I couldn't walk at all. I am 8 months into it tomorrow. I am still on crutches for anything over 30 yards or so, can barely do stairs and the pain is far worse than the tonsillectomy I had last year. When you friend is ready I would encourage him to give it a shot. I had the biggest smile on my face renting the electric bike last weekend. I had tears in my eyes just to be back on a bike. My future is pretty uncertain, my whole life was based on sports. Every trip my wife and I did was kite surfing or biking, we live in Tahoe for the outdoors. My recovery sounds like 2-10 years to never. The Perhiperal Neuropathy is really bad. I used to kite surf, ski, mtn bike, skate ski, back country ski, road bike, dirt bike, snowmobile and just about everything else you can think of.
Hulaj, all the best to your friend, it's really horrible and life changing, 100%. I can now see a glimmer of hope just being on a bike. Hope is important. I bought a fast sports car which really helped but the money' on this bike is worth so much more that the massive coin spent on a sports car. Not saying the car isn't a blast though. I think the saying is for the car used to be "there is no substitute" ! There is, it's a bike. The bike isn't cheap but when you can barely make it through a day it's a bargain, cheaper than medical bills and costs twice a good set of car tires.
Jeremy,
This is unbelievably grim stuff:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/10/20/fluoroquinolones-side-effects.aspx
I am the other side of the coin. Six weeks ago I came down with pneumonia. My lungs stopped functioning without a lot of oxygen through a cannula. They kept trying various antibiotics and finally used a cocktail of stuff through a lot of IV's over a couple of weeks. Along the way they would take me for 200 foot walks with a nurse, trailing oxygen, which I still need 24/7. Everyone would say how well I was doing, while I struggled to catch my breath.
Basically, I was in a coin flip. The antibiotics work, or I'm going to die. We're in a crisis with antibiotics. Eventually, my lungs started to work enough that it was no longer critical, but there is some kind of damage, probably from my past excesses. I can walk far enough to get in the scooter at Walmart. I trust my doctor, my nurses, and my physical therapist. My body, what is left of it, is number one. I'm thrilled to be home.
So, my personal strategy is to put my body on the top of the list. I can't ride yet, and I may only ride with oxygen. My balance is a little shot. But everything I do is to get back a little of what I had a few months ago.
When I was in the rehab facility (OK, nursing home) there were people who were learning to use walkers, and two people would hold them up. They'd encourage them to take a 6 inch step instead of a 4 inch step. Every little inch was some kind of achievement. It's all about mobility. You do what you can. From my experience there is a lot of PTSD, just raw fear from too much change, or too many treatments. I can't come to grips with it.
I had a weird conversation with the hospital doctor where I basically said "WTF, two weeks ago I'm in normal physical condition, and now I'm an invalid." And he'd say "No, you're not an invalid. You can eat on your own. " and I'd have to say, "Well, I'm disabled" and he'd seem pleased. In other words, I guess, don't make things worse than they are, don't miss what still works.
You got screwed. Medical care can be a real mine field. I'm circumspect about what happened to me. I've been good for 25 years but the past has caught up with me. Maybe I deserved it. It's not just about the bike or how little I can do. I look at my ebike all day, glad it is there among the oxygen tanks and the concentrator. It's what you can add to your own capabilities, day by day, that I hope is turning positive for people like me and all the people in the nursing home, most far worse off than me. I try to take in the big picture. I try to fight the fear, any negative emotion.
I hope you can overcome some of the physical limitations. I'm glad you've discovered ebikes and that they are bringing you joy. You seem to have an incredible drive.
All the best,
George
