The Fun Never Ends. Another day in the Life!

After a busy work week I stopped by my Bike Sponsor Landis Cyclery to prep my Bike for the weekends second big open race of the season The Tour of Tucson's Mountains. Perry adjusted my Bike and put on some killer Zipp Carbon Fiber Race wheels.
Saturday morning I got to practice my warmup and check out the Bikes functions before packing and driving to Tucson. A stop in at the Race Expo and then on to John & Dianne Millers home in Oro Valley. Tired and run down and dealing with a Right sore Ham String I was ready for Sundays race. Last year I had spent the week in San Francisco with My Sponsor SynCardia at the International Society of Heart & Lung TX Surgeons Symposium.
Then back home for a 17 th place finish. This year I started in the Front Row per usual and was first off the line settling in behind the lead pack for the first part of the race.
About 4 miles in I watched two friends crash in front of me as some riders can't navigate safely in a race. About a mile later I let the lead pack go as the pace was burning me out too soon. I settled in and rode strong. We had heavy gusting head winds at several long stretches on the road and they ate me up Alive! I finished 5 minutes faster than last year and 29 th out of 237 entered. Another good practice race getting better dealing with heavy head winds.
Back to John & Dianne's for Lunch and watch the Suns beat San Antonio, Yeah!

Monday since it was a recovery week I scheduled my two day annual check up at UMC in Tucson.
Started with a ridiculus number of blood tests, now it was OR time for Surgery.
A Dual Heart Cath and Biopsy. After punching two small holes in your Femoral Artery they snake two fiber optic cameras up and around all your plumbing. Then they finish with another device to take a little heart sample to check for rejection.
Tuesday Day two Ultra sound and XRay to complete my Annual. Then up to visit friends at the Artificial Heart Office. Visting with a recent implantee of the Total Artificial Heart, trying to give a ray of hope to a scared to death patient, waiting for a new Heart!
Then tired and worn out back up to Oro Valley to pack and drive home.

My tire pressure light had been on for two days so I stopped by Discount Tires on my way home. They showed me a hairline crack in my custom left rear wheel.
Buy a new one and begin driving home as I receive a call from my TX Coordinator.

"Bill, raise your Sirulimus daily dose, your Biopsy shows REJECTION and drive back to the Hospital next Monday in Tucson for a 9:15 AM Biopsy.
OK!
The Fun Never Ends!

Weds. AM back to the Tire shop for my new wheel, then real tired and run down out to Gilbert for a Real Fun Donor Awareness afternoon.

Chris Klug a Liver TX, Olympic Medalist and some one I had met at the US Louisville Games in 2006 was riding with a group on a road ready Artic Cat across Arizona as the Group rode cross Country Promoting Donor Awareness.

Chris is Just a Great Real Guy that I remember watching on TV in 2002.
Just 9 months after his Liver TX he competed in The Salt Lake City Winter Olympics winning Bronze in the Snow Boarding Event.
We had a great time as we all talked and Chris signed Posters for everone who stopped by.
We all are part of a Newspaper story for Saturdays Arizona Republic.

Then Chris was brave enough to ride to the Airport in the Bill mobile for his flight home.
We got to talk a bit and look forward to seeing Chris in Pittsburgh in July.
Chris also plans to go to OZ in 2009 for the next Worlds.
Lets see if we can get Chris involved with our World Team as a Runner?

Tired and rundown and trying to comprehend Heart Rejection I plan to go to the Gym today.

If I feel real bad just two maybe shorter, easier workouts and if I perk up Three.

Need more Pool Time.

So Monday back to the Hospital for the dreaded Carotid Artery Biopsy Procedure.

The Fun never ENDS!