Should you ride after a health scare?

I'm not usually one to share personal issues on this channel but the future of my riding is in limbo. Please watch and comment. I'd particularly like to hear how you dealt with a situation like I describe.
Quick update since filming: Surgery is not going to happen at this point. It might be something I need to consider in the future but not right now. Yay!

[@Ride2Live420]

I couldn’t drive myself home from chemotherapy, so I rode my CRF300L. The front row parking made it so much easier.

[@natielou143]

Ride with friends. I joined a riding club with people from all stages of non riding and still riding. It’s good to see different perspectives on riding as we mature. My invitation still stands to come ride Michigan. The Cycle Conservation Club has their Six Days event at the end of July. It’s a great way to embrace maturing others in the sport.

[@FloridaTwoWheelAdventures]

And I’d still love to get up there! I never been to Michigan. It most likely won’t be this year though especially with this extended leave I’m on while sorting out my neck issue. However, come June 2025 I’ll be an official retiree with more time to do things like that event. Keep me in mind if you guys hold something next summer. I’d love to work that in. Thank you!

[@ronmiller504]

First of all I am glad you’re ok. I am 58 and a laundry list of issues. I find riding is my stress relief and therapy. I ride like you do in this video. I live here in Tampa and if you ever wanna ride holler at me.

[@FloridaTwoWheelAdventures]

Thank you! I might take you up on the ride offer when I get things stabilized around here. I’m finding 50 isn’t the new 30!

[@pinkiewerewolf]

I'm 58 as well Ron. Yes, to motorcycling being my mental therapy... and my gal is a psychiatrist. Maybe that's why I need to motorcycle? lol

[@flyinhawaiian9174]

The day came and went for me 5 years ago. I was 56 at the time. I had a "mini stroke". Prior to that I had problems in the past with my spine which affected my nerves. I did sell my FJR, but while I might sell my KLX; I will never sell my KDX. I'll be 62 next month. My legs are definitely weaker than they were 10 years ago. I have a lot less stamina too. But I continue to work out - calisthenics & jogging mostly - and am thinking of buying a YZ 250 X. Everyone has to make their own decisions, but the day I have to give up riding I'll know the end is near. I hope to still be riding 10 years from now.

[@flyinhawaiian9174]

Forgot to add, after my stroke I started looking seriously at my health. I started seeing a chiropractor regularly and started doing yoga at his recommendation. Started the calisthenics & jogging on my own. I feel better at 62 than I did at 52.

[@FloridaTwoWheelAdventures]

I’m glad to hear your success. I watched my own video after editing the footage and I think I missed an opportunity to emphasize how I know I’m fortunate my strokes didn’t cause more serious problems. If they hadn’t told me, I would not have known I had them. In fact, the doctor could only determine when my most recent one happened because I was able to recount the night I had the severe headache and numbness in my arm and leg. The first stroke happened sometime between 2021 and this year. I really do not want to give up riding. I own a Triumph Tiger Explorer 1200 and that’s the bike I’m most concerned I might have to sell. It’s a 600 pound beast and quite top heavy. Once it’s rolling it’s a breeze to ride but slow maneuvers and stopping/standing can be challenging. Should I regain full feeling in my leg, and my balance returns 100%, I’ll be able to decide if I can ride it. Worst case scenario, I sell my 2 street bikes and put street tires on my KLX. I love that little bike so much I’d sell my 1200 and 1400 bikes and do everything on the 300. I’d be fine with that. But we’ll see. Each day is getting a little better.

[@flyinhawaiian9174]

@FloridaTwoWheelAdventures I sold my FJR which nearly broke my heart as it's the best road bike I've ever owned; but it got to the point that after a couple of hours of riding, my fingers went to sleep and I couldn't operate the levers. My fingers also felt arthritic. Come to find out the FJR had a known problem with the handlebars/grips. Something I found out after I sold mine. But my fingers falling asleep continue to be a problem off road when the ride is too long. Thankfully in my case I didn't have a full blown stroke. I don't yet know if my fingers are in any way related. My Dr is still doing tests. I swear I visit the hospital 2 or 3 times a month these days for one test or another. None of which has stopped me from riding though. It's my only hobby these days. Hope you get your problems sorted out. Doing a little exercise will help in all areas of life and I highly recommend it.

[@randymcgiveron3268]

I'm just about 67 and I have the same concerns. Last year I had a stroke on one of my blood vessels that control my eye muscle. Had double vision for over a month. Luckily it has resolved. I also have spinal stenosis mainly in the lower back which causes intermittent leg numbness. I for one will not give up riding but may change the type of riding I do. As many of your other viewers have said it's like mental therapy to me. I've had get offs on the bike at 40 mph. Didn't get hurt but yet will tweak my back while sleeping in bed . Currently riding a cb500x but my longer ride days I think are behind me. Grew up racing hare scrambles and want to get back to my roots and I'm thinking seriously of getting a dual sport. Trying to side decide between a dr650 because I will ride mainly on road or an xt250 cuz it's so much lighter and easier to manage.

[@FloridaTwoWheelAdventures]

Thanks for commenting. I know there’s not much of a way to totally prevent another one, I’m going to do my best just the same. The stenosis is perhaps more of a concern because I do not want to cause any significant damage to anything. I’ve ridden bikes since i was 10 and it’s a strange feeling to think I might be close to ending the passion. But, I don’t think I’m there yet. I might have to use more caution off road and maybe I’ll also need to downsize my street bike. Time will tell. I have a ton of fun on my KLX and I could actually get by with converting it to street riding and give up doing trail riding. I will play it by ear after seeing the pain doctor next week.

[@jeffficht2230]

Damn bro. Glad you’re better. Live now. Ride if you want to.

[@FloridaTwoWheelAdventures]

Another wild hogs trip? I got it in me!

[@pinkiewerewolf]

I'm sorry to hear you're going through this brother. As a retired Medic, right away I thought stroke/tia from what you said about the signs & symptoms. Definitely use the medical management available these days. The neck issue is rough, anything with the back/neck/vertebrae/nervous system. It will be interesting to see what your specialist tells you. I've had those OTJ injuries since 02 & 03 but last year I had had to take myself to the ER which led to other issues, than what I thought I was going in for. I thought my abbendix was bursting... that might have been minor in comparison. lol Through all these years of life altering issues, there have been brief times of refection about should I continue to ride, or just get a Jeep? I'm still riding and thinking of adding another Jeep. lol In fact, I just added a T-7 to the stable but now I really need to sell a few other bikes. I couldn't say which route you should take but I think it would be hard for you to entirely give up riding but you might change the bikes and style of riding you do.

[@FloridaTwoWheelAdventures]

Hey brother thanks for checking in! I might have been a little naive about the stroke symptoms so I guess I got lucky. If I had not felt the numbness as bad as I did, I would’ve likely ignored it. Oddly, I think it was the stroke that made the associated pain of the neck become more apparent. For the 3-4 weeks since I suffered the stroke, I’ve had near constant pain in my jaw and head. I guess some of it’s normal and it’s getting better daily so I need to be glad for that. I go to the pain specialist on the 22nd and he is supposed to evaluate and recommend treatment. The neck/spine specialist said surgery appears to be off the table for now. I’m glad to hear that. I should reflect on my vehicle situation as well. I’ve also got a Wrangler, 2 Silverado pick up trucks, 3 bikes, and a Jon boat. I could probably free up some space too! Especially since as I get older, it’s going to be harder to maintain all of them! We’ll see how it all goes. I’m going to tread water until the 22nd and hear his assessment. Maybe it’s not nearly as bad as I fear. They have several options to employ from cortisone type shots to outpatient surgery to relieve the disc compression. I’ve been exploring options out there and there’s also a procedure to remove the spurs where I’d only be down 3-6 weeks.

[@pinkiewerewolf]

@@FloridaTwoWheelAdventures Yeah, if they can get rid of the spurs with minimal down time and risk then that would be a good thing. 👍 When I was nearing retirement I told myself to get the things I’d want in retirement but wouldn’t be able to afford. The same goes for medical. If you can get it taken care of while you’re still OTJ then it’ll work out better financially.

[@K300Rider]

Hi there. I'm sorry the hear about the medical issues you are experiencing. I watched your video to the end and then spotted your update and hope you continue to improve. You were very fortunate the stroke did not leave more damage. I found your channel as I also ride a KLX 300 and live in west central Florida. My story... I got my KLX in April of last year and in June, I developed a macular hole in my right eye. Surgery most likely caused the retina to tear and detach, basically making me blind in the eye. Another surgery and a few weeks later, I was able to take the bike slowly around the block. Five months and yet another surgery restored most of my vision. My thought is to continue to ride as long as you can manage to balance and make good decisions. Sounds like you realize the risk with getting on a bike. What does your family say? I saw others comment on riding in a group and having a satellite communicator. Both are great ideas. If you decide to continue to ride, and you are up for it, let's meet and ride some trails.

[@ThomasC-Crazy4NiagaraFalls]

Hope you are doing well. Getting old does suck. I am 54 and have similar neck problems. As an older rider, mortality does creep into my thoughts more often than it used to. I can't imagine not riding so I think the best thing for me is to be extra aware of my riding and riding habits. I try to wear the helmet more often and don't take the chances I took when in my 20's and 30's. I remember way back when I took a motorcycle class to get my license, the older instructor said when you start to experience a fear of riding or crashing, you should hang up the motorcycle gear for good. That has always stuck with me and while I do have the feeling of riding with extra caution I do not yet experience fear. When I do have that feeling of fear, I'll get rid of the two wheels and move to a trike.

[@FloridaTwoWheelAdventures]

I’d agree with all you said. I haven’t really felt fear when riding. When I made this video, my biggest concern was doing something to further injure myself in such a way that could make my life very complicated. Since this video, I’ve been making significant gains in overall health and mobility. While I haven’t ridden at all, I feel as if I could go back out today and be as good as I was a year ago. My only real concern was the dual sport riding I do in the woods on my Kawasaki. It’s common to crash in the woods (at least for me) several times a day! The crashes are never usually very hard and are more like losing control in deep sand and dumping the bike. But, there have been times I’ve smacked my head on a tree or landed on my shoulder on hard pack dirt. I’ve never crashed on a street bike. If I were to give up anything, it would be the dirt biking. That’s just so hard because I love it so much.

[@natielou143]

FYI Moderate compression fracture of the T8, two blind spots in my left eye, most recently some flashes and a bigger floater in my right eye, and yeah I’m old and fat man (52). The eye Dr. (wanted me to only ride 5 mins at a time) to monitor my retina. I had a 5 hr trail maintenance ride planned for the next weekend. I would have stopped if there were any eyesight anomalies.

[@FloridaTwoWheelAdventures]

Fortunately I’ve only got my life long near sightedness issue still. I’m type 2 diabetic so I’m always on the look out for eye issues. It’s common for type 2 people to develop blindness and I really really really want to avoid that. This neck problem apparently has been worsening on me for a few years. Since I made this video I’ve been back to the neck specialist and she ruled out surgery which I’m very glad to hear. I’m now scheduled to go to a pain management doctor next week and he still might perform an outpatient operation that opens up the vertebrae to provide relief to the pinched nerves that causing all my pain and numbness. I’m hoping for good news when I see him.

[@TheDualCruiser]

Being how I am only 28 this year I couldn't imagine having to give up riding. However, As long as you are on meds and your doctor says that it is okay to ride I would ride. If your neck or back ends up getting to bad maybe switch to sidebysides or something that has more of a seat that supports your back.

[@Reviews-Tidbits]

I had a stroke in the recovery room after having c3-7 fused together. I lost my ability to speak and my right side was completely numb. After many hours of therapy I’m able to speak again and walk, my right hand is still numb and no pinch strength. You need to have it fused. Know I’m thinking about riding again but on Social Security it hard to buy a bike. In your case I would have surgery then ride again. Your one ,trip,fall away from being paralyzed with spinal stenosis.

[@natielou143]

Work hard to get healthy. Go to the Dr’s, get a second opinion from a riding Dr., ride safely (go on more group rides with friends who will be there for you), carry and share your real-time gps with friends, and get a set of model airplane piper cub wings to mount to your helmet and give your neck lift when going faster that 45 knots..😂.

[@FloridaTwoWheelAdventures]

Thanks bud! That actually made me laugh and I don’t think I’ve mentioned it but I have some serious jaw pain due to the neck injury. No more jokes! You might put me back in the hospital. 🤣🤡

[@Jagknorr]

I think it would be important to keep in mind the effects of the strokes for riding. Shorter tempers may lead to road rage…so keep that in mind and don’t let it happen. Having your mind wander off more…keep that in mind and keep your focus on riding and less on daydreaming. The spinal problems could be made worse from offroad riding but only if you’re really going HAM on bumps and jumps. No more motocross riding… 😜 Start slow and see how it goes. Always keep a comm unit on you incase something crops up (unbearable back spasms or lose of feeling in the hands). Just be more conscious and aware of your situation and go back at things slower until your comfortable and confident with your body

[@FloridaTwoWheelAdventures]

Road rage? Thankfully, I spend most of my days in the woods on my trail bike so the only road rage victim might be Thumper or the occasional black snake sunning himself on the trail. LOL, seriously, good comments and I appreciate them.

[@CrustySnapper]

I'm 57 and bought my ktm off a 78 yr old who's still riding....So unless i'm paralized i'll be riding 2 wheels until i can't hold a bike up anymore.