May 2025

A mix of outdoor and Zwift rides to start the month. Temperatures have generally been lower than normal plus there’s been a fair bit of rain. Harder to stay motivated with nearly half the rides being indoors. Summer is coming and outdoor rides will become the norm.

Several eye appointments in the first week as the corneal eye saga continues. Had a follow-up appointment with the ophthalmologist who performed the detached retina corrective procedure. All is well from his perspective – retina is firmly attached to the back of the eye. Briefly discussed the on ongoing irritation created by the conjunctiva granuloma. Didn’t seem to be a fan of removing it and cautioned about the thinness of the cornea. Nothing good would happen if that gets perforated. Suggested a contact lens and laser procedure (YAG) to clear up the cloudiness that developed after cataract surgery. Return visit scheduled for 6 months later.

Had the second treatment of IPL (intense pulsed light) treatment for the Meibomian Gland Dysfunction. The upper and lower eye lid glands get clogged, preventing the golden olive oil from being released – contributing to dry eye syndrome. After performing the treatment, the doc commented that if anyone was a candidate for IPL, it’s me. On the plus side, over 20 functioning glands on each upper and lower but several were clogged. Continue to use heated rice bags daily for 10 minutes on each eye to help prevent the pores from clogging.

Returned to Walter Reed for the twice rescheduled appointment with my primary ophthalmologist treating the corneal irritation. Pushed the plan for removing the granuloma as I’m completely convinced it’s the underlying cause for most of the foreign body sensation (FBS) that has plagued the eye for the last 2 years and YAG. Not discounting the dry eye syndrome but the contact lens stops most of the irritation after insertion. Symptoms return when removed. Pulling the lower eye lid downward slightly also stops the irritation. As has been the case for many of the treatments since the detachment, eye was feeling better at times, even without the contact lens which still creates its own level of discomfort. Rx is outdated as vision changed after superficial keratectomy and wearing a hard lens just gets fatiguing. A new condition gets added to the mix: pinguecula. Mine seem to be raised from the conjunctiva more than usual (go figure!) and is likely the cause of the worsening irritation. Another round of steroid drops with the added fun of contact removal and re-insertion. The doc agreed but said he was being deployed the following week for 4 months. Choice was to wait for his return or have someone else from his staff perform the procedure. Waited long enough, full speed ahead as it would likely be closer to 6 months before the procedure could be scheduled. A question was posed, “Is there ever a time you’re able to forget about the eye?” There are moments, measured in minutes, that it recedes into the background but not very much. Too many daily tasks revolve around the symptoms: Rx drops, moisturizing ointments, contact stuff, blurred vision, irritation without the contact, etc. Hopeful that excision of the granuloma alleviates most of the symptoms.

Finally, had a virtual appointment with my PCM at the VA to discuss my ever-changing lipid profile. Total CHOL increased by 71 points in 8 months with the only known change being daily supplements of Rx Omega 3. A few months after stopping the fish oil capsules, total CHOL value dropped 56 points. Lipoprotein A and Calcium scores are still elevated, and the discussion was focused on treatment: statin Rx. After reading “Outlive” by Peter Attia, no longer opposed to taking a statin to drive down negative lipid profiles as much as possible. Began taking half of a 40 mg Rosuvastatin tablet daily. Will redo blood work after several months to check changes.

Now the real last bit of medical news before returning to the regularly scheduled content of cycling and food. Mom (81 years old) has full-blown Alzheimer’s, no short-term memory but thankfully still remembers family members and Dad (83 years old) recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s and experiencing cognitive decline and short term memory loss. Attia’s book mentions genetic testing for APOE and its 3 variants: e2, e3, and e4. In summary, e2 seems to protect against dementia, e3 is the most common, and e4 increases risk of developing Alzheimer’s by a factor of between 2 and 12 (depending if one or two alleles). Last time taking parents to their quarterly neurology appointment, asked the doc his view. Surprisingly, he wasn’t against testing. He cautioned that results weren’t predictive but does indicate relative risk factor of developing brain rot. Paid $125 to Alzheimers.Org and received 3 cotton swabs. Rubbed inside of the mouth with each one and placed them in the included return letter. Several weeks later, received the results: lucky me! Inherited an e4 allele from Mom and Dad. Yes, risk factor for developing Alzheimer’s increased exponentially. Again, results are not predictive, just more likely. According the Attia, the number one activity that can delay or mayhaps even prevent development is EXERCISE. Got that part down pretty well. Specifically, aerobic endurance (Zone 2) and weight training are key. Other contributing actions include healthy biochemistry (working on that), nutrition (maybe more Mediterranean-style meals), and sleep (yea, that’s a problem with sleep apnea – addressed with mandibular device as CPAP isn’t tolerated); Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), and Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD). Return to the sleep docs at the VA in July to determine treatment options. Tried numerous Rx previously and none had any effect on RLS or PLMD. We’ll see.

After reading Attia’s book and the genetic testing results, the Missus put her internet sleuthing skills to work and found a local medical practice, Everest Health, that aligns closely with his Medicine 3.0 philosophy of individualized, science-based, pro-active approach and follows the Methuselah Protocol (holistic approach, evidence-based, personalized, advanced diagnostics, and continuous monitoring).  Firm believer in living a healthy, active life for as long as possible. Had the initial consult and signed up for the Base Camp membership with the first testing session scheduled for the middle of next month. It’s not food or cycling related but important to me so will be providing updates in the blog going forward.

Cycling for the first 9 days of May was split nearly 50/50 between Zwift (lots of rain) and outdoor rides. Did manage an outdoor metric ride, although Strava didn’t acknowledge the accomplishment. Realized training plan was woefully short on SST, threshold, and VO2max workouts. Will readjust in July after concluding international and national travel – all for vacation, personal enjoyment – in preparation for solo New England rando adventure and Mississippi River tour in mid-summer and early fall.

The Missus and I went on our first European river cruise, Viking’s Romantic Danube. An eight-day eastward trip from Regensburg, GE to Budapest, HU with stops in Passau, Krems, Telln, and Vienna. We expected to be the youngest passengers onboard the longship and accompanied by an octogenarian walker brigade and a slew of blue-haired ladies. We were pleasantly surprised. We were not the youngest and there were many other guests within a decade of us. Arrived early to spend a day in Munich before catching the train to Regensburg.  Didn’t see much of Passau and Krems as we took advantage of shore excursions to Salzburg and Gottweig Abbey, respectively. The accommodations, veranda suite with private balcony, were pretty nice. The staff was excellent. We didn’t sign up for the Silver Spirits package but our in-room fridge was stocked (and restocked daily) with beer, wine, champagne, soda, and water). No need to pay extra. Meals were varied to include regional specialties, but the taste was bland and portion sizes on the smaller side. To be expected with a primarily older crowd but extra portions were also served if requested. No bad meals but the one evening of regional mini desserts was not very good at all. Ate lunch off the boat a couple of times to have authentic, local cuisine. Bad for me but morning pastries were readily available until replace by cookies for the rest of the day. Shore excursions were available for nearly every day of the trip; both included and additional charges. The included were generally short walking tours with volunteer guides the provided local history and landmarks. All of the guides were excellent but the range was rather limited – the longest being just over a mile. A wide range of extra excursions but were rather expensive. We scheduled a Viator tour of Schonbrunn Palace and Gardens at a savings of several hundred dollars. Granted, the tour didn’t include a motor coach ride to the palace but the previous day’s included excursion taught the basics of navigating the local metro station and we had no problems arriving on time for the tour. The scenery was amazing, especially the day cruise through the Wachau Valley in Austria and our arrival in Budapest. Interestingly, the Danube divides the hilly Buda district from the flat Pest (pronounced Pesht) district. Vienna was a bit disappointing. The Old Town district didn’t have the same feel as other, centuries old cities. Has more of a modern metropolitan feel. Enjoyed unpacking once and seeing multiple countries and cities without living out of a suitcase. Are there cheaper ways to vacation and visiting multiple places? Naturally, but then it’s more of living out of a suitcase with multiple day trips via train or motorcoach. Loved the pace on the ship. The Missus loved being able to run along the Danube at each of our destinations. Would prefer to have more flexibility to exercise in the morning, without rising at the crack of dawn, eat breakfast, then partake in an onshore excursion. Maybe if we had or own river boat or barge, captain, cook, crew, etc. we could establish our own schedule and agenda. The biggest surprise of the trip was meeting and establishing friendship with two other couples from the US (CA and NY). We spent most meals together and had great conversations. Have even stayed in contact since the cruise and shared photos. Providing pictures of some of the scenery and all of the food without labels or descriptions.

After the cruise, finally had time to make a couple of new bakery items: English muffins and kolaches (a traditional Czech pastry that’s popular in Texas of all places. The English muffins looked legit but definitely need improvement on rolling dough to an even thickness. Taste was decent, a little denser than preferred. They certainly don’t have the same shelf life as Thomas’ English muffins. The kolaches were quite tasty. Made them with two separate fillings: strawberry jam from Bordeaux and creamy sweet cheese. Tasted better fresh after baking but eating 10 of them at one sitting isn’t recommended. Recommend warming in the microwave for 25 seconds to restore most of the original flavor and texture.

Returned to cycling after 8 days of river cruising and walking 35+ miles. Not complaining but legs certainly did after accumulating over 550 miles (220 over 3-day Memorial Day Weekend) over the final 2 weeks of May.

 Next river cruise on our schedule is with Backroads on their Douro River Valley cruise with AmaWaterways in September 2026. Will see if the amount of cycling offered scratches my itch and how Ama compares to Viking.