Hey Crew,

no update today on Forbesy from me- he’s catching some well earned rest and recovery after being pretty flogged from all his adventures in the last week. I’ll try and get out to see him on wednesday and post an update thereafter.

As for me, I’m still trying to keep myself from hitting the track at 100 miles/hour! It’s not easy to rest, as stupid as that sounds, especially when you’re motivated and used to flogging your body. I’m really trying to hold back for another week or two, because it’s a long way through to Kona and an even longer way to get to Busselton early December. I’m lashing out tomorrow and doing a days work in the Geelong Hospital ED- so if you get sick in the Paris of the South, maybe get on a train to Melbourne for an examination! I won’t be making a habit of working too much, but will try and do the odd shift over the next couple of weeks. Otherwise my medical brain will totally turn to mush. Didn’t do 6 years of medical school to be some kinda pro drop-out! (OK, maybe that last line was just for my Mum- in case she’s reading this blog)

I’m sure most of you have seen the new Giant TT prototype the TDF Columbia, but if not, it’s up above. Super looking new rig, which has taken some elements from a few TT frames which are popular in the current cutting edge. Obviously, there’s the curved rear stay, a bladed front fork which has a rear mounted brake caliper, bladed seat post and a front end that looks stolen from NASA! I don’t know any of the specs or weight of these new machines, but I’m hoping to have a proto in time for Kona. The best part is that these frames are on the absolute forefront of technology…so they should be very, very fast. 

Hope to see you on the road this week,

Mitch 

Hi Gang,

Progress! That’s what the world is about! Mike has moved to the Spinal ward which is a half-way home before heading to Royal Talbot for rehabilitation. In reality, it’s a pretty frustrating place to be- because it’s a place where the staff try and ascertain whether there are any road blocks preventing Mike graduating to full rehab, plus where there might be some waiting time for a bed at Royal Talbot (near Kew Bvde), while Mike says, “Let me gooooo tooo Rehhhhaaabbb!

Physical

Not too much to report at this stage. His biceps are curling nicely, which might allow him to have enough control to scratch his nose, shoo a fly or feed himself. Being able to raise your own hands to your face is very important for self esteem and independence, so great for him to have these muscle groups still functioning.There was a slight hiccup on Wednesday with his lung function, after he had an absolute gab-fest with anyone who was willing to listen. The reduced capacity of his respiratory system, especially in the context of lying flat for much of the day, plus the effort of weaning from the respirator, meant that he required some time listen and not talk! Funny how they make you have a rest when you’re running on 50% capacity!

Mental

Mike’s slowly coming to terms with the implications of the coming months, and is especially worried about not being able to use his hands. That said, he’s already laterally thinking about how he’ll be able to cope with his usual clarity. He is an impressive individual and seems very composed. He’s going to have bad days where it gets him down, but having visits/rehab goals/family to distract him is vital. He’s also getting some sleep on the ward, as opposed to ICU, so that helps keep spirits high.

The accident is something that Mike does not want to talk about at the minute…and maybe he never will. It’s probably best not to discuss the accident in detail, as it’s an upsetting event for him in his current situation. It’s just not a team building issue for Mike at the minute, and he’ll bring it up (in his own good time) if he needs to put details to rest.

Visiting

Monica has mentioned the narrower hours of visiting, so I just want to explain the situation here: 11am til 8pm. It’s still two people at a time, but that’s good for everyone, considering there’s still lip reading to be done at times. It gets a bit rowdy on a ward with four patients if there’s 1 people in the room! The trach is scheduled for removal early next week, which will mean he’s able to talk/sing/whistle 24/7 (if he wants). There is a heck of a lot of work to be done by Mike and the staff each day. Included in the routine is washing, shaving, toilet, teeth, feeding, sheet changing, positioning, physio, occupational therapy, nursing observations, not to mention the odd doctors visit. Most of this happens before you see Mike, and it probably takes twice as long as you’d expect (shower=45min). He’ll be tuckered out from this for a bit in the short term, but I’m sure you understand.

He is loving seeing people and hearing stories from beyond the hospital- indeed, he’s keen to talk Tour de France day or night. Thanks to everyone sending through words of encouragement- this support is vital, so keep it up. Write a story about how you know Mike, or a tale of his exploits that others might not know and send it through to the site if you get the urge.

Check all the updates on www.michaelforbes.org, we’ll try and get some more smiling piccies of Mike and family on there soon.

Best

Mitch

Kowalski Tour Report 2008:

Canberra - don’t you just love it? There’s hardly any traffic, you’re allowed fireworks and access to other adult entertainment, and sometimes, if you’re lucky, you get a golden shower in a makeshift tent under the shadow of Mt Stromlo. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

The Landlink team (women over 30 with some employment only need apply)travelled up to the capital on Thursday to race 4 stages over 3 daysas part of the Kowaslki Women’s and Junior Tour.

There were little tackers of 10 on restricted gears, up to U19 gals(on their way to South Africa for the Junior World Champs) and senior women, racing over the roads near Mt Stromlo, Uriarra and CoppinsCrossing. And just in case you didn’t get to see enough of the sameroads, we pretty much just cut laps of those surrounds all weekend.There were supposedly complete road closures though, which supposedlymade it safer.

Suzanne Alway, Jenny MacPherson and I were a small but formidable team. JMac has had plenty of racing experience, and even though she’snow a member of the real community, with a job contributing to society(more than I can say for myself), she knows how to wield a sprint inanger and has plenty of stamina to control the bunch. Suze is lessexperienced, but did a fine job defending our lead all weekend.

In Stage 1, I won the 16km TT by 2 minutes over 2nd place, which meantthat I only had to finish in the front bunch for the remaining 3stages, and the tour was won.Stage 2 was brief (39km hilly road stage) but there were young’unstrying to grab QOM (Queen of the Mountain) points and show us theperks of weighing less than 55kg, so my climbing legs were tested anddid not disappoint.

Stage 3 was a crit around the superfast Stromlocircuit, and JMac ended up 2nd behind the local hero (which was quite uncoincidentally PC of her). We attempted a canny lead out trick, but the youngster isn’t junior National champ on the road and track fornothing! Stage 4 was sort of 2 x laps of Stage 2, and Jen and Suze dida great job for me, controlling the bunch and responding to attacks. I finished 3rd in the stage, and so won the tour overall by 1.25, after they had given time bonuses a-plenty to anyone from Canberra.Despite coming out of a heavy training block, I am holding some promising power with 11 weeks til World Championships. All that climbing in North QLD and Goto Island (while on chief cheerleader duty for Mitch racing Ironman Japan 2 weeks ago) has been a good start, andnow I’ll get a little more domestic racing in before leaving for Italyin late August.

A year ago in this tour, I was 2nd in the opening TT,but then lost valuable time over the following 2 days’ hilly roadstages, and finished 8th overall. Compared to racing tour of Flandersor Drenthe world cup, I had ample room on the road, far better positioning, and greater confidence going into these National series races. I then repeated my dominant performance at ASADA’s anti-doping, a tentconstructed by the sheltered workshop some distance over bushland fromthe start/finish area. Feeling no fear of the nightmarish Suisseepisode (remember - dry as a chip?), I had ample fluid and even passed plenty of ml unnoticed onto the AIS trackkies. Hey, you try peeing infront of a stranger in a tilted portaloo in 4 deg weather! Then mock me.

A yellow leader’s jersey was passed my way, millions of dollars of prizemoney was divided by the team, and we then packed up our bikes,wheels, Mt Stromlo observatory post cards, and we headed home. A bigthanks to Landlink, ACTAS, CycleEdge, Oakley, Shotz, CBD Cycles, Zippand AIS. I raced for the first time on my new Teschner road frame, and it held up a treat.

Next on the calendar are plenty of local racing, with no excessbaggage or airport runs required. On the 19th July is the Melbourne toBallarat, followed the next day by the Victorian Club Teams Time Trial (where I am controversially trying to get start in the men’s team forBrunswick Cycling Club - I’ll compare notes with golfer Michelle Wieon how to handle the heckling on that one), and then the VictorianChampionships in Ballarat in August.

Ciao!

Bridie

Hi Gang,

Check out the link for an ebay sale

Mostly ex-sponsor gear that has been replaced by 2008 models.
There’s some sunnies, goggles, gravity zero brake calipers, wetsuits, shoes…check it out. All items are starting at $1…email me direct if you have an offer (mitch.anderson@optusnet.com.au).

Hi Crew,

Sam, Bridie and myself went and visited Mike again today to check status, and he was jumping out of his skin. His improvement has been unexpectedly good in the last 48 hours, largely due to his excellent respiratory function. So good that he’ll be moving to the spinal ward tomorrow, with plans to remove his tracheostomy on Monday or Tuesday next week.

Physical

Mike’s breathing is the best it’s been since he had his accident. He’s blowing numbers for the physio in the mid 2000’s, which is about 1L better than when he was a bit under the weather last week. The physio is also being tested to the limit by Mike’s well hardened work ethic, plus the recent addition of trash-talking added to his armoury! He has a fenestrated tracheostomy tube, which is supposed to be open for 45min or so (so he can talk), then closed to give him a rest. When the nurses tried to change it back to silent mode, he put the foot down (metaphorically) and has been yapping ever since. He has become the biggest talker of anyone in the ICU- well of the patients anyhow! This augmented communication has buoyed his spirits tremendously, plus the fact that he no longer requires the ventilator to assist his breathing. His large breaths are about 50-60% the size of our big breaths, so he still has to complete regular physio to prevent infection and strengthen the breathing muscles he has left (essentially the diaphragm).

Mikes back and neck pain have eased considerably, so he is able to sit up for longer periods. This has the added benefit of protecting his skin from pressure sores, and allowing his lungs to be filled more efficiently by his diaphragm. He’s wearing a rigid collar about his neck still, which is allowing any unfixed ligamentous and bony damage to heal with some support.

His neurological state has also improved In the last 24 hours- he was barely moving his arms, other than shoulder shrugging late last week. But today he was able to move his arms from the pillows beside him, using his deltoid muscles. The biceps muscle may yet returned, though nothing is certain when there has been damage to the spinal cord. It’s difficult to explain in summary, but the nerves in the spinal cord are unable to regenerate in the same manner as a nerve could if it were cut in an arm. Essentially there’s no breadcrumbs (myelin sheath) for the nerves (axons) to follow in the ncentral nervous system, so the nerve cannot reform it’s connections to the peripheries.

Mental

The last couple of days has seen a vast improvement in Mikes outlook on his short and long term future. This has been helped a lot by being able to share his thoughts and feelings with Mon and Ash and all his visitors. He is loving the messages of support, and he is busy making plans for the future- like being able to walk/wheel Ash to school when he gets back home. Luckily she’s not due at school for a bit, so he has time to get his act together.

Visiting

Keep the trickle going folks- he’s loving it. Try to get out during the week if you’re able, as most people have spare time to visit on the weekends. His family are proving steadfast, and Mon is getting booted to the outside world for a break from time to time!

Overall

He gets an A for being a good physio student and getting his act together so quickly to get out onto the ward. This is the Acute spinal ward, where he will stay until he has no pressing issues which prevent him from getting to Royal Talbot for rehab. The sorts of things that are required prior to being allowed to move include: remaining temperature normal (don’t visit if you have a bad cold/flu!); tolerating sitting for extended periods in a chair and getting his lung function as premium as possible.

Cheers

Mitch

Hi Gang,

Have been to see Mike again today. He’s in fine spirits and there’s certainly some some good news in the offing. He’s still in the ICU, but that’s to be expected for this week. The good news comes on a couple of fronts. His condition is still serious but stable.

Physical

Mike has been to theatre and had his tracheostomy tube inserted. This tube is still attached to the ventilator, which is continuing to support his breathing. The bases of his lungs remain about the same, but seem to be responding well to the physiotherapy and medication. Furthermore, he has begun the weaning process off the ventilator. He has been doing without it for an hour or two each day, and this will progress quite quickly if the lungs stay clear. While they were there (in theatre), he had his broken jaw fixed. And as an added bonus he had a wisdom tooth removed- you know how expensive the dentist can be! They also had a rethink about the halothoracic traction and have removed that entirely- all that’s left is a dodgy haircut (short sides) and a couple of screw holes. His relief from it’s removal was palpable. This means he can be moved about the bed more easily and the staff can ensure he has the best chance of avoiding further infection in the lungs and pressure areas over any bony prominences. Overall, excellent progress.

His neurological state remains in some flux, and the definitive outcome will be weeks to months away. He is quadriplegic and seems to be a mixture of levels C4 and 5. He has some sensation to touch over his shoulder tips (which would reflect C5), but he doesn’t have any movement of his arms as he had early last week. He can shrug his shoulders. He should be able to retain enough function in his diaphragm (breathing tummy muscles C3/4/5) to not rely on any external respiratory support- allowing him to talk and breathe normally. He has some sensations of hot and cold, plus position sense of some joints below his shoulders, but this remains patchy.

Mentally

His outlook is positive, but vacillating with the stress and the enormity of his injuries. The implications of this spinal injury will grossly impact on his life-long plans, so some negativity surrounding his own outlook is completely normal. Please understand that Mike will need heaps of support in the immediate and long term future. He is a tough nut and coping extremely well.

Visiting and Messages

Mike is keen to see people over the coming days, weeks and months. At this point a trickle of visitors each day is perfect to provide him with enough distraction and support to get through the day, whilst allowing him enough time to rest and recover from his injuries. (plus give Mon an opportunity to go and get a coffee) ICU is a difficult place, and the aspects of day to day care are exhausting when you’re sick. There’s the washing, ablutions, meals, nursing observations, doctor consults, physiotherapy, orthotic specialists and handover times to fit in with family and friends visiting. Please get in touch with Mon or the ICU if you are keen to see Mike. There’s opportunity to visit, but to avoid disappointment it has to fit it in with his complex schedule!!

Outlook

Mike is going really well, and should be on the way to the acute spinal unit in a week or two. And finally, just so you can be sure that he was truly in good spirits today, when asked if he had any messages for his fans he (lip) said: “Don’t go chasing parked cars!”. So the black humour has begun, it’s a good sign he’s on the mend.

Best

Mitch

PS please send any messages of support or questions through myself, Anth or Sam (or Mon) direct.