Any Motorcycle riders here?

[Going Postal]

Does anyone ride or used to ride a motorcycle here? Ive ridden for ten years and have had a wide collection of bikes from ninjas to vstroms. Ive always found riding a great way to relax and destress. A few months ago i decided to sell my bike because i started having more problems so i thought it would be good to take a break for a while. I was wondering if anyone has done the same and what did they ride?

[Meetz1064]

There are a few here, but right now their names escape me. I am not one of them, wish I were. s10sleeper I think is one.....you could try private messaging him.....he's not always on the site, but...

Welcome to CWE, Going Postal. I like that screen name, btw.

Hopefully you're going to like it here...there are plenty of people to meet, lots of information to check out, and some neat social groups to hang out in. There's even a Padded Room for those days that you really need to vent (and who doesn't? We've all been there occasionally....)

Have you thought of keeping an E journal to try to figure out what set off your seizures again? Doing so will help you find out what the trigger is, and help your doctor treat you correctly......and maybe you can get back off the meds! Wouldn't that be cool? If you want, I have a list of things you should think about putting in it, to try to help you find those triggers.........

Take care,

Meetz

[Bernard]

I don't recall the members that ride (or rode) motorcycles, but I know there were several. There are also a few around here that ride (or rode) horses.

edit: found via the forum search - riding a motorcycle round the world

[DavidLM]

How's it going G.P. Yea I currently have a Harley Davidson Low Rider in my garage that I'll be riding next week. I was on long term disability for the past 2 1/2 yrs. and my license had been suspended for that time. It's been tough but I've had some big changes w/ VNS surgery and my epileptologist sent his authorization to DMV to get my lic. back.
I feel great and I'm excited about riding again.

[Crazy Monkey]

I ride motorcycles in my dreams, that way I can pick the biggest shiniest bike ever until I am allowed the real thing

Does that count?????

[Going Postal]

Thanks and Hello to everyone!

To Meetz, Im glad you like the name ive had it for a long time now, kind of a reflection on how i feel sometimes.Ive tried the E journal and the main cause of my seizures seems to be exhaustion, i would like to see your suggestions though.

To Bernard, Thanks for the link

To David, Thats great to hear that the VNS is working for you. It will be really good to get back on, about 8 years ago my license was suspended and my ninja just sat and the garage just calling to me to ride it. It was very hard not to, i ended up taking it apart and putting more bits in it so i couldnt take it out for a ride.

To C.M. yes of course it counts as long as you wear a helmet!!

regards

[Aubrey]

- Oh yeah - Had to sell it, broke my heart, thought my fam. was going to have to get me a little apartment downtown that I could not just voluntarily leave. Someday, I will get another. It was just a little 500 Vulcan. Used to ride with my hubby. My mom hated that so much. My hubby rides me to school on his GS800, traded it for his VFR. I kind of resent it just a wee bit. When I was young and we had just met and I was med-free, it was my idea - motorcycling. But hey, new meds, might work, right? Every time I try a new combination, I do not expect it to fail, even if it is the 11th combo I have tried.

Congrats David - I am sooo excited for you.

CM - It counts if you wave when you ride by

[Meetz1064]

Here's the list, Going Postal. It IS a big list though. (I still love that name LOL )

1. Sleep. List how much & when.

2. Eating. List how much, when & what. It's possible to have seizures caused by allergies to food.

3. TV/computer/video games. Yup, they can affect you if you're photosensitive, so list when, what, and HOW LONG.

4. Menses (for women). Start tracking your cycles. CATAMENIAL epilepsy does exist, sometimes it's tied to ovulation, sometimes its right at the TOM. Also, LADIES, DO get a thorough check of ALL your hormones done—female, thyroid, and any others. Believe it or not, they do factor in on seizures.

5. Stress List when it occurred, and what happened.

6. Exercise List what you did, when, and any reactions.

7. Seizures/auras. If you have either, DOCUMENT THEM. Auras--note what they're like--do you smell or taste something that others don't? Hear something? Seizures--how long, when, where, what happened. If you don't KNOW what happened, get eyewitness accounts when possible and DOCUMENT THEM. ****side note**** Auras ARE partial seizures!!!

8. Smoking and alcohol. Ditch them--both are neurotoxins for our brains.

9. Meds (of ANY kind). List the dosages, and when taken.


Responses To The Above List


1. You MUST get 7 to 7.5 hours of sleep as a MINIMUM, no ifs, ands or buts about it.

2. Eating--one of the other mods, Skillefer, (we call her Skilly), promotes eating 6 small meals a day, using a dessert plate, filling it with a carb and a protein. Good idea, I think. However, some people, like me are allergic to certain foods. You might want to look into various diets. Ketogenic, Modified Atkins, Low Glycemix Index, Gluten Free Casein Free (see www.dogtorj.com where the actual given name is GARD—it stands for Gut Absorption Recovery Diet).

3. Look into a glare screen for your computer or blue tinted polarized GLASSES (available by prescription from eye doctor). These can help cut down on seizures that are caused by photosensitive epilepsy.

4. GUYS--you may not have a cycle, but you DO have hormones. DO get your doc to do a full hormone screen, check thyroid, etc, just to make sure.

5. Use things like yoga, music, walking, whatever it is that you do to bust out your stress. Keep a separate journal to write in so that you can write out your feelings in--and keep it for your eyes only. Write it out by hand, two or three pages at a time. It helps A LOT. DO IT EVERY DAY.

6. REFLEX E can be caused by exercise, so DO track what you do. Keep in mind that you SHOULD NOT swim, bike, hike or bungee jump by yourself. Same goes for mountain climbing.

7, 8 & 9. 'Nuff said.

OK, the journal IS a pain in the arse. No doubt about that one. BUT it DOES help the doctors track things down.


******side note****** some people do also keep track of their bowels (sorry if TMI) because they have found that those movements DO trigger their seizures......

[stilldancing_98]

I used to kiss the boys in elementary school just so I could ride their dirt bikes. I love them. And I dated a guy for a while who built road hogs. Teresa lol

[jcroper]

I do and will as soon as I get my driving privileges back. I'm feeling reckless lately, but not enough to lose my license long-term . . .

[C0urt]

former bike rider and motorcycle mechanic.
had a cbr600rr last

[seizingbeauty]

Never had the chance to get my licence so I never drove BUT I loved riding along! Unfortunatly everyones nixed that cuz they're worried that a badly timed siezure might really be bad...

[triller]

I still ride and have from 1972 on. the meds I take have done well for me so I will ride as long as I can. I have a honda valkyire interstate(1500).right now its winter so it at rest.when you can ride again ride safe and stay well

[Gbutterfly]

on the back of one a few times... fond of them since then....
must read: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
must listen to: Motorcycle drive by 3rd Eye Blind (listen to the whole song...a riding song)
I hope you enjoy it as well
~G

[stilldancing_98]

I used to ride on dirt bikes as a kid. I didn't have one but my boyfriend did. I promised the boys I would kiss them if they would let me ride their bikes. Loved to do both. lol
I still love the bikes. Guess I still love the bad boys. lol

[Aubrey]

I ride to school on the back of my hubby's BMW 800 on/off road, except in snow and rain and when I need a that extra travel mug of coffee, and the rain exception is just until I get some decent wet weather gear. Still not seeing my own bike in the near future, but not giving up hope.

[Molly97]

My hubby has had the big touring bikes all our married life until last year. Longest trip we ever took was on a Cavalcade back in '89; 3 weeks up to Canada from NE Ok. Great trip. We briefly owned a Harley Electraglide; too noisy for these two old people. Otherwise, it was Hondas, GL1200-1800. We finally got rid of the bike riding because of my seizures. Riding on bumpy roads triggered my seizures. Looking at the landscape through a combination of sunglasses and smoke colored visor triggered my seizures. A year ago, when my seizures improved, we thought we'd give it another try; had gotten rid of a GL1800 in 2001. When my seizures got worse again, we sold the bike after having it only a matter of months. Back in the 80's and 90's, he always wondered why the front of my helmet was hitting the back of his.

[Blue Cat]

I've ridden for over 11 years, put over 80K in the saddle all over the world. Diagnosed after hitting a hill in the Nevada desert at 70 and being thrown 253 feet. Only bruised my butt. That was in 2002. Only a little over a year between the last two (of 4 in my lifetime) which scares me, and as I'm without license for the next three months, I'll have to give this some serious thought, but I live to ride so can't imagine giving it up. The last two were on the couch watching movies. May just have to ride B behind my husband for the cross country trips now, just not sure.

[Aubrey]

I have been relegated, probably permanently, to never being the pilot. But some people do find something that works for them, or get the seizures under control, what-have-you. Best of luck.

There is a rather zen experience one can get to as a passenger, but I do miss MY little red cruiser so... if ever I could I would get another in a heartbeat.

(CJ SCOTUS) John Roberts has had 2 seizures and has not even been diagnosed with E, so there is nothing in the law currently stopping him from riding/driving, so at the end of three months, you might be fine.

Again, best of luck.

[s10sleeper]

I have been raised around Harleys my whole life. I purchased my first one, a 1975 Ironhead Sportster when I was 18, which was the first time that I had gotten my license due to finally being seizure free. I rode that up until I was 26, when I finally forked out the money for a new one, back in 2006. I have always been partial to sportsers and put alot of money into it. I was only able to ride it for a year before my seizures came back. To this day I still have the bike and will never sell it for anything, unless it goes directly to one of my family members. Since I am unable to ride these days, I have taken up bicycling again. It isn't quite the same, but gets me back up on 2 wheels.