Pedalling Past Hurdles: A Farmer’s Spirit
Patient: He was a well – built and strong farmer.
Diagnosis: He had coronary artery disease and was waiting for an intervention- angioplasty or coronary artery bypass surgery.
Patient's Story
Looking ahead to his recovery, we wished to know what exercise he could do after the procedure to keep his heart healthy. However, there was a major hurdle: He suffered from very painful and stiff knees, making it impossible for him to either walk or climb.
As I was mentally debating what the best solution could be for his unique situation, he suddenly surprised me by saying, “But I can cycle for long, and cover long distances.”
His wife proudly chimed in, “He never takes a bus or an auto.”
Smiling, he chipped in, “And, I surprise young people who are afraid to cycle on busy roads!”.
Outcome
Following a successful surgery, he achieved a good recovery. While severe knee pain made walking or climbing impossible, the clinical team tailored his recovery around his lifelong habit of long-distance cycling. Today, he is fully healthy, enthusiastic, and vibrantly running his daily life and farming activities without any physical hurdles.
Conclusion
Hearing him speak so passionately about his cycling process, I was instantly reminded of a classic movie scene starring the late Nadigar Thilagam Sivaji Ganesan. In the film, he plays an elderly character who is cycling slowly along the road. A brash young man cycles briskly past him, openly mocking the “slow old man.” Piqued by the insult, the “old man” pedals furiously, matches his speed, and overtakes the arrogant youngster! I guess the movie was Motor Sundaram Pillai.
Patients know their bodies best and can provide their own solutions; a doctor must listen closely to learn from them.
