Was admitted to the hospital yesterday evening for administrative treatment for Raynaud’s condition. This caused infected fingers and toes and has been a burden for me every year for the past decade. I have finally been to receive iloprost. It is administered for 6hrs each day for five consecutive days.
I completed a 130mile ultra on Sunday. Rested on Monday and did a recovery spin on the morning of admission (before I knew I was coming in).
I will likely be here just lying a sleeping with only hospital food available and walking two meters to the toilet for the next few days.
My creative kinase is elevated slightly (perennially due to excessive training and under fuelling probably). I also have sinus bradycardia with a RHR of 35bpm. The drs are worried about iloprost as it is a vasodilator and caused my hr to drop to 27 . I feel very tired and very hungry with nausea etc and my legs are sore and weak feeling.
I’m just wondering how many calories I should be shooting for whilst in hospital over these days. I want to get back to training after discharge as soon as possible.
Especially as the weather is getting better here in the uk and I’m going to Mallorca next month for a solo cycling trip to hopefully do done long miles.
advice and counsel would as ever be appreciated. Thanks everyone.
Yikes sorry to hear that. I suffer bad from chemo induced Raynaud’s but at least my fingers haven’t been infected. I really should see a GP about two of my toenails but touch wood after a couple of years they;ve never got any worse or hurt at any time and I’m finally getting warmth below the shin so hopefully it sorts it.
I personally wouldn’t worry about calories other than getting as many in as possible. Seriously, right now, you need to focus on resting, recovering from that ultra and getting yourself well. Just eat as much nutritious food as you can get in and hopefully you have friends and family that can bring in nutrient dense foods for you.
If you are asking because you are worried about weight gain, that is a different issue and would be a big red flag right now, so I am assuming you are asking because you want to ensure you are getting enough calories in?
I also do worry about over doing the food as I’m aware I’m just lying about. I probably do need to eat more but it’s psychologically difficult for me. I am receiving therapy for this.
Has your therapist given you any good coping strategies which you could apply? For example, focusing on the nutrients in the food and visualising those repairing your body and making your stronger, rather than thinking of the calories and immediately assuming they will be stored as fat?
Right now your body is in a prime state to rebuild and improve after the ultra. You are on forced rest so that food can do such good things in your body.
I’m being mechanical about it and basically nailing as much as possible biscuits and yogurt and Ham sandwiches etc.
I think today I have eaten more. Around 2000cal. I’m only 63kg but 6ft. I understand that your metabolism doesn’t just go on and off like that. I’m probably running higher both after the high amount of training I’ve been doing for years without a break and body trying to recover breakdown of muscles. I’m going to take all the bradycardia the low hormones the sore muscles and constant fatigue as a sign the stop the high volume tr training plan and switch to either a system of just opting for train now. Or do a low volume plan with just random easy and structureless outdoor rides. Fuel every ride at a minimum of 50g per hour and eat the same amount as now off the bike. Try and get up to 68kg, this would be both fat and muscle but even if it was all fat and I felt better, it would be worth it. Carry on doing the summer challenges I have set myself. Try to just take it all as a fun exploration of new focus
. I feel very tired and very hungry with nausea etc and my legs are sore and weak feeling.