Newsletter - 2002 Archive

BC Randonneurs Cycling Club

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In January of this year, Tom Hocking, randonneur from Naniamo, came down with a flu-bug. He was out of action and off the bike for nearly two months. When he began feeling better he hopped on the bike to see how much edge he had lost. As soon as he hit the first hill his lungs had a burning pain. After an electrocardiogram a walk-in clinic surmised a heart attack. A Vancouver cardiologist ordered an angiogram, which showed Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) with 100% blockages in two of the main branches and 90% in the third. It was not caused by the flu but genetics. Tom is alive because of the many thousands of km of aerobic training he put in over the years that promoted the growth of collateral arteries, which have formed many smaller natural bypasses around the blocked main arteries. On July 22 he had a quadruple bypass procedure. His recovery started with brisk walking and by September 3 he had permission to start riding. His last email: "400 km total biking for September Hard to keep a good man down or...? IMHO we have a GREAT health care system. I'm "living proof" of that."

All the best Tom. See you at the Nanaimo Populaire?

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