CANTBIRD’25, Days 8-9: SICK DAYS in Yuma, AZ

(Thurs-Fri, Feb. 20-21, 2025; 0 miles)

Well, Days 8 and 9 did not go as expected. In my 50 years of bike touring, I have never once been sick on the road. On this trip, however, I haven’t felt quite right since tenting in sub-freezing temperatures in the mountains on Day 2.

As of Day 6, I had to resort to NyQuil five days in a row just to get sleep. This is very unusual for me — I mean, even when I got actual COVID a few years ago, I only needed one night of the drug.

When my throat was very sore on my epic 65-mile ride through the desert on Day 7, I thought maybe that was just the hot sun. But that night was awful.

Even NyQuil couldn’t clear my sinuses enough to sleep while lying down, so I had to use four pillows to prop myself up all night to get a little sporadic sleep. I also felt swollen and groggy, probably feverish. I remember quoting Dorothy in my head: “There’s no place like home…no place like home…”

(I am SO THANKFUL that I was in a hotel bed, and not in a one-man tent in a sandy parking lot!)

So as soon as I woke up on Day 8, I knew I’d be taking a sick day. After eating breakfast and extending my reservation, I walked a couple of miles to an urgent care to get checked out.

(Another fortunate timing — Yuma is the last town big enough for a doctor until Phoenix, several days away. I can’t imagine what it would be like being stuck in the desert feeling this miserable.)

Upon inspecting my ears and throat, Dr. Fran immediately informed me that I did a good job at self-diagnosis— I had a nasty sinus infection.

She prescribed me not one, not two, not three. but FOUR (4) different drugs to knock it out! Not only that, but I also had the pleasure of this, and I quote:

“Patient received an immediate Dexamethasone injection into the right dorsogluteal muscle.”

For those reading this who are not someone like Amy Fish or Lynn Cherrier, that means a swift shot in my right butt cheek. (Fortunately, not right where that muscle connects with the bike seat.)

Greatly relieved that this was not all in my head and there was an actual cause and cure, I walked another mile to a CVS to pick up the four prescriptions.

I also wanted to buy an Arizona state map since I may be rerouting to avoid crazy climbs and freezing temps and lack of towns in the mountains, but kept striking out. So I finally just took an Uber to Super Walmart to save more miles of walking.

I found a map, bought pistachios and fruits and veggies and few more things on my list, and hauled it all back to my room with another Uber, where I started doing the drugs.

BTW, that second Uber driver, Derek, was listening to a financial podcast on tbe car radio, so we had a great discussion about the benefits of a diversified portfolio of low-cost index funds. I hope he takes my advice and reads “The Simple Path to Wealth”…I desperately tried to talk him off the ledge of day trading to get rich quick.

Anyway, hopefully Dr. Fran is right and that I’ll be recovered again in 48 hours. I am very grateful for the medical treatment, and that I have the time and finances to insert a couple of unexpected sick days into the schedule.

Day 8, Thursday, I basically just wallowed in pain after returning to my room. I have not been able to figure out how to watch regular news shows on these new hotel TVs the past couple of nights.

But I found something even better — I discovered how to display my YouTube account on the big 4K screen! So now I can catch up on my queue…I will definitely never be bored now.

——————-

Day 9, Friday, I woke up with only THREE HOURS of sleep, according to my Apple Watch, even though I was in bed from 10pm to 7am. But feeling MUCH better. No sore throat for the first time in days! Although still producing lots of fluids in nose and chest.

Then I got to serious work on my remaining itinerary from Phoenix to El Paso. For the first time, I looked at the elevation gain for every single segment so I won’t be surprised again, and added another day to split up another long climb in New Mexico. (When I put together the original spreadsheet back in Wisconsin, I ignorantly looked at only distances, not elevation climbs).

I think I’m leaning toward sticking to the ACA route after all, since it’s more scenic and it’s just so convenient to use that app and see every turn and every hill and every campground and gas station. I think I’d feel helpless without that. And the long-range weather forecast for those higher elevations is actually looking pretty rosy.

My biggest fear remains the 9000-foot climb from Fountain Hills (East Phoenix metro) to Tonto Basin. There’s no way I want to try that in one day, and splitting it up would mean some wild camping and begging for water…and each of those TWO days would still be super tough. I am going to see if I can hire a WarmShowers host to drive me that distance (only 1.3 hours by car to bypass all that torture). Everything after that to El Paso looks doable! (I think I’ll skip the optional loop to Gila Hot Springs due to crazy climbs.)

After that planning, I got my bike out (since this is not technically a no-bike rest day) and took it to a bike shop to top off my tires for the first time on this trip. They are holding up great, but it never hurts to check. I also went to the post office, Walgreen’s, and decided to try out this fancy restaurant across the interstate: “Panda Express.” (Never gets old.)