An Easy does it girl can do this ride

Twin Rivers Cyclists offers many rides during the summer and we invite everyone. We usually have a mixed group of riders for our weekly Ice Cream rides. These rides are short, easy and can be as short or as long as the riders want. The group makes a point of never dropping a rider, but many slower riders are reluctant to take on the longer rides.

Sunday June 28 we scheduled the Winchester Ride. This ride is long (68mi) and involves the Winchester Grade, which is not an easy climb. I've never been a fast rider, but over the years I've found my pace and the "Easy Does it Philosophy". This discovery has made any ride possible for me.

Bike riding begins with a good bike. A bike should be comfortable and for anyone who wants to follow the Easy Does it Philosophy (EDP) should include plenty of low granny gears. We used eveyone of those gears on this ride.

Another aspect of EDP is the realization that there are rabbits, strong riders who are fast, strong and can handle any number of miles without beating an eye. I am not a rabbit, but I find I can cover the same ground, enjoy the ride and the climb and get to the same place as the rabbits with a smile on my face.

Food and water will keep any rider going. My favorites include peanut butter and jelly on whole wheat and gatorade in a polar bottle. This keeps the drink really cold for over 2 hours. I found a new product Sunday that I'm definitely put on my list of 'good to have with you" The sport jelly beans put out by gatorade. They didn't melt in the sun, and they where just enough to give me a boost on the grade Sunday.

Carol Ellis and I traveled together Sunday. The core group of about 10 riders, including our rabbit husbands where miles ahead of us. Sunday offered almost perfect temperature and a slight cooling breeze to make this beautiful ride, just about perfect. Carol and I had a great ride thanks to another important EDP tool.. A sag wagon! My son Tony volunteered to be sag for the Winchester ride. Unfortunately he wasn't familiar with the route and missed a few important turns, but he showed up at lunch and we all could relax. A sag wagon can be available for all the riders in the group for extra water, a bicycle floor pump, or just encouragement and information about how the group is doing. A sag wagon can also help out riders if they have an accident or just need to take a break. We have offered a Sag Wagon on a few rides in the last few years and it is really important for new riders and the EDP rider. I've had times when I was able to do the hardest of rides but sometimes not. I find it a great way to humbly enjoy the best parts of the ride but call it quits when your body, the weather or the ride says.. this is going to be really miserable. No one should ever be ashamed to call for a sag. Some times it can save a life.

This ride is a challenge and no one should take on a climb like Winchester without knowing what it means to climb for 7 miles in the heat. Winchester offers a bit of shade though and the hill is pretty similar to the Lewiston Grade, with plenty of easy switch backs but any rider, especially someone with an EDP needs to really plan for a climb and 50 miles after the climb. I would encourage any rider to come out for longer rides. Our group offers lots of opportunities to give bicycling beyond the bike path a try. As long as you have an Easy Does it Philosophy, you can enjoy any ride.

I just read Corrie's account of his ride..
did you notice not a single easy does it rider in the group picture he has of this ride!! That's cause we where still on the hill.... Good thing I wrote up our ride a bit. When you take your time and forget about hammering you can enjoy a summer day on your bike.

Happy Birthday Ryan Chris!!!

I can't believe my baby is 25 today. Time doesn't slow down for anyone. I have been blessed with two awesome sons. Tony is my oldest at 28 and Ryan arrived four years later.

I often tell couples I meet who have more then one child, "You make all you mistakes with your first, and now you get a chance to make a few more with chapter 2" I offer no claims of easy or perfect parenting, but I have had lots, and lots of fun and surprises with both my sons.

I will write today about Ryan and I'll write about Tony later. He'll require his own story, to say the least. Ryan, was not necessarily planned. He was a bit of a woops, or surprise, as they say. My pregnancies where easy, but I always resembled a small house.. which of course I was. A birth story is a very personal thing. My sons will have to suffer with my details, but on this your birthday, this always comes to mind.

I had a cesarean with Tony. As a childbirth educator and OB nurse, I felt like I had wimped out, missed the boat, done something wrong, in that first birth experience. One of the things I did do after Tony's birth was to become a certified childbirth educator. I learned first hand that there is being prepared and taking a real childbirth class. St. Joe's at that time offered a 6 week class taught by a sister.. she was an OB nurse and gave good information but I felt there had to be more. So, I became a Lamaze certified educator. It was a very intensive process. I had to go to a 4 day seminar, write and then rewrite a lengthy class syllabus and gather a huge amount of CERPS. It was a wonderful experience. I became the childbirth educator, after sister left. I set up several different classes, including; sibling, cesarean, refresher, breastfeeding. I was more prepared for this birth to say the least.

I had easy pregnancies. I ran for the first few months,then walked a lot as I got bigger. I tried to keep a good diet with this pregnancy as I did with Tony, but I have to say I let a lot of it go this time. I had frequent coffees, and donuts. I still worked night shift and taught a lot of classes. We still did transports in those days and so I did pick up a few babies during the pregnancy. In fact, on the day before Ryan was born I had gone on a transport to Grangeville, ID in the back of an ambulance. I was contracting the whole day but I just thought I was uncomfortable from the ride.

At this time 1983 it was typical to have a repeat cesarean when you had one before, but the literature was beginning to discuss women having a vaginal birth after a cesarean. This was considered pretty controversial to say the least in most talk within OB professionals. My Dr. was fairly supportive, but had never done one and he suggested I talk with our director about it. We had never had a planned VBAC at St. Joes. Several nurses I worked with where supportive, but a good portion thought I was crazy and endangering my baby. I was determined to give this a try however. I had good research that said a VBAC was very doable and only .1% had problems with ruptures. This was the standard reason for always doing another surgery. I wrote out my plan.. that was before birth plans, wrote letters to the administration at St. Joes and even arranged for two of my friends to help with labor support. My dear hubby, Corrie was a wonderful partner and helper during both births, but I knew I would need more help.

I was scheduled to work day shift on the day I went into labor. I remember feeling HUGE. I literally couldn't reach the stearing wheel of my car. I was so ready for this baby. I was at work and noticed mild contractions but nothing that was much different then I'd been noticing that week. We got the call for a transport and of course no else was available. The transport was to Grangeville to pick up a baby with mild respiratory distress. The baby wasn't very sick and I was going to take another nurse who was training with me. I remember the ride VERY well. It was bumpy and contractions where getting more noticeable. I was in labor.

After returning to Lewiston I went home and got my things ready for the baby. In those days ultrasounds where not done as often as they are now and no one found out about the sex of the baby until the little guy showed up. I had my fingers crossed for a girl. I had a few pink outfits and a name... I think I had Emily, Bryanne or Karly... can't quite remember. Anyway, at home contractions where getting really strong. My waters broke at home while playing with Tony, this is another lesson I always share with classes. I could actually hear a quiet pop and there was at least a liter of fluid. Off to the hospital I went. Dr. Fielding was there and confirmed that my waters had broken and that I was 3-4 cent. dilation. I wanted to go home. He let me!!! I decided to go for a walk, on the bike path. Looking back on this now, I would say I was a bit crazy. My nurse friends where both out of town. I can't even remember if Corrie went with me. I came back shortly and I was 5-6 cm. dilated and in good labor. One of my lessons I always share with classes is, going for a walk in labor is a good idea, however remember that if you go out a mile on the bike path, you have to return a mile with MUCH harder contractions. I remember walking and breathing with contractions and moving, moving, moving. Things where going pretty fast at this time. Dr. Fielding was around and he said I was doing fine. As time went by and I dilated to 9, it became harder and harder and the thought of bagging everything for a cesarean sounded not so bad. I was planning on having a tubal after this birth and I remember that as being a strong reason for a cesarean. Corrie always loves to tease me about my reaction at that time. He says I caved and said "cut me, cut me" Now I'm sure I didn't say that but I found out how hard transition can be. Besides, the Dr. gave me another excuse and said Ryan was another big baby and seemed to be stuck at 0 station. So, there you have it Ryan. Another cesarean for me. You weren't even that big, only 8 14, 6 ounces less then Tony.



So, no girl for me. Ryan was a beautiful baby and the surgery had gone well. It was a time of changing protocols. We started doing VBAC's regularly and we also began letting sibling in the department. I had to actually sneak Tony in to see his baby brother, and only once. This also changed about this time. I feel strongly about a woman's right to choose a VBAC, which is currently denied by almost all hospitals. Women have very few options now. They have to go AMA (against medical advise, and pay for the birth, regardless of outcome,because insurance will deny the claim) or seek out an out of hospital birth by a midwife. I'm sure hospitals and Drs. will have to find other ways to allow women to have VBAC's. Check out: ICAN.

I'm sure Ryan remembers me telling him about his birth, maybe not in this much detail but I did keep a journal with each baby and I let both boys read about their birthday. It is such a magical day for a mother. I remember holing my newborn after I returned to my room. The moon was shining and this baby was so beautiful and so quiet. I remember holding him up and he gazed at me. I wondered who he would be. I knew we would have a wonderful time, but very different then my Tony. I did have to adjust to not having a girl for awhile. Ryan was dressed in pink for about a week. He was so pretty, but all boy.

Names where an issue. We had talked about several names, but we always came back to Ryan. We had talked about that name before we settled on Tony for our first. When Corrie came in the first time to see his new son, he mentioned that he liked Nicholas and Christopher. Corrie teased Tony about calling the new baby Borus, but thank God that never happened. So Ryan Christopher was your name and you seemed to be pleased. I have so much more to say about the fun we have had watching you grow into a man. Being a parent is such a joy. It has been hard at times and has taught me patience and what it means to love unconditionally. I continue to enjoy being part of your life Ryan. I am always here for you and Tony and now Kim. My dear Corrie and I have loved every moment.

Turning 50 is a Big DEAL

Turning 50 is a big deal for most people. It marks a half century and reminds us that we really have lived a significant portion of our lives. If you have dreams or plans for what you want to do in this life, it's time to start. I had thought about searching for my birth mother at times, but never seemed to set the process in motion. I felt that this would be something significant to mark my half century birthday.

Catholic Charities of Spokane diocese handled my adoption and I found out that they had a process in place for both adoptes and birth mothers to search for each other. I told mom and dad that I was planning to start a search and they encouraged me to go for it. I asked mom if she would like to go with me to the interview with the counselor and she enthusiastically agreed. The counselor explained the process: First I had to write a letter to my birth mother. I could say whatever I wanted, but she explained that the birth mother is under no obligation to respond. She said almost 95% do, but that I shouldn't expect it or that it would be soon. The records of adoptions are sealed by the courts. There was a law passed a few years ago that set up a process, directed by a court appointed agent ( Catholic Charities has this counselor act as the agent) who will be able to open the sealed documents and who then is allowed to contact the birth mother named in the document. This agent then searches for the woman and contacts them. She said that she had been doing this for several years and that she has most families are cautiously receptive. After this contact with the birth mother the counselor explains that she has a letter from the adoptee if the woman wishes to read it. She is also invited to write a letter to the adopte. Names and contact information can be included but not expected. The adopte or the birth mother can keep anonymity if they wish. The counselor spent a lot of time reviewing my expectations and possible responses from the as yet unkown birth mother. She was explained that most adoptes find contact a good experience but she gave no guarantees. I explained that I was simply searching because I wanted to let my birth mother know that I had a wonderful life and to say "Thank You". I was of course curious, but I was not hoping for any deep relationship. I had a wonderful set of parents and I had no desire for any change in my relationship with them by the inclusion of a birth family... who needs more family issues?

Mom and I where both encouraged, but realized it might be 6 months before I heard anything. She was able to give me some information such as my birth mother lived in Spokane and was 19 yrs. old when she had me. Mom has told me later that she was excited for me and that she wasn't worried about my contacting but she said that dad was. I never got that impression. Dad was having health issues at the time and we learned a few months later that he had end stage cancer at this point.

I was not worried about finding out about my birth mother, but I realized it could be a chance to know where my genetics came from and offer another sence of history. Most people can look at photo albums and see people that they resemble or have a connection with a lineage or history from many generations. I've never felt a need for these things, but I was curious. All I had to do now was wait. Would the couselor be able to locate this woman.

Family

I'm adopted so that might be a good place to start. I was adopted by my parents John and Eleanor Robson when I was about 6 months old. Catholic Charities of Spokane handled the adoption. Mom and dad had been married for about 10 years and had found out that they couldn't have children and had been waiting for only a short time for a baby when they where called about me. In those days there was no such thing as open adoptions. My parents where called to come pick up a baby girl on December 22, 1952. I have heard the story of that day many times through the years. It was my birth story. Mom and dad had gone through the adoption interviews, filled out all the paper work and where told to just wait. I've often wondered how Catholic Charities matched up families in those days. Mom said she was overwhelmed when she got the call. They had no baby furniture, clothes or any items. They had two or three foster children at the time. That would mean four children under 4 for mom and dad!

Mom says when they first saw me, she just melted. I was dressed in a pink frilly dress, full of smiles and coos and a head full of blond curls. They both bonded with me from the first minute they saw me. It's weird to write about this story from my point of view. It marks the beginning of my knowledge about life story. I had no knowledge about the first few months of my life except what my mother supposed. She told me later when I had questions, that my mother was young, about 18, I was born in Walla Walla, Wa and I had been very sick as a baby. I have a scar on my butt from what she said was an antibiotic injection.

Mom and dad have always been extremely open about my being adopted. As a child I was told that my birth parents where poor and couldn't afford to take care of me, that they loved me but that they felt I would have a better life with another family. It was a familiar story. I always felt that my birth mother loved me very much.

My mom has told me many stories about how my adoption affected her family. She is the youngest of 6 and she was always very close to my grandmother. She helped mom a lot during the years after she got me and my brother Mark. Adoption has been a common discussion in our family. In those years it wasn't as accepted as it is now. Adopted children where some what excluded in some circles. The adopted child wasn't technically considered family. To my mom and dad though this wasn't even given a thought. Mark and I where their children fully and completely in all manners.

I have worked with adopting mothers all through my career as a mother/baby nurse/childbirth educator. I know how difficult the decision to adopt is. I'm sure I will write about adoption again.

When I turned 50 I decided I needed to find out more about my birth mother and family. That story will be my next post.

*The picture here was taken by the Spokesmen Review and published on the front page during Christmas time. I was waving at Santa. My dad was holding me.

A blog is a place to write about my life

I have kept a journal for many years. My hubby has blogged for our bike club and I've added a few blogs for bike rides. I would like to write about my observations as a nurse, as a mom, mom in law, wife, daughter and a simple human being on this journey of life.