Hello from Reedsburg, WI

I landed in Reedsburg, WI on Sunday afternoon.

The bike trails have been amazing.

A nice calm ride on Sunday except for the chasing Rottweilers - did you know they top out at 25 mph? :)

Resting in Reedsburg on Monday and staying out of the heat.

Back to it on Tuesday. I do have five days grace in my ride plans so all is well with taking a day off.

More on Tuesday night when I get to my next destination.

Ride Day #4...Cheeseheads

I'm in the bicycling capital of America this evening- Sparta, WI

http://spartawisconsin.org/

Rochester to Sparta was a good ride. Fourteen miles of the most fun, hard, scary roads were from Lewiston to Winona. Hard climbs and two long curving high speed descents.  Road 40 miles of the Wisconsin bike train system. Will ride 55 more of it tomorrow.
Good night from the land of the Cheeseheads.

Ride Day #3....Rainy in Rochester

Ever wonder if these things are accurate?

I'm guessing it was from the car behind me.

A thunderstorm at my back all the way to Rochester. Waited out a rain storm under an awning for 45 minutes. Rochester is a bike friendly place! Lots to see and do here.

On to land of the Cheeseheads tomorrow hopefully.

Ride Day #2 again...Run for the border

Hmmmm...if only they had bikes :)....However, a nice wide highway here. That shoulder was so wide I had a lane all to myself!

The hot tub was great! All muscles are happy with me again.
So is my stomach...

All is well here in Owatanna. Looking toward a shorter ride tomorrow to give my legs a rest. Talk to you all again from Rochester tomorrow.

Looks like rain here. The kids and wife are looking for rain tonight at home. I guess there are some zucchini almost ready to pick if we had a little more moisture. I'll pray for rain and say thanks being 200 miles away from the zucchini!

Ride Day #2 - Where's the hot tub?

Made it to Owatonna this afternoon. What's with all the wind? It sure doesn't help the day go any faster (not when it's in your face).

Looking for a hot tub to soak these tired legs. More later.

Ride Day #1 - Up Hill Both Ways?

With 110 miles done and the first 50 uphill (ok maybe not uphill but not flat terriain either!) I made it to New Ulm, MN.

 (yes I know, the heart says Sleepy Eye)

Stopped in Lamberton for lunch which, my stomach told me for the next 35 miles, was not the best idea.

Made it to a hotel by around 3pm. Relaxing and thinking about the day and the days yet to come.

And while dad's away - the girls play (lost both softball games but looks like a good time was had for the slumber party).

More tomorrow.....

Benefits of Living Donation

Benefits of Living Donation

Kidney transplants save and improve the lives of people with kidney failure. Kidney donation from deceased donors has not been able to keep up with the need for kidney transplants. Over 5,000 people die every year waiting for a kidney transplant.
Living kidney donation has revolutionized kidney transplantation and is now preferred when compared to a deceased donor transplant. Several benefits and advantages of living donation are now recognized:

• Living donation eliminates the recipient's need for placement on the national waiting list.
• Short and long term survival rates are significantly better for transplants from living donors than transplants from deceased donors. (On average, approximately 18 years for a kidney from a living donor compared to 13 years for a kidney from a deceased donor).
• The recipients knows the donor, his/her lifestyle choices and medical history
• Living donor kidneys almost always start functioning immediately, whereas deceased donor kidneys can take from a few days to a few weeks to start functioning. (Often called a Sleepy Kidney)
• Shortens the waiting time for others on the waiting list
• Health deteriorates the longer someone remains on dialysis
• A kidney transplant doubles the life expectancy compared to staying on kidney dialysis treatment.
• May be able to avoid being on dialysis
• The recipient has time to plan for the transplant
• Waiting for a deceased donor can be very stressful and unhealthy.
• The surgery can be scheduled at a mutually-agreed upon time rather than performed on an emergency basis.
• Perhaps the most important aspect of living donation is the psychological benefit. The recipient can experience positive feelings knowing that the gift came from a loved one or a caring stranger. The donor experiences the satisfaction of knowing that he or she has contributed to the improved health of the recipient.

There is little debate over the benefits of transplantation compared to being on kidney dialysis. Life expectancy figures comparing the two are surprising. A man between the ages of 40 – 45 could expect to live about 8 years on dialysis, if he were to receive a transplant, he could expect to live more than 20 years. Women who start dialysis between the ages of 55 – 59 could expect to live approx 5 years. However, they could live more than 16 years with a transplant, and someone’s life would improve dramatically when they are not dependent on dialysis treatments.