Day 28, Stage 21
Montereau-Fault-Yonne - Paris, Champs Elysees, 164km
1. a sweatbox of a hotel room
2. nervous energy and excitement surrounding the final stage
3. nightmares about extreme traffic (when I finally did sleep)
All of the above combined to lead to me only getting between one and two hours sleep last night. I feel tired and lethargic and just want to skip the first 100-odd kilometres and be on the Champs Elysees.
It took a while to get going this morning and I just couldn’t wait to get to Paris.
Tara’s Video Diary
After an hour or so of riding we cracked a bottle of champagne to celebrate (because that’s what the pro’s do on TV!). We posed for a few photos and then pushed on towards Paris. I was impatient, agitated, frustrated and just really quite over the ride. I just wanted to finish.
Champagne Video Diary (very lethargic riders)
When we got to the outskirts of Paris I started to feel more settled and the huge amount of traffic made us all concentrate hard which negated the impatience and frustration.
Mum doesn’t like driving in traffic any busier than Wodonga and is scared of driving in Melbourne so it was a great effort for her to even attempt driving today. She drove as far into Paris as she could and when we got a chance to pull over she swapped with my sister Tara so she could do the final leg. Mum was a touch flustered when she emerged from the car so Marika and I gave her a group hug for a job well done.
There were a number of obstacles and wrong turns on our way into Paris which we were totally prepared for and handled pretty well (including accidentally ending up on a busy motor-way). As we drew closer we found some bike lanes and it was quite easy to make our way from there to the famous finishing circuit of the Champs Elysees.
While I was excited I was also exhausted and just happy that we were nearly there. My entire focus and concentration was on making sure that all three of us made it safely to the finish line after one lap of the extremely busy Champs Elysees.
When we arrived at the cobble stones of the Champs it was not as hectic as I imagined as all of the cars just gave us right of way. The Arc de Triumphe was crazy so we did two laps of that just for fun.
We posed for a number of “celebration” photos of us riding past the Arc with our arms outstretched in a “victory” pose and then just had a group hug and packed the bikes on the roof racks for one last time.
That was it. It was all over. I didn’t feel any great elation or achievement. I was just happy that I wouldn’t be getting a 5am wake-up call from Dad tomorrow morning.
We drove to our hotel and didn’t find a place to eat until late so there were no real celebrations. We just tucked up in bed, exhausted, ready for a solid sleep.
Stage 21: On The Road
Crohn’s Fact
Funds are required for vital research to find a cure, and national support services for those living with Crohn’s Disease. You can donate at www.everydayhero.com.au/crohnscrusader
Crohn’s Profile
Name: Karissa Schmidt
Age: 23 in August 2009
Lives: Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
Age of Diagnosis: 14
My Story:
I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis at age 14 after a short two months of diagnostic testing. Doctors tried several medications, including Pentasa, Salofalk, 6MP, Immuran, antibiotics,
and the very well-known Prednisone. All medications they tried, other than Prednisone, I ended up being allergic to. They caused severe cases of Pancreatitis and eventually lead to the condition called ‘chronic pancreatitis’. So, unfortunately, I was put on
Prednisone off and on for 3 years (with some extreme side effects such as hallucinations, horrible nightmares, weight gain/water retention, as well as headaches, nosebleeds, easy bruising, mood swings, joint pain, muscle weakness, and eye conditions).
After three years of this, I had the total colectamy and ileostamy
surgery in August of 2003. I had the ileostamy bag for 7 months, and
then had the reconnection. (During the time I had the ileostamy, I
ended up being allergic to the skin adhesive, so I was only able to
shower when I was changing the bag). After the seven months, I was
reconnected, and then only a month or two later was diagnosed with
Chronic Pouchitis, and a few months after that, Crohn’s Disease.
My general symptoms were bathroom breaks from 8-15 times/day, severe
cramping, constant dehydration, EXTREME urgency, and the common
feelings of constant pain and nausea. During the time before the
ileostamy, my urgency was so awful that we invested in a camping
port-a-potty and left it in the main vehicle, plus adding an old ice
cream bucket with toilet paper and hand wipes in every other vehicle
that I usually drove in. There are so many horror stories – but I
always had amazing support from friends and family that we always
made jokes about it.
After the reconnection surgery, my main problematic symptom was
‘leaking’. To be going from age 17 with an ileostamy making noises
during class, to age 18-21 with Depends at night – it definitely
makes you appreciate some of the small things.
My message:
Appreciate the days that you feel decent – Go out and DO whatever you
feel like (even if you upset someone because you were too sick the night before to hang out).
The days you feel the worst, make yourself LOOK incredible. It’ll give you the strength and desire to leave the house
Adrenaline slows down digestion for a short time - take advantage of this!
Find humour in the ugly stuff.
Find friends that understand!
Buy a port-a-potty and leave it in the car. Trust me. It saved my life at least a dozen times
Today’s images can be viewed here
Sponsor Profile:
Sponsor Name: VSL#3
Sponsor Level: Naming Rights Partner
Sponsor Website: www.vsl3.com.au
Orphan Australia are distributors of VSL#3, the world’s most concentrated probiotic.
As a company focussed on providing quality gastroenterology products which can change peoples’ lives for the better, we recognise the challenges and battles of living with a debilitating chronic condition. Throughout Orphan Australia’s history, it has always been our mission to deliver more therapeutic options to improve patient outcomes. We therefore support the efforts of the Crohn’s Crusaders in their quest to increase public awareness of Crohn’s Disease and simultaneously raise funds to further research into this area. For more information about Orphan Australia, or how VSL#3 may restore balance to the body’s natural bacteria and help the digestive system work more efficiently, call 1300 656 755 (within Australia) or +61 3 97695744 or visit www.orphan.com.au.
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