Top SA mountain-biker sidelined due to serious vascular problems

[Ozzie NL]

Sjoe, saw this on News 24 today

https://www.sport24.co.za/OtherSport/Cycling/top-sa-mountain-biker-sidelined-due-to-vascular-problems-20181101

 

[stringbean]

Sad news.

Not sure if she’s making the right choice.

Brings b@ck sad memories of Ryan Cox

[gummibear]

That's bad but hope she recovers after surgery.

[J Wakefield]

Sad news.

Not sure if she’s making the right choice.

Brings b@ck sad memories of Ryan Cox

Thought the same thing. Wishing her well and good recovery

[WrightJnr]

Sad to hear. She’s one of my favorite athletes.

 

What really upsets me is that she has proudly represented Team Ascendis Health for many years yet she now fights with her medical aid Discovery to cover the costs. Goes to show as professional athletes you are nothing more than a tool to your sponsors, I mean employee.

 

I wish her all the best and full recovery.

[stringbean]

As I read it she is fighting with discovery to have the op done overseas and they must pay.

I’m sure they will pay in full if she used any of the many and competent surgeons here

in SA.

[Chingy182]

Ai, not good.

Hope she makes a good recovery.

 

Good to have your PPS in order at a time like this.

[Flemish Lion]

We've been in contact with Robyn as I've had both my iliac arteries patched with a vain from my thigh and both my inguinal ligaments cut to provide space so it doesn't happen again.

 

But every case is different and Robyn's case seems more complex. She is such a supportive and caring person!

 

I had a year between each leg but it took me 4-5 years before finding out what I had after so much frustration and pain... only when my artery was 80 percent blocked did I know what I had as the Dr said: "you have no pulse in your left leg!".

 

I've been for a checkup last month and both arteries are wide and clear still.

 

I was terrified to have the op after reading what had happened to Ryan and didn't move for the first week after each op.

[Shebeen]

Sad to hear. She’s one of my favorite athletes.

 

What really upsets me is that she has proudly represented Team Ascendis Health for many years yet she now fights with her medical aid Discovery to cover the costs. Goes to show as professional athletes you are nothing more than a tool to your sponsors, I mean employee.

 

I wish her all the best and full recovery.

Wow, quite hectic I do hope she can get a full recovery from this.

Not quite sure how she has any sort of issues with healthcare, maybe the issue is that she could get it done in ZA no problems but they don't want to do the international cover?

 

 

 

“Ascendis is a fast-growing South African health and care company with leading health brands and increasing international business, so it made perfect sense that we align ourselves with a fast-growing sport that embodies the essence of healthy living and the outdoor enjoyment of our scenic country.” – Dr Karsten Wellner, CEO, Ascendis Health.

[EvanB]

sponsorspay the team owner who is the employer

 

Sad to hear. She’s one of my favorite athletes.

 

What really upsets me is that she has proudly represented Team Ascendis Health for many years yet she now fights with her medical aid Discovery to cover the costs. Goes to show as professional athletes you are nothing more than a tool to your sponsors, I mean employee.

 

I wish her all the best and full recovery.

[Pure Savage]

Sad to hear. 

 

Just shows, even pro athletes can get sick.

[Odinson]

Is this arterial 'knotting' caused/aggravated by cycling? 

[Flemish Lion]

Is this arterial 'knotting' caused/aggravated by cycling? 

 

Some people's inguinal ligament runs too close to the iliac artery... when you push power out > 80 percent your artery doubles in size and in our case it touched the artery which over time starts getting irritated and hardens up... as it gets more narrow the blood struggles to run through and causes the artery to kink / deform.

 

Even many runners have this but the cycling position accelerates the irritation / aggravation process.

 

Many athletes probably have this but just end their careers and never know their performance struggles were due to a narrowing / kinking artery! 

[NelAndre]

Also a big Robyn fan and this is not great news. I hope she finds recovery and joy in riding again.

 

Some medical info:

 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1078588411007647