Loss of balance due to chemotherapy

[syklist]

Child nr 2 has been on chemotherapy since the end of January. They learned to ride a bike last summer just before they turned 4 and then progressed onto a 20" wheeled bike within a month.

After a round of chemo we discovered that they could no longer balance on a bike. One of the drugs used is known to affect the legs and hence balance. Interestingly they are able to walk as before although a little less steady and scoot around the house on a three wheeled scooter. However, I guess that a balance on a two wheeled bike is rather more complicated. I noticed that Child nr 2 also doesn't balance as well on the trailer bike either compared with last summers tour.

Has anyone else experienced similar (cycling related) balance issues after starting with chemotherapy?

[ClappedOut]

Having had balance problems in the past with an inner ear issue, I can sympathise.
Councils personal payments , social services and various charities can help with options and adaptions so I read, I know your little one is a bit young but any disabled adaptions I believe are also VAT free reading about trikes and recumbent trikes as well.

I'm not sure how much use the above is, but wish you well in a solution.

[saudidave]

I'm not a medical man in any sense of the term but with the greatest of respect to Clapped Out I would think that his suggestion of disabled adaptions is both extremely frightening and totally premature. IMHO it should never have been posted as its raising issues that may not ever be relevant and has been posted by an individual with probably no medical training.

Chemotherapy is in effect a massive trauma to the body and I've read before that balance issues are a relatively common side effect of the treatment. I am sure that when the chemo course has been completed and the body adjusts, there is every likelihood that balance will return to normal.

I'd suggest that you bin any thought of disabled adaptations and equipment forthwith and concentrate on normality when your child recovers from whatever malady has required the need for this form of treatment. The very best of luck with this terrible situation.

[9494arnold]

I am no medic either, but specialist said to wife after Breast Cancer /Chemo etc that she needed to find her
' new normal' .
I would suggest that for someone as young as you say, ('child') it's more a matter of getting into practice and learning or re learning the lost 'art'. Youngsters are remarkably resilient in my experience. Wife used to work with Early Years and sin still does.
I am a Cyclung UK instructor, and I would heartily endorse Balance Bikes , to work on Balance and steering.
If they already have a bike, take the chain and cranks off for a bit and let them experiment.
And I am a regular Trike rider, just for the hell of it really, despite the common concept from non Trike Riders you do need some sense of balance to stop you getting into bother going around corners.
Witness all the vurtually new non lightweight Trikes lurking on E Bay.
I wouldn't consider Trike or adaption unless advised by a specialist therapist.

I have ridden alongside a gent with one arm and 3 different gents with only one properly functioning leg ( 2 amputees and one with a damaged hip which bought on restricted leg swing , he rode Fixed with a swinging crank) The Human body is a remarkably adaptable bit of kit. I believe that it is considered the most efficient machine available, and the Bicycle is second !

Whatever route you travel, I hope it is smooth pedalling with tailwinds .

[syklist]

Thanks for the comments. We are based in Norway so I have no idea what types of help are available in the UK. We seem to be taken good care of here both financially and in terms of other types of support. The main treatment hospital is 2.5 hours drive away while our local hospital for blood tests and Covid-19 tests is only an hours drive away. Our travel costs are refunded by the "Patient Travel" agency.

The balance problems are caused by one drug in particular and should be temporary. The drug was being given every week in the first six weeks and now has been reduced to two out of three weeks.

In terms of adaptions, going back to the trailer bike and taking a trailer with us in case child nr 2 gets tired are the main ones we are using. These are things we already have from the past few years of cycle camping so we know how to use them. Child nr 2 has already said that they want to go cycle camping so we will see what we can do when the weather gets a little warmer. Normally our season starts late April/early May for one night practice runs.

I realise that they will have to find their new normal when they are done with treatment and maintenance treatments. We won't really know what all long term effects of the treatment are until we are there. Which could be 10-15 years in the future before we know all of the implications.

Some things will change forever, but the main point is get them back as healthy as possible.

So far progress is good and I look forward to them resuming cycling on their own bike even though I might have to wait until next year before that happens.

[531colin]

What amazing positivity in the face of such awful luck.
CHAPEAU to child number 2 and "skylist"
(I think I might have something in my eye...)