Monthly Update From Garry McGivern

My latest monthly update for August 2026, and as last month, I continue to cycle more and more, and further and further. And I even managed to cut right down on my painkillers, although that didn’t last long. I managed to do a couple of hours work! And it’s been a rather sad month in one way or another.

I’ve had rides out to Brighton, Portsmouth and everywhere in between this month. And I’m now reaching the stage where I’m starting to get bored with cycling the same routes. And as the school holidays are drawing to a close, I’m wondering if I should go away camping. It would only be to some of my regular haunts, ie: the New Forest, Swanage or the Isle of Wight. While I don’t think the cycling would be too much of a problem (he says, with fingers crossed), the camping side of things could be a problem.

That Could Be A Different Story

Although camping may not be hard work, it certainly requires more effort than being at home. Apart from putting the tent up, which I always find painful at the best of times. Simple things like going to the bathroom, especially in the middle of the night (it’s an age thing) is a major effort. Finding my headtorch, unzipping the sleeping bag, putting on some clothes, crawling out of the tent, slipping on some shoes/flipflops and then walking to however far away the toilet block is. At home I just have to fall out of bed, and the toilet is there.

I did wonder about loading my bike up and heading out for a day ride, cycling a decent amount of miles. Then return home, pitch the tent in the garden, and just use my house as a toilet block. Basically trying to mimic what I would be doing if I was away touring. Unfortunately, I’m not very good at trying things or rather practising. I’d rather do things for real, then I wouldn’t have a choice but to do it.

Maybe I Should Cycle Around The World Then

While I’ve been out cycling a lot more, I’ve been able to cut right down on my painkillers, which is a really good sign. I remember when I set off to cycle around the world, I was taking a lot of medication for my sciatica. But by the time I’d reached Istanbul, approximately 2000 miles away, I’d managed to stop taking all of them. Mind you, that might have had something to do with having to; I couldn’t carry enough tablets to last me for a year. And of course I have my myelopathy to contend with these days, which I have started to feel when I’ve cut down my pain relief. But I suppose there’s only one way to truly find out!

As I was feeling a lot better and fitter, I decided to try my hand at a spot of work. And with hindsight, perhaps I should have taken some pain relief before starting. I ended up in a lot of pain and back on a lot of painkillers. And it seems to have taken nearly a week to recover. And the worst part about it is that I can never seem to work out what is causing me so much pain. Is it my neck or back?

Sad News

I don’t know why I thought the death of Dolly Parton was so sad, I don’t even like country music. But for some reason, I felt sadder for her than I usually would when a star dies. Maybe it was because I just remember some of her songs. Or maybe it was just because she was a good person; either way, my heart goes out to her family and friends. And the best quote I heard from her was: “If I have any more facelifts, I’ll have a beard!” That made me laugh.

The terrible floods along the Trishuli River in Nepal are truly horrific; again, they made me feel really sad, especially when I realised that I had cycled beside that river in 2016. In fact, the short video on the header of my website was filmed along the road that ran beside the river, which I fear may no longer be there. I hope all the friendly people who I met and helped me when I was cycling in Nepal are safe and well. My heart goes out to the whole nation, and everyone affected.

Read my previous update from June

Follow & Support My Bicycle Touring Adventures

If you’re enjoying the ride and want to fuel my next mile, you can always support me by buying me a beer. And of course you can always follow me on social media: Facebook, Bluesky, Threads, X, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest. I’m also on Flickr, where you’ll find pictures from all my tours, along with regular photo updates that I generally publish each month.

If you want to find out if I’m away touring at the moment and check my location, visit the Where’s Garry page. And for an insight into the gear and logistics that keep me on the road, see my Life at 10mph Guide.

Monthly Update From Garry McGivern

My latest monthly update for July 2026, and it’s been another month stuck at home, unable to go away bicycle touring. (Not that I really want to at this time of year) Although I have been out and about cycling considerably more this month than last month. I’ve had a couple of hospital appointments, which I’m still trying to process, whether they were good or bad. And it’s been another hot month.

Hip Follow Up

I had a follow-up appointment for my hip operation with my consultant over at St Richard’s Hospital. Well, I don’t know what I was thinking, but I arrived in Chichester nearly an hour and a half before the appointment. I think a lot of it was that, where I’m struggling a bit with my cycling, I wasn’t sure how long it would take me to get there. Anyway, after hanging around the city centre until it was time for my appointment, I went to the hospital. Only to find they were running an hour late!

After eventually seeing Mr Wakeling (my consultant), he asked how I was, and I told him about the pain in my calf, which I always thought was sciatica. Although physio thought it was my hip, which is what I was hoping it was. But it turns out it’s not, as the pain has come back. Mr Wakeling said it might be my hip. Or it could be my back. But more than likely it’s both! I’ll see you again in six months.

Is That Good News Or Bad

I had another hospital appointment earlier this week with physio. The ones who monitor my DCM. After our normal chat about what has been causing me the most grief over the past month, which is my calf pain. (I explain more about my calf pain in this month’s podcast, available on my YouTube channel.) Mike did some tests to investigate where the pain could be coming from; after all, both he and his boss thought it was my hip.

Anyway, after half an hour of being prodded, poked and pulled this way and that, he gave up. I’m sorry, he said, but I can’t find out the cause, and don’t think there’s much else that we can do here. Now that your hip has been sorted, which, in theory, rules it out as a source of pain. You need to get back in contact with the neurosurgeon in Salisbury, and discharged me from physio. I’ve been going to physio for my DCM for three and a half years, so it felt like the end of an era. I’m not entirely sure if my myelopathy is getting worse or not, although the chances are that it is.

Back To Salisbury

I’ve got an open appointment with Salisbury, or at least I thought I had until I read their last letter. I only had an open appointment for 12 months, but because my hip took so long to sort out, that has now expired. And of course getting another referral isn’t that easy. Trying to contact the doctors to get referred was a right pain; it’s all online. And then I chose the wrong option, so I had to redo the request. I know it’s a general form you have to fill in, but some of the questions they ask… Like what medication do you take? Answer: what you prescribe! Or what outcome do you expect? Answer: a referral! There’s a clue in the question you asked me about why I was contacting you. Anyway, despite the phaff with questionnaires, the doctors were excellent and sent a referral the same day.

Out And About On The Bike

I managed to cycle to Portsmouth earlier in the month and was so excited I had to write a post about it. I also went out the following day with the intention of writing about that too; I just wanted to keep my hand in what I do when away bicycle touring. Unfortunately, by the time I arrived home I was too tired and in too much pain to do anything. I’d only cycled 44 miles. But it was still an enjoyable day. And then I had to wait for another week before being able to cycle very far again.

Random Bits

The weather has certainly been hot; it’s felt quite tropical some nights. And we haven’t had any rain in months. Going to the supermarket the other day, I was reminded of that feeling you get when you first get off an aeroplane. When you’ve jetted off somewhere hot. I walked out of the supermarket and bam, it was like walking into an oven, and it was only about 7 am. Long may it last, I say, although it could rain overnight, especially as we are now in drought.

I had my granddaughter’s sports day, which because of the heat was held in the morning. It was great fun, and thankfully there wasn’t a parents-or-grandparents race. When I had my hip operation, you’re supposed to have a chair with arms to sit in. And the only one I’ve got is one of my garden chairs, so I’ve been using that. But now I don’t need it. I was going to swap back to my proper dining room chair, i.e., the one without arms. But after falling asleep at the table, I decided to stick with the garden chair. The arms keep me from falling off, as happened before, when I cracked my ribs.

Read my previous update from June

Follow & Support My Bicycle Touring Adventures

If you’re enjoying the ride and want to fuel my next mile, you can always support me by buying me a beer. And of course you can always follow me on social media: Facebook, Bluesky, Threads, X, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest. I’m also on Flickr, where you’ll find pictures from all my tours, along with regular photo updates that I generally publish each month.

If you want to find out if I’m away touring at the moment and check my location, visit the Where’s Garry page. And for an insight into the gear and logistics that keep me on the road, see my Life at 10mph Guide.