A great deal of freedom regained, thanks to the e-bike…

Hello fellow Alphas, as most of you already know from previous letters to the editor, Helmut and I have been living in the beautiful North Sea coastal town of Carolinensiel for over two and a half years. So what do you do when you need that healthy sea air to breathe but don't have the stamina for walks? You get an e-bike. That's exactly what we did, and we bought two in May 2016. With them, we explored part of our new East Frisian home and saw things we would never have seen by car. Last year, we cycled about 3,000 km, with day trips of up to 60 km being no problem at all. As it happened, our paths crossed with those of the Niethammer family by chance on market day at our museum harbor. We had a lot to catch up on, as we had known each other since the Alpha meeting in Dortmund in 2013. At some point, we got onto the topic of e-bikes, and I was sure some of you would find it interesting to hear about my experience with an Alpha-1 COPD Gold IV emphysema patient. Since we live on the coast, where there's always a light to strong breeze, as I've already mentioned, it wasn't possible for me to get around on a regular bike, so an e-bike was the only option. Even the first ride had a positive effect; it was a completely new feeling, how easy it is to navigate the paths along the dikes. Helmut wanted to go home, but I couldn't get enough, so it turned into a test ride of well over 40 km. I finally felt free again, had no difficulties, and I still don't, even though the rides are sometimes significantly slowed down by headwinds. My e-bike is my only way to do something on my own, since I haven't driven a car in a long time due to fear of panic attacks, which aren't good for me, and I can't walk very far. Personally, I wouldn't want to be without my bike anymore, because I've regained a great deal of freedom that I could only dream of as a pedestrian. It's simply wonderful and, above all, fun to enjoy nature here on the coast, or even inland, and to see things that bring back childhood memories. That's why I want to encourage you to give it a try, because especially with our condition, physical activity that's also enjoyable is important.

Best regards, Heike and Helmut