What started as a sore throat developed into severe, flu-like symptoms but without a fever. My body felt scorched—as if I had gotten a severe sunburn. I couldn’t sit. I couldn’t walk. I couldn’t sleep.

And what made it even worse was that no one could tell me what was wrong. My doctors began to think it was all in my head. Was I losing my mind? 

In April 2019, I finally got a diagnosis: small fiber peripheral neuropathy—a condition caused by damage to my sensory nerves, resulting in weakness, numbness, and pain throughout my body. Causes and symptoms of peripheral neuropathy vary from patient to patient—it could be from an autoimmune disorder, diabetes, toxins, or even an inherited condition. Likely, my case was caused by tick bites I got while hiking in South Africa.

I wondered if there was anything that could help treat this condition. My neurologist at Johns Hopkins Medical Center, Dr. Ahmet Hoke, MD, PhD, FAAN, encouraged me to exercise. He said it could help my condition.

I had always been active, but I took Dr. Hoke’s advice and went into high gear—literally, I suppose you could say. I discovered biking—electric biking, to be specific. I was inspired to electric bike ride 4,685 miles from my home in Washington, D.C. to San Francisco, CA, to raise money for research and awareness of peripheral neuropathy. That was in 2022, when I previously shared my story with Brain & Life.

Now, I’m en route from West Palm Beach, FL, to Los Angeles, CA, in partnership with the Merkin Peripheral Neuropathy and Nerve Regeneration Center at Johns Hopkins. This 5,800-mile e-bike ride across America will take me about five months to complete, ending in July 2026. I’m riding an average of 65 miles a day on my custom electric bike. The goal is once again to raise money for research and awareness of peripheral neuropathy. I do not want anyone with peripheral neuropathy to endure the despair of not knowing their condition and having their symptoms doubted, as was my experience.

You may remember from my first story that I biked with a cinematic drone to capture my journey. In the years since, I turned that footage into a documentary: Only Lazy Americans E-Bike. I chose an ironic title to challenge the stereotype that electric bikes are for “lazy” people. Electric bikes aren’t a shortcut for exercising; they can be a means for someone to get out and get moving. This documentary is being shown in select cities along my route from Florida to California during my second trip across America.

Dr. Hoke was right about the solution for me—exercise! My electric bike riding has gotten me off the couch and back out into the world. It has enabled me to meet many wonderful people, and it has energized me. If you are being challenged by a neurological condition like mine, do not lose hope. Talk to your doctor about how to safely return to exercise after a neurological diagnosis and before you take on a major challenge like biking across the country. 

Follow my second journey across America in real time on my website.

- As told to John Hanc

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Read how this journey began in his first story: A Cyclist Raises Awareness of Peripheral Neuropathy.