Injury Follow Up - Feelin' Good

Having the ice my tools were sunk into delaminate from the rock was unlucky last week in Alaska. However, virtually everything else that followed involved a lot of good fortune. Starting with the limited nature of my injuries. Given the circumstances, a minor difference of the terrain below us could have led to more serious injury.

After that, there was the speed with which things were resolved. First and foremost, thanks to my partner Kevin for giving a good belay and having an adequate anchor setup to hold everything together! He kept his cool pretty throughout the entire thing. I was fortunate to have an experienced and cool-headed partner in this situation. He did everything right, including being very generous with his time in rounding up all of our gear from basecamp and helping get my stuff back to me. Also, sounds like he was able to salvage some of his time and got to experience the backcountry of Alaska in the wake of the accident.

Second, I had the great fortune of making it back at my apartment in Seattle about 24 hours after taking the fall (thanks to other parties assisting, and the weather clearing allowing me to catch a flight out). Second, the very next day (Tuesday) I was able to see a surgeon for a consult. I was operated on Thursday. Finally, the fractures weren't complicated to fix, and the surgeon reported to me that things went off without a hitch.

Injury Details: I had a complete snappage of the fibula (my terminology, I don't know the medical terminology), along with a distal fracture of the tibia (think a 'chip' off the side of it). The broken fibula bone kinda dislodged things in the ankle, so technically there was a dislocated ankle involved. The process of bolting the fibula back together with a big plate resolved the dislocation. The tibia will just heal itself in place; no scaffolding needed.

The first few days after surgery were, of course, a little uncomfortable. Compared with orthopaedic surgery I had 5 years ago to repair broken arms (yes, arms) from a bicycle accident, the pain was much lower. I was able to leave the codeine haze after only a few days. There is basically no pain if I am sitting still with the leg slightly elevated. Amazing!

I only had to wear a cast for 6 days before being switched to an 'air cast', which is basically a removable plastic boot with basketball shoe - style pump action (Christine promised to draw a Nike swoosh onto it to make it sportier). This is great; it can be cinched down tight to keep swelling at bay, loosened for comfort while I sleep, removed so I can change my clothes and not have to wear paper ER pants or shorts any more. Overall, this is a way better outcome than having a cast for weeks or months. Lady luck strikes again!

The greatest fortune I enjoy, however, are my great friends, family, and Christine. Well wishes from the climbing community, including a night of brews at Hale's Ales courtesy of the Bushwhackers and the delivery of tons of reading material to keep me occupied while sitting around, have kept my spirits high. My immediate family, Christine's family, and many of my extended relatives have all reached out. The support I receive has, and will, make this a much easier move forward for me.

Christine has been a champ. I do what I can around the house (our kitchen is small enough for me to hop around and continue my usual cooking duties, I can still scoop the litterbox and sorta do laundry), but Christine has been grinning through the thankless tasks of carrying plates of food to and from the kitchen, taking out the trash, grocery shopping, and doing other chores that I'm unable to do at the moment. Thanks so much, hon!

Finally, I have the great fortune of living in a city with good public transportation. A bus drops off and picks up about 200 yards from my front door. I am able to easily use the bus to get to and from the hospital for doctor visits, the grocery store, the library, and about anywhere else I need to go. If I lived in a smaller, more rural, or less well served urban area, my life would be a huge pain in the neck right now. And, of course, we'll be relocating to Washington DC this late summer, which is even a notch higher in its public transit, having one of the greatest rail systems in the US.

It'll be about 5 weeks before I can stop using crutches and begin aerobic activities such as riding a stationary bike or swimming. Put another way, however, is that I'm only really sidelined/couchbound for 6 weeks, and one of those weeks has already passed. I'll be able to to put the trainer in front of the TV in July when the Tour de France is on for extra motivation. Getting back into cycling was part of my plan in moving to DC anyway, and that it can be integral in my physical therapy / rehab from this injury has only hastened my interest in getting it going.

Like everyone else, I like to think I don't take things in my life for granted. That said, my recent adventures have helped me realize how lucky I really am. Thanks to everyone who has been supportive!