The end of "old lefty's" journey

Time to make one final trip to the "land of miracles" tomorrow morning and with any luck, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Dr. Chan will take one last look at "old lefty" and say..."you made it...you're done!"  235 days, 3 surgeries, 7 casts, and 5 scars later, my time will be at hand.  And as Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young sang at Woodstock, "it's been a long time coming and it's going to be a long time gone", leastwise I sure hope so.


I've thought off and on today about what it will be like tomorrow, to finally know that I'm healed up enough to be dismissed at long last.  What in the heck used to be normal?  Actually, not too sure that I remember.  Prior to the August 4th accident, it had been a great summer.  Hotter than the dickens and even more dry than I remember in my life.  But on the morning of August 4th, the temperature couldn't have been better and I posted on my FB page at 6:30 a.m. that I was heading off for my ride.  Little did I know what was about to happen to me.


I went back in time today to the blog post I made the day after the accident.  Actually I dictated and my son Grahame typed.  As I read it, I gave pause to the realization of just how badly I had been hurt and how very far I have come back.  The post follows below:


August 5, 2011
You Just Never Know


Grahame here again. Otherwise this post might not make it online until next week.


I didn't wake up yesterday on August 4th expecting things to go the way they did.  But life happens and you just have to take whatever comes your way.  I'm putting this post online today because I'm feeling really sad and right now things seem kind of hopeless.  I bet by the time I post this online, I'll have a better outlook on life.


My day started off really good yesterday.  It was a beautiful morning here in south central Kansas.  I knew by the early morning forecast that the temperatures would be in the low 70's by the time I  rode, so at 6:30 a.m. I headed out for my usual 10 mile ride.  When I went past the Medical Center "time and temperature" it read 74 degrees.  NOW THAT IS  A BICYCLIST'S DREAM RIDE.


It was a lot of fun riding to the south on Main Street.   I passed a lot of the usual people that I see every morning as I ride.  It was interesting to notice that everyone seemed to be in a much  better mood today than yesterday.  Must've been those cooler temperatures that made everyone feel "human" again.  Whatever it was, it was nice.


About halfway through my ride down Main, I saw my good friend, Mike Fazio, putting up banners for the city.  I yelled "hello" and kept on riding down the street.  Because the north breeze was pushing me, I found it easy to keep a steady pace at 12 mph and it felt good!


Halfway through the ride, I decided to come back home because some storm clouds were brewing in the north west.  As much as I miss the moisture, I really don't want to take a bath in it on a bicycle.    I came back on Main and stopped to visit with Mike for a bit about the possibility of our riding bikes together some time together in the future and then I headed home.


For some strange reason, instead of turning on 14th for home, I went on to 17th Street.  There is a family on 17th that has been working hard all summer long, on a patio/fenced in garden area by their house.  All summer I had been thinking that it would be good to stop and tell them someday how nice everything was looking.  So when I went past their house and saw them there on the porch, I decided that this was the day!


There I was, a total stranger on a bike, standing there talking to people I had never met.  But after 5 minutes of conversation, we were strangers no more.  They really acted like they appreciated the fact that ANYONE would've noticed what they were doing, especially someone they didn't know.  How many times have I blown opportunities, just like THAT one, to tell someone that I appreciated their hard work and effort in doing something.  


I headed on home from there at a pretty steady pace.  As I rounded the corner at 14th and Elm, I remember seeing by my odometer that close to ten miles for the trip.  Without even thinking, I started riding even faster  No special reason to do so, it just felt good.  By the time I made it to my house, the speedometer read almost 10 mph and that's when it happened.


As I got to the point where I turn into my driveway,  I realized I was late in making my turn.  Rather than go ahead to the next driveway, for some asinine reason, I decided to jump the curb.  To my friends Craig, Dennis, and LeRoy I already know what you are thinking.  LOL  But I did it anyway!

I knew better, but I guess at age 55, you have to chalk it up to being an old person.  It didn't work out so good and the results were catastrophic for me!  The picture below shows the indentation of my handlebars and mirror in the ground.  It's a wonder that I wasn't hurt any worse.

Except for popping the mirror off, the bike was in decent shape.  No issues with the rim or tires, just the mirror.  I didn't fare so well.

During surgery yesterday, the doctor found that my entire radius was shattered.  Bones were twisted around and some even fell out, never to be found again!  But he did the best he could under some very dire conditions, attached an external fixator to my arm and pinned everything back together again.  For the next 4 weeks I'll have the pins and after that another 4 weeks in an actual cast.  My wrist will never again be the same as this was a "worst case scenario", but all in all I got off pretty easy!

I have to admit that I broke two of the cardinal rules for bicycling yesterday.  I wasn't wearing a helmet and I was going way too fast for the conditions.  I was a total idiot for not wearing my helmet and I know it.  So to anyone who rides a bike, please take my advice and always put your helmet on.  I was blessed to not having any head injuries, and for that I do give thanks.  I will never ride my bike again without a helmet on.  And on the issue of going too fast, I hope that I never feel the need for speed again.  It's fun to go fast on a bike, but only when it's safe to do so.

I want to thank everyone for their kind wishes for recovery and their prayers to get better.  I have more good friends and family than I could have even imagined.  I will be spending the next few days reevaluating my "bucket list" and trying to decide which one to tackle one-armed.  I have been blessed, even in this accident, and I know it.  I can at least walk and laugh and do most things normally, including driving and writing, as I am right-handed.  Things could have been so much worse and I know it.  I've been told that I chose the best possible limb I could have for this to happen to, so what else could I ask for?  

  

                                                   Me at the scene of the crime~


After reading this again today, I realize just how foolish I was and I don't mean in my attempt to jump a curb (althought that would win the award for foolishness, hands down).  Naively I thought that in 8 weeks time, all would be well again.  Little did I realize that it would be 8 months, not 8 weeks before I could ever say my arm and wrist had healed.  I found out, the hard way!


I am so thankful to be at the "end of the road"  here and after tomorrow, I'll be able to drive past the Kansas Orthopaedic Center each day on my way to and from my home in Valley Center, without being a patient there.  What a nice feeling to think of!  


No matter what, when all is said and done, I still stand firmly by my conviction that having this accident was the BEST thing, not the WORST, that ever happened to me.  My life changed for the better and I will never again take any of it for granted.  Sorry that I had to learn the hard way....but when you are a slow learner like I am.....well, you get the picture!  :)

Fun days of biking last summer with lots of good friends!  I WILL be back!  You can count on it :)