Picto Diary - 18, 19, 20 October 2017 - Recovery Optimism
Above: Crescent Moon and Venus rising. Wasatch Bagel, 6:55 AM. 18 October 2017.
Above: Bishop get's leg iced. Wendy. Physical Therapist, Intermountain Hospital, Park City, UT. 19 October 2017.
For the final fifteen minutes of my therapy session, Wendy decided to have me elevate and ice my leg. Relative to previous sessions, we had stressed the leg a bit more with exercises.
I'm about 10 weeks out from having suffered a fractured right leg tibia plateau during a motorcycle incident near Buena Vista, CO on 08 August 2017.
Surgery under the knife of Dr. Garrett C. Davis, of the Rosenberg, Metcalf, Cooley orthopedic clinic in Park City, UT, occurred on 13 October 2017 and resulted in the fixation of a plate, and 11 screws in the upper tibia.
After six weeks of no weight bearing on the leg, I'm now back to 100% weight bearing. That, however doesn't mean I have fully recovered. The affected leg has atrophied a bit and remains slightly swollen... all normal, I am told, for this point in the recovery process.
So, I walk slowly and deliberately. I'm now starting to try stairs, up and down, which seems to be going OK.
My leg now flexes at 130 degrees... Wendy does a measurement each time I go for physical therapy. For me, 140 degrees is normal.
Dr. Davis told me a couple of days ago that he thinks we've hit a home run so far. He noted that he has had patients, having undergone comparable surgery, who have not been able to attain full range of motion until six months after surgery. I'm almost there in two months. Knock on wood. There is still a ways to go before 100% weight bearing morphs to 100% recovery.
At least now, my condition is a far cry from eight weeks ago, when it was a major exercise just to get in and out of bed, or go to the bathroom.
Eight weeks ago, I remember wondering how I would feel eight to ten weeks out.
I had planned a number of trips and mini trips before the end of the year, including a Panama Canal Cruise, an October trip to Oregon Shakespeare Festival, a couple of trips (October and November) for business and political meetings to the Bay Area, and a December trip to NYC to attend the recording of a jazz album where I am Executive Producer.
I had resigned myself, then, eight weeks ago, to giving up on all these planned excursions. Yet, we did the Panama Cruise... I traveled to Oregon and back last week, and I'm planning on completing the other engagements as they were scheduled. Knock on wood.
Net, I guess what I'm saying is that the recovery, so far, has gone better than I expected... though I had had no real basis or experience to gauge what a legitimate recovery expectation should be. I'm under no illusions. There is always the possibility for setback or complication. I know I must be careful. I must "listen to my leg" and follow the advice of those friends and family members who have urged, "patience."
Still, onward. Fingers crossed. Knock on wood.
Above: Yankees at Astros. Game 6. ALCS. 20 October 2017.
Watching at home with Rudy Jr. No score, top of the 5th.
Post Chinese (Kung Pao chicken) at Full House.
Grand kids, in constant motion, are white noise background to game reportage.
Last Yankees team I followed with some interest had Mantle, Maris, Ford, Berra, Skowron, and Richardson as players....late 50's?
Went to 3 or 4 Yankees games a year with Rudy Jr. when living in NY 88 to 91.
Addendum:
Moab: Small get-off, long fall - often we don't think the fall will kill us, it's the cars, trucks, buses, etc. we try to risk manage.
Years ago (30?) I tried to manage the steep drop-off on Black Bear Pass. My thought (aka Steep Learning Curve) was to lean into the wall going down: wrong plan on a BMW R80G/S with a jug sticking out the right side and which bounced me to the left after it made contact with the wall and pushed me very close to the drop-off and stream below. After that I learned to "suck-up," ride left....and try not to close my eyes, use the front brake and seek help from some deity.
Woman dies in motorcycle accident
A Michigan woman was killed last week when she lost control of the motorcycle she was riding and crashed on the ...
Best,
Dr. G
It's not the speed or the journey as some would claim, it's the miles and how long we can do them
Sad. Been on like trails... Engineer Pass, for one.
Hum... I just noticed, your moto 'incident' happened on my birthday... didn't feel it... 😉
Flic,
Montreal, QC
Steve,
Your recovery continues- congratulations.
Sage advice: “Don’t push it. Listen to your leg”.
AhnRhee, Larkspur, CA
"Devil's Bargain" book review feedback:
Brilliant review
Hoops,
Pelham, NY
Bullshit.
Jack Aroon, Mahwah, NJ
Thank you . . great write-up much appreciated . . not read book yet.
However I heard SB say that he can be much more effective outside than inside the WH; so he is DJT's "wingman" outside.
Not really a ouster.
"I would add, notwithstanding Bannon's ouster from his advisor position at the Whitehouse, don't believe for a minute that the mind meld between Trump and Bannon, and its outsized impact on Trump administration policy direction, is severed.'
Hand,
San Jose, CA
Don’t know that I will read the book but certainly enjoyed your review — particularly your "full disclosure”! Thank you! —
Manhattan,
Park City, UT
I like you Steve, but this is the kind of shit that scares the hell out of me. I think you’re too smart for this, and I think you’ll regret having posted this.
Zookeeper
Williamstown, MA