Date: 2005-02-08
To: Broken Leg In Two Places and Still Smiling!
Miles today: 0.0

UPDATE ON THE LEG INJURY!Well,I'd like to start today¢s entry by saying thanks to everyone who emailed me yesterday with well wishes for my little leg troubles I need to overcome!I went to the Orthopedic Doctors yesterday with quite a bit of worry about the possible outcome and diagnosis of what the hell happened to my legs in my snowboarding mishap, and I was expecting the worst after my original diagnosis from the ER on Saturday morning. My Orthopedic doctor told me that I needed to get my X-Rays from the ER before I came in for my appointment and so I went in to the ER Center before my 10:30 Ortho appointment yesterday morning to pick up the X-Rays. After a big slop of confusion and frantic searching by the nurses at the ER center, I learned that they had lost my X-Rays or shipped them somewhere and basically they didn't have them to give to me as they had promised they could when I called earlier. So off I went, to the Orthopedic Doctors, empty handed, with nothing to show of the X-Rays except a sheet that described the ER Doctor¢s findings that basically read, "No bone damage, must be a tendon, ligament injury".   So in I walk, (or hobble on crutches I guess I should say...), into the Orthopedic Doctors office with nothing to give them except a goofy piece of paper that says I don't have any bone damage. I get into the Orthopedic Doctors exam room and the Doc starts wobbling my knee around and asking me where it hurts, etc. He keeps doing tests for torn ligaments and tendons, and even though my leg is still extremely swollen at that point, he can't feel any ligament damage, and he tells the nurse that he needs X-Rays, and I will just have to have more pics taken at his office and so I swing my way into his X-Ray room for more pics. The doctor soon walks in and tells me that he has good news and bad news. The bad news is the ER doctor misread the original X-Rays and the good news is that my leg is actaully broken in two places! The top of the fibula was one of the breaks,(right where it connects to tibia), and also it was broken right at the top of the tibia actually in the knee joint. So technically I broke my leg, and I broke my knee! I couldn't believe how relieved I was to hear that my leg was broken and I wouldn't need surgery for a torn ligament or tendon. That picture I posted actually wasn't what was wrong with my leg! It was only a break, or two!Now, for the good part¢¦ My whole entire life surrounds itself around physical activity. The day I broke my leg I was planning on going to pick up my bike from the shop after it had just received its six month servicing, since it had about 5000 miles racked up on it already.-That¢s a lot of peddling! I also go running through the park and I love feeling great and alive after I do yoga following a hard workout. My mind and body feel so connected and it seems as if I don't need anything else when I'm active. I usually find myself doing some sort of physical activity for about three hours every day. It surprises me that I find so much joy through hard physical activity, but it is definitely pivotal in providing me enjoyment and happiness! As well, I also pay psychotically close attention to what I eat. I center the days food intake around my performance goals for the day and the following week, etc. This broken leg will change everything about how my daily life is lived! -Most of you are probably thinking to yourselves, ¢This crack head said this was, ¢The Good Part¢?! This doesn't sound good yet; I thought he said this was the good part?!?!..."Well, let me explain! I found myself, once again on my ride into work, extremely happy, because on my way down the stairs to get into the truck to get to work; I flew down the staircase to get out the door. I can go down a flight of stairs in like, 3 seconds now on crutches! I can clear about three or four stairs in one bound! It¢s awesome! I have been getting really good on these things and they are almost not even an obstacle to my mobility anymore. I can do so much cool stuff on these bad boys! They¢re almost faster than walking! What is the point in worrying about what I can¢t do?! Look at what I can do! At least I am not sick, or permanently immobile! There are so many other crappy things that can happen to people in this life and I am not going to be a baby and cry about some little temporary setback. I am not really one of those, Attitude Is Everything, kind of people, but the truth is, attitude is everything. I take everything in this life as a challenge that can be accomplished in small steps, and every time something really bad happens, I overcome that obstacle and gain more pride and confidence in myself. It works exponentially, and so every time something crappy happens, it turns out being something good, that gives me more pride. I can do anything, and I can get through anything. We can all get through anything if we take things as challenges, and put more faith in ourselves, every time I complete a challenge, I gain more confidence in this philosophy. I also gain more happiness, every time I realize that all I need is this attitude, and nothing bad can happen to me. Sure there are some challenges that are harder than others, but anything is possible, and this attitude beats the alternative, after all, I have succeeded at every challenge so far I didn't plan on, and hopefully, we can all encourage each other that we can all do anything we really want to! I mean, people become blinded and still find happiness, people become paralyzed and still find happiness, and people lose loved ones and still find happiness! Our problems aren¢t that bad, so be a big boy/girl and be happy! It could be worse. I say, to hell with self pity. Don¢t be a baby! This life can kick butt, even when things go wrong!All in all,It was just another good day, riding into work, and singing and dancing in the truck on the ride into work. (The singing was easier than the dancing. It¢s kind of hard for a gimp like me to dance, leg brace and all, but I sure gave it one hell of a shot!) It was a nice day, even though it was cloudy. I once again realized, I can get through anything, and most importantly, I have new challenges that allow me to prove myself to me once again. This will be good, trying to figure out what to do to entertain myself for a month on crutches, with no cycling or snowboarding or yoga or anything! I am going to be the best damn crutch user out there; maybe I can learn how to do some stunts on crutches or something¢¦This should be interesting! Take it easy everyone! I¢ll be healed up in a month !!!! Awesome! AT here I come!