Just got back from my first extended ride…and although just 10 miles, it felt great. I think I’ll be ready to start my cycle commute to work starting on Monday, tt’s 5 miles each way. I’ve got to pull my daughter in a trailer..so it will be a little extra work, but luckily we live in flatville…so it shouldn’t be to bad. Here’s a pic of the mtn bike converted to ATR cycle:
Slick tires put on, clipless pedals replaced with flats, and seat lowered so that heels can hit ground in case of quick stop.
Gosh…I just am reading some posts of folks that are just in their first days after surgery and it seems just like yesterday to me. I’m telling you it goes slow at first and then before you know it you’ll be back on your feet (or cycle) and doing the things you love to do. In retrospect, when I was laid up in bed for those first 2 weeks, leg elevated, in pain…it was one of the only times in the last 10 years that I’ve really slowed down. I got to think about things and catch up with old friends…things we just don’t get to do in today’s busy society. So in some sort of wierd way, I enjoyed those first few weeks, not really while I was experiencing them, but after the fact…the memory is not bad, it’s actually a little refreshing. I’m not saying I want to go through this thing again, but I can remember writing a post 2 months ago about being scared of returning to the activities that come with risk of injury…but now just a few months later, I say bring ‘em on.
I just feel thankful (and a bit embaressed/spoiled) to have access to such good health care. I saw an image on the Yahoo home page a few days ago of some tribe in South America that was being photographed from a helicoptor…they are apparently one of the last truly indigenious tribes that have not had contact with the modern world (aside from seeing metal flying in the sky!). My first thought was, wow…if one of them tears an AT while hunting…there is a good chance they would be crippled for the rest of their life…however long or short that may be. Hence..the thankful feeling on my part…
So, Brendan, what are you getting at really. I guess I’m just a little overwhelmed with good feelings today and I just think I’ve grown a lot through this experience, so I’m kind of glad it happened…no, glad really isn’t the right word….maybe fortunate. Heck, IMO, we get one shot at life here…and why not experience as much as we can. We are members of an elite group of folks who have sustained one of the worst sports injuries…and we are all living to talk about it.
OK…back to the heel…it’s still looking good, I haven’t iced outside of the PT office in a week:
Been walking in two shoes for about two weeks now, and if I really concentrate and roll up on my toes, I walk without much limp. But if I need some speed, I stay on heels and limp along. Working the calf eccentrically with some body weight, and cocentrically with the therabands still. Did some jumps on the leg press shuttle machine at PT which my therapist said would be scary…but I didn’t find it so. Stretching the AT for one minute intervals with some body weight. I’m going to make a slant board as well to help keep the stretching up. A family friend said that that really helped her in the 3-6 month time period after she had ruptured hers.
As eriedutchgirl says…keep your chins up. We’ll all get this thing licked!
Cheers!
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