The long journey back to life as I used to know it…

Well a beautiful sunny Saturday morning here in Buffalo NY. Normal for a lot of other places but sun here in Buffalo after a long winter is like a sip of water to a thirsty man stranded in the desert. Like all of you I am constantly getting calls, emails and texts asking how my recovery is going. In the beginning I was honest and told them about the road ahead, the NWB time, the PWB time, achilles boots, etc. They would listen but I could sense how really bored and uninterested they really were. It is human nature to ask how you are doing but we all pray that the person says “I’m doing fine or great” or something that makes us feel good. We do not want a dissertation of the rehab and obstacles of recovering from a surgery. So, lately I have changed my strategy….I received a call from a friend of my wife’s who is a real pranckster herself, she asked “how are you doing” I said “great”….I followed up by telling her that I felt so good this morning that I cut the cast off by myself and starting slowly walking around our house. I told her that I must be a quick healer because by the end of the day I was doing wind sprints up a down the driveway. She was completely and utterly amazed at my miraculous healing. She commented “That is so awesome!, wow I have never heard of something like this before” “Mark, I am so happy for you”…I then quickly burst her and my bubble stating that pretty much all I do ALL day is sit in my chair that I used to love but am beginning to have issues with. I have used this same strategy in texts and email to friends responding with things like “Thanks for your text, I am doing great and appreciate your concern, today I did 1000 jumping jacks and thinking about going up on the roof to clean the gutters” Their responses have ranged from “really?” to “sorry I asked, no need to be a smart ass”..

As for my progress, what can I say….feel good, not much pain, able to flex foot pretty good and crossing off days on the calender till when I see the doc again like my kids cross of the days left in school.

It is my youngest 2nd birthday today, we will celebrate tomorrow with family at our house. Sounds like a day full of fun for my kids and a day of explaining over and over and over how I did this, when I will walk again, whether it hurts or not, yadda, yadda, yadda…I’m sure you all know the drill. And my responses will be…”no I can’t drive”, “yes it does suck”, “yes crutches do hurt my pits”, “maybe I will let the kids sign my cast” blah…blah…blah….

Gimp of Buffalo NY signing off, need to get focused for a day of holding my chair down from flying away.