Just like that 6 months gone by! Easy for anyone else to say but man oh man, the days move so slowly when you are healing it really challenges the body and brain! I don’t usually like to talk about my injuries till after I’m healed up and this last one was a doozy so wanted to share the ups and downs with some fun pictures of my internal tattoos!

The “easy  fix” I mentioned in my first story was not so easy. There was old hardware in my ankle and the first surgeon mentioned not wanting to push the rod in too deep and hit screws. He chose not to plate the broken Fibula saying it would just heal on its own. He also told me I could put full weight on it 2 weeks post op! I was amazed and thought this one would be a breeze- WELL, at 2 weeks in there was no way I could put any pressure on my leg. Not at 3 weeks. I was feeling like a wimp. At 4 weeks it became tolerable just barely. Week 5 I told myself its time. My body said no- Week 6 things were getting better and there was some light at the far distant end of the tunnel. Starting to put weight into it. Slowly buy slowly was my motto!

Two months into recovery I had my first checkup and I was in pain. Something was not right. X rays showed a mal- alignment. Hmmmmm, I was referred to a specialist on Maui that had to fly in from another island. He said the bones had moved and it didn’t look “ideal” and that it might be ok and we could wait for 6- 9 months and see how I do! WHAT??? I was completely discouraged and in shock with his comments. I fired my X rays over to my favorite doctors in San Francisco and they said get over here, we will fix you. Off I flew..... I had to stick with one of my many mottos, IN PAIN, GET ON THE PLANE!

Voluntarily going back to ground zero was really tough. This was a big mental challenge for me. Normally when I’m broken there is no question, it has to be done right then and there. This was different. The anticipation. The what if’s. All those consent forms. My dad came wth me to hold my hand thankfully. Leaving my wife and kids for a couple weeks was very hard but I knew in my core I had to get fixed.

The time came and they wheeled me off into the operating room. I was cold. I was trembling. I was scared for the first time in a long time. The anesthesia team was led by a windsurfing friend of mine who made some of the best cocktails I CAN'T remember. I love going under and 4 hours later waking up to not remembering a thing that just happened. The Docs said all went well. The grand summary was: remove old injury screws in ankle. Remove screws into rod, straighten out (rebreak) bent Tibia,  cut back into knee, get big hammer and pound rod further down into ankle joint. Cut open other side, insert metal plate to straighten and support Fibula. Screw that puppy on nice and tight. I also convinced them while they were in there to clean up my ankle that was already in need of a tune up long before this happened. He took a hammer and chisel (seriously) and knocked some bone off reshaping the joint to give me some more range! PHEWWWWW…….

Getting out of the hospital was quite a mission. I begged to stay for as long as possible. They kicked me out after day 3! I was staying at a friends place on a STEEP hill in San Francisco. Getting out of the taxi was almost impossible. Once that was accomplished the 3 flights of stairs were a new challenge. I made it, barely! Phew. My awesome anesthesia friend gave me 2 nerve blocks that made my leg totally numb from below the knee down. They gave me a top up upon hospital departure which lasted another 3 days.  My biggest pain so far was the knee- couldn’t feel the bottom of my leg, it was like a piece of dead wood and that was kinda nice. I didn’t take any pain meds except the first night after the operation.

A week later we moved down to a beautiful place overlooking Monterey Bay. Thank goodness for awesome friends that took us in and made me feel right at home. I was there for another week and felt strong enough to hop on the plane to Maui and see my family! Back on recovery road…..

Since then it has been all about rehab (again) and getting things to move. A big process that forced me to dig deep, real deep. I get comments of people asking my how my knee is- I think it has been so long they forget I broke my leg, not my knee. Some will say, “that was fast!” and I look at them and say fast for you maybe….. When you are injured time seems to stand still. The hardest part is seeing the end of the test. It sometimes feels hopeless. I break it all down into stages. A complete body re-build. I need challenge and this is what kept me going. Hour by hour. Day by day. Keeping sanity was hard. Having a 2 year old and an 8 year old both full of chaotic energy is draining with 2 strong legs, let alone one……you can imagine the scene there. I was in the gym daily focused on the prize. My therapists are amazing! My wife was a champion. My kids…… well they got used to it. I didn’t allow myself to get used to it. I visualized recovery, 100% way down the tunnel……

After 25 weeks and 4 days- I’m ready to go. Come join me!

See you on the water!