"Fall" 2013

This Fall will be remembered at least in part for my fall. I posted that last post early last Saturday morning sitting on the couch with a freshly broken foot. My first broken anything.  I was waiting for the boys to wake up, so I could break (sorry, pun maybe) the news to them and sort out how to deal with it.

Lesley was out of town Friday night, to give a talk to some landowners in Highland County, where she has been doing Golden-winged research on their properties.  Wife out of town, Friday night - I was partying HARD. You know, generally picking up around the house and doing the bathroom-scrubbing circuit.  Around 1130, just when the podcasts were getting good, I was heading down the slick wood steps, hands full, in the dark, with socks on, and slipped off the edge of the third to last step, then slamming my forefoot into the edge of the second to bottom step and then into the tile floor.  Very rapidly, like automatic-weapon-firing rapid.

All I knew was that it hurt and it was loud.  I sat things down, then got on the floor and tried to breathe through the pain.  Didnt black out, but realized pretty quickly that I was probably seriously hurt, especially when I turned on the light, saw my mis-shapen foot and inspected the steps to realize that the loud crack was not the wood breaking.  No bone was through skin.

Being 1130, the boys were long since asleep.  Calmed down, but started shaking uncontrollably, got really cold and my brain kept saying to go to bed, go to bed...  So I did, then called the ER and they confirmed that this was not something worth waking the boys for.  Next morning, I texted Lesley and she hurried home. I handed Heath to a neighbor to go to gymnastics, met Lesley, handed Alder to her and went to the ER, where they confirmed...

I dont need to document/share every detail here, but long story short, I had surgery yesterday to put 6 screws and plate in there to assure that it healed quickest and best, so I can resume the active life I want/need as soon as possible.  ASAP will likely be 8 or so weeks to get back to bearing weight and walking.
From top:

Screws and plate from side:

Most important thing is that I am feeling especially fortunate because:

1. This has been a total shock to me, to us, as I/we realize the impact this has on our ability to live the way we do.  I cant do anything.  Nothing.  And this makes me realize how lucky we are in this family to have our health and be able to do the things we find important.  I will spare a long long list of those things, but suffice to say, normally, we dont sit down much around here, and this makes us realize how lucky we are to have our health.  We make ourselves healthy via our lifestyles, which in turn keeps us healthy.  Physically, emotionally, mentally… This is very evident.

2.  Moreover, we are SOOOO lucky that Lesley's parents were arriving the next morning, purely coincidentally.  Sure, the annual Halloween visit is not as expected, but they have been an ESSENTIAL help to us for the past week.  

3.  I have a job and a boss that are accomodating of this.  Or, more like completely cooperative and welcoming for me to do what I need to do.  Amidst lots of negatives on my job, this is a major plus.

4.  I live in a place, and have the resources I need to cripple myself one day, and then have someone fix it a few days later, with techniques and medication to minimize alot of physical suffering.  My heart goes out to people in places without these luxuries, and to our ancestors in other times, when such comfort was not even a reality.  Hunting and gathering with my family 60,000 years ago, I would have become prey.  Two-hundred years ago, I would have, if lucky, suffered through healing to arrive at a deformity to hinder me the rest of my life.  If I was privileged, a doctor might have given me a shot of whiskey, and trying to help, mangled me even worse.

5.  Durable family.  My wife can handle things on her own.  Sure, we are a dance team, but because of that, we can each do it all when we need to.  I am fortunate that she can handle this without losing it.  She is strong in mind and body.  And our boys, though iffy sometimes, do understand when they need to reign themselves in and help out, be it by simply chilling out, cooperating, or actively helping with some task.  

I am sure I will also complete alot of thinking about my pace of life.  Maybe while I bathe sitting on top of an ice chest in the shower.  Or while I pee with my forehead on the wall.  And, I will re-calibrate the importance of things, either related or not, to this little spill.  With lots of time medicated on my arse these days, there is plenty of time to think, and more importatnly, to be reminded of the all important not-thinking, and not-doing.  Not-thinking and not-doing is only possible in small doses with big jobs and little kids, but it is ever important.