Swimmingly

Went swimming today for the first time since the injury.

It's amazing what low expectations will do for you, because 20 minutes of swimming felt downright magical. It's the first real exercise I've done in the last five weeks.

I'd love to get to the pool 4-5 days a week and build up to 45 minutes to an hour of swimming, but since I won't be able to drive for another month, that means relying on the wife or taking a cab both ways, at least for now. Not sure quite how reliable cabs are during the day in Salida or if that's even possible. And Uber and Lyft haven't made it out here just yet. 

I'm still crutching and in a boot, and I will be for another five weeks. But even after I'm walking and jogging I expect to be spending a lot of time at the pool the next three to five months. I prefer swimming to ellipticals or stationary bikes, and, well, I couldn't do those yet even if I wanted to.

I'm able to take the boot off at night and when I'm in the water now, and I'm not going to lie, the leg still don't look right. The pain has subsided considerably, but thoughts of running are still a long ways off. First, swimming. Then, walking.

Patience, grasshopper. Life's all about patience right now.

Regardless, being able to get into the water was a big spirit-lifter and gets me excited about the process of recovery. There's a long road ahead, but I'm glad that I'm finally taking the first steps in that direction. Figuratively if not yet literally.

Surgery Update

After my initial diagnosis, I had planned to get surgery in Salida.

But after having a day or two to think through things, I put feelers out to doctor friends around the state, described my injuries, and asked them, if it were you, where would you go for surgery? 

The answer was universally the same. Everyone said I should go to the Steadman Clinic in Vail. 

I reached out to Steadman, was able to connect with a foot & ankle specialist right away, and put myself on the calendar for surgery this Wednesday. 

I made my expectations clear: I told them I had about 50,000 miles of running on my legs and that, if it were all possible, I'd love to do another 50,000 miles more.

After looking at my X-rays, and discussing my long-term goals, the surgeon recommended I get two surgeries, rather than just one. An initial surgery to put two screw into my lower leg to fixate the bones to put them where they should be and then a second minor surgery in three months to remove the screws. 

Initially, I had hoped to avoid surgery altogether. Now I had two surgeries ahead of me. Not ideal. That said, if it means I don't have metal in my legs the rest of my life, and if it means a better long-term prognosis, I'm willing to do what it takes.

So that's what's happening. 

I had my first surgery on Wednesday. The clinic came highly recommended, but the quality of service and treatment at the clinic still exceeded all expectations. From the nurses, to the PAs, to the anesthesiologist, to the surgeon himself, I was just blown away by their seriousness and professionalism. It was all very reassuring. I'm very confident I got the best treatment possible. And the surgeon seems optimistic that a full and complete recovery is on the horizon. 

Back at home now and things are fine. 

I might actually try to do this one of these days, just to keep from going stir crazy.

I'll see if I can hop my way to the finish line over at Run Through Time next Saturday. Perhaps I'll see
some of you there.

Best of luck to all and stay safe. There will be snow and ice on the course this year.

Update: Just heard from the RD that there are going to be re-routes on both courses to minimize snow and ice exposure. Definitely the right call.