12, 8, & 2 years ago...

July 17th and 18th are dates I will probably always remember. For very different reasons.

Twelve years ago, on July 17, 1998, I went to the Smashing Pumpkins concert in Minneapolis. The concert was held in the parking lot off Hennepin Ave that is now Block E. I got hit in the head with a glass bottle, got an amazing back eye and 7 stitches. Thankfully the scar is in my eyebrow and for the most part, unnoticeable.

Two years ago, on July 17, 2008, I fell off my bike on Hennepin Ave right by Loring Park. The diagnosis was a closed wound head injury, but thankfully not a concussion. The only two head injuries I've sustained have been on the same day, ten years apart.

Eight years ago, on July 18, 2002, I met a boy to walk around Lake Calhoun. We walked around all night just talking. I knew that night I would marry him. And I did, 6 years later. I told that story at our wedding. We were young when we met and I knew that we wouldn't get married for awhile, but I knew that someday we would.

Sometimes, its fun to think back about how things were. Obviously, the injures aren't as fun to think back on, but my first date with Adam is. I recall when our friends started to notice that we were spending more time together at parties and when the word spread that we went out on a date. A few friends were trying to play match-maker, not realizing that we'd already made the match. My sister tried to set us each up with different people not realizing that we weren't interested on anyone else. As our relationship started, I was getting ready to leave for England. I knew I had 6 weeks to spend with Adam before I left for 4 months. I was only 20.

I think back to the chain of events that had to happen for me to even meet Adam. Starting in 1997. If I had been in a different English class Sophomore year, had I sat in a different seat, I wouldn't have become friends with the boy who worked with the boy who lived with the boy that was in a band with Adam. Yeah, that's a hard one to follow, but it took 3 friends and 5 years for Adam and I to meet. It's one of those things that I wonder about. If all of our friends had not aligned, would we have met at a different time? If we hadn't have met when I was 20, would we have been given a chance later in life, or was that it?

I guess I don't need to know the answer. Everything happened just as it should.

Back and sort of rolling.

I had knee surgery on June 30th. ACL reconstruction and fix (clean up) of a meniscus tear on my left knee. I had intentions of writing about it sooner, but it was one of those things that was easier to think about than to act on it. The pain meds I was one just wore me out and made me sleepy, so I spent a lot of time sleeping.

Overall, the surgery went well, or so they say. I'm starting physical therapy this week. Hopefully that goes well. I'm still on crutches. Hopefully I'll be off them soon. I need to be able to hold my leg out straight before I can do it. Getting close, but still not there. Amazing how something that used to be so easy is now so difficult.

This was my leg after surgery. The blue tube like thing is actually just an ice pack. They sent me home from the hospital with a cooler that attaches to my leg to keep it consistently cold. It was sort of loud and annoying, but very functional.


I had my post surgery doctor check up today. He gave me a smaller ace bandage to wear and shortened the brace a little. But I still have to wear it till the end of the month.


Let's just say, I'm looking forward to August. And well, 2011 in general when I'll *hopefully* be cleared for all of my regular activities again. With a modified activity brace of course. I'll be brace bound for running & soccer for quite a while. It really makes me wish I hadn't been thinking "it's so nice to get to run without a knee brace" the weekend before I crashed. I was out for my long run and was thinking about my previous knee injuries and how annoying they had been. Well, it's been a fun year brace free. At least my right knee hasn't been giving me any trouble for a while, otherwise this whole fiasco could be a lot worse.

I'm just trying to stay positive and keep looking ahead toward recovery. Its really the only way to go about it. So, here's to the future and hopefully a knee-brace free August.

Surgery Bound.

When I found out I tore my ACL, I didn't even question the surgery option. I'm an active person and if I want to do as many of the things that I did before, I need to get surgery.

Surgery is scheduled for June 30th. Two weeks away. I'm hoping the long 4th of July weekend will be enough recovery time, but I'm preparing for the worst. I have no idea how I'm going to feel, so I mentally prepping to be bed ridden and to not want to move. Part of me wants to research this a little more, but at the same time know that I would psyche myself out too much if I did, so its better to just live with what the doctor tells me. We'll see how this little adventure goes.

In the meantime, my hand is still sore/tender as is my right leg (where the bike fell on me in the tumble before the crash). I have a feeling both of those injuries are going to linger with me much longer than I want them to. Just taking this all one day at a time.

Motorcycles are dangerous, remember that.

Crash.

Last Thursday I embarked on an adventure of learning to ride a motorcycle. Harley-Davidson has a new rider course to learn in. Its two nights of in class teaching and then two days of on the bike training. By the end, if you pass, you are endorsed to get your motorcycle license. I was excited about the course, but not so excited to give up my Thursday and Friday nights and all day Saturday and Sunday. But I was excited at the opportunity to learn to ride a motorcycle. That excitement didn't last long.

On Saturday, I started out doing well. I got the basics of riding and was having a good time. Just before lunch I was starting to struggle and ended up tipping the bike- the bike landing on my leg. Of course, that jilted me a little. Its hard to get back on when you've just had a motorcycle fall on you and your leg is throbbing. I spent the lunch break trying to build back up my confidence. Again, that didn't last long.

Not long after lunch, I crashed. Not just a tumble off the bike, but a crash. I was going faster than I wanted heading into a curve (the whole course taking place in a parking lot, so we were just riding around in circles). I had a vision of myself tipping the bike around the curve and myself sliding across the pavement. Not a good vision. But I had a vision I was going to crash, so, in essence I made it happen. I tried to stop, but did the one maneuver that we are told NOT to do- I grabbed the front break. In another attempt to avoid the pavement, I steered myself into a ditch.

The physical crash is hazy for me. I tipped the bike onto the right side, but somehow ended up sliding across the dirt on my left side. Hurting my right hand and left knee in the process. I'm banged up and bruised, but that's all. Nothing broken and hopefully nothing too serious (I'm still waiting to see how bad my knee is).

But I hurt. I thought I had a pretty high pain tolerance, but the way I'm throwing back vicodin leads me to believe otherwise.

Will I attempt to drive a motorcycle again? No. I don't trust myself and if I can crash in a motorcycle safety course, I shouldn't be on the road. Will I ride one again? Maybe. I don't trust myself to drive one, but I'm not opposed to someone else.

Here's a picture of the bike post crash. (Note the dirt in the head light and exposed wires).



Here's a picture of me post crash. (Note the knee brace and arm wrap).