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.

ACL.

The diagnosis that I've been hoping not to get was confirmed today.

I tore my ACL and meniscus in my left knee.

I'm waiting to get a surgery date, but looks like it will happen either the end of June or early July. I'll have a brace for a month after surgery. I should be able to run 6-8 weeks after surgery with a full recovery date of about 6 months. It seems like 2010 has taken a turn for the worse. I'm already anxiously awaiting 2011, because it's got to be a better year than this is turning out to be.

Historically May is not a good month for me:
May 14, 2009- I got laid off.
May 15, 2010- I crashed a motorcycle.
May 16, 2011- I will probably not leave my house.

The confirmation of my injury has put me in a pretty foul mood. While I didn't have many plans, and certainly not a bucket list, but I did want to do all of the things that I did last summer. Long bike rides, long runs, soccer games. I just want to be myself again and being myself means being active. This is going to be a long mental journey for me and I'm going to try to stay positive, but for now, I'm going to feel sorry for myself.

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).