Update: The collarbone has not healed at all. Since I've started to do more stuff again, it does bother me some. Lifting anything heavy, laying on that side... I can feel it's not connected. Doc H says I don't HAVE to get it done - I could live with it like this the rest of my life. But it's not very strong and will likely bust again if I fall on it. I've decided to go for the surgery to repair it. I have things to do in the immediate future and then the weather will be good for doing things outside. I'm going to try to wait until summer 2014 to get it fixed. In the hottest time of the year I can't really get outside and do anything anyway so might as well get it done then. Until then, onward and upward!!
Wild West Tour
Earlier this year, I started planning a street bike trip with a girlfriend who lives in CO. We really just wanted to get out and ride so we plotted a basic route that makes a loop consisting of a bunch of National Parks. Like Bryce, Zion, Grand Canyon and the like. We're calling it our Thelma and Louise trip.
While I was planning that, my friends Jimmy and Lois invited me to go with them on their out west trip. They're taking a couple of weeks to ride dualsport bikes in the National Forests around Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks. They were planning it for about the time I'd finish the T&L trip. Well shoot! I'll be nearby so why not?! When will I get another opportunity to find someone to go tour with? I'm in!
Internet access permitting, I will try to update this blog while I'm on the trip. If not, it'll have to wait until I get back.
So here I go! Stay tuned!
Ready to hit the road...
Showing posts with label healing/recovery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label healing/recovery. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Oops! Forgot to update!
Feb 5, 2013
A quick update: Doc appt on Jan 15 didn't indicate much healing going on. That was the 6 week point since starting treatments with the bone growth stimulator. Next appt is Feb 26. More hurry up and wait.
A quick update: Doc appt on Jan 15 didn't indicate much healing going on. That was the 6 week point since starting treatments with the bone growth stimulator. Next appt is Feb 26. More hurry up and wait.
Friday, December 28, 2012
Post Christmas
Dec 28, 2012
Got the new steering head bearings installed on the DRZ. All's well. Since I can't ride offroad yet, I rode it to work to keep things all running well.
I finally got the bone growth stimulator a month after the doc ordered it. Turns out the delay was at the doc's office. The insurance company requested information that the doc office staff sat on for a while. Anyway, got the device. 30 mins a day the little timer clicks away. I have no idea if it's working or not. Won't know until mid-Jan when the doc xrays it again.
I'm still pretty low energy but not the devastating exhaustion that I've been feeling. I'm trying to get out on the bicycle but I don't usually get more than 5 miles. I guess that's better than nothing.
I got out on the kayak a couple of weeks ago and did ok. I only went 4 miles which is half of my normal kayak outing. But it didn't bother my shoulder at all. Probably because the kayak stroke comes from the torso, not the arms. Muscles are weak but otherwise everything else was ok.
I got an invitation to go back and finish my trip by joining with a friend and his friends on their trip in June. This one will avoid the gravel and will be on street bikes. That sounds like a good plan to me.
So now I wait until mid-Jan. Keep your fingers crossed for me!
Got the new steering head bearings installed on the DRZ. All's well. Since I can't ride offroad yet, I rode it to work to keep things all running well.
I finally got the bone growth stimulator a month after the doc ordered it. Turns out the delay was at the doc's office. The insurance company requested information that the doc office staff sat on for a while. Anyway, got the device. 30 mins a day the little timer clicks away. I have no idea if it's working or not. Won't know until mid-Jan when the doc xrays it again.
I'm still pretty low energy but not the devastating exhaustion that I've been feeling. I'm trying to get out on the bicycle but I don't usually get more than 5 miles. I guess that's better than nothing.
I got out on the kayak a couple of weeks ago and did ok. I only went 4 miles which is half of my normal kayak outing. But it didn't bother my shoulder at all. Probably because the kayak stroke comes from the torso, not the arms. Muscles are weak but otherwise everything else was ok.
I got an invitation to go back and finish my trip by joining with a friend and his friends on their trip in June. This one will avoid the gravel and will be on street bikes. That sounds like a good plan to me.
So now I wait until mid-Jan. Keep your fingers crossed for me!
Thursday, November 15, 2012
DRZ and healing issues
Nov 15, 2012
The shock on the DRZ needed servicing. I got it back and installed it on the bike. As I started to push it out of the garage, the front end wouldn't turn at all. Like the forks were locked. I dismantled the front end to find the lower steering head bearing was shot. It was a mess. I cleaned it all up and ordered a set of new bearings. Hopefully they'll arrive today and I can install them this weekend.
My collarbone is not healing. The doc ordered a bone growth stimulator on Oct 30. I have yet to receive it. It seems the doc office dropped the ball. The insurance company requested more information from the doc and he hasn't sent it yet. I've been making phone calls to get it done. Since next week is a holiday, I'm sure nothing will get done then so who knows when I'll get this thing. In the meantime, I still have a broken bone and can't so my normal stuff. Every day they delay is a delay in my recovery. Pisses me off that they're dicking around at my expense. I've been nice so far but that's about to end.
Next week is Thanksgiving - my fave weekend of the year! I'll be going rv camping with my friends as we do each year. We have the full T-giving feast. This year is Myakka River State Park. I can't wait!!
More later.
The shock on the DRZ needed servicing. I got it back and installed it on the bike. As I started to push it out of the garage, the front end wouldn't turn at all. Like the forks were locked. I dismantled the front end to find the lower steering head bearing was shot. It was a mess. I cleaned it all up and ordered a set of new bearings. Hopefully they'll arrive today and I can install them this weekend.
My collarbone is not healing. The doc ordered a bone growth stimulator on Oct 30. I have yet to receive it. It seems the doc office dropped the ball. The insurance company requested more information from the doc and he hasn't sent it yet. I've been making phone calls to get it done. Since next week is a holiday, I'm sure nothing will get done then so who knows when I'll get this thing. In the meantime, I still have a broken bone and can't so my normal stuff. Every day they delay is a delay in my recovery. Pisses me off that they're dicking around at my expense. I've been nice so far but that's about to end.
Next week is Thanksgiving - my fave weekend of the year! I'll be going rv camping with my friends as we do each year. We have the full T-giving feast. This year is Myakka River State Park. I can't wait!!
More later.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Shoddy suspension?
Sunday, Oct 21
Took the rear shock off the DRZ yesterday, packed it up to send to get serviced/inspected and repaired if necessary. When I was cleaning up the bike and checking it over for damage, it dawned on me that the rear shock may not be working properly and that may have contributed to my crash. Doh!! We'll see. The shop will test it before they do anything to see if anything is wrong with it.
Feeling better today. I worked outside all day - mowing, prepping the rv for an upcoming trip. Stuff like that. I'm really tired now and I hope I don't pay for it tomorrow. I tend to have a really good day, then a bad day. Every other day has been the trend. I'm hoping to stretch that out a bit and have a couple of good days before I have a bad one. This healing shit is S-L-O-W!!!
That's it for now. Time for bed.
Took the rear shock off the DRZ yesterday, packed it up to send to get serviced/inspected and repaired if necessary. When I was cleaning up the bike and checking it over for damage, it dawned on me that the rear shock may not be working properly and that may have contributed to my crash. Doh!! We'll see. The shop will test it before they do anything to see if anything is wrong with it.
Feeling better today. I worked outside all day - mowing, prepping the rv for an upcoming trip. Stuff like that. I'm really tired now and I hope I don't pay for it tomorrow. I tend to have a really good day, then a bad day. Every other day has been the trend. I'm hoping to stretch that out a bit and have a couple of good days before I have a bad one. This healing shit is S-L-O-W!!!
That's it for now. Time for bed.
Monday, October 8, 2012
The DRZ is home!!!
Oct 8, 2012
Got the DRZ home!! Yay!! Woohoo!! Drove up to get it. 4210 miles in 3.5 days. Holy cow. I didn't do it alone, thank goodness! Hurricane helped me. He did all the night driving. It would have taken me FOREVER if I had done it myself. And it was a much more fun trip with him along.
Update on my collarbone: It's not healing. Not good. Doc says let's wait for the 3 month mark when we can try some non-invasive proceedures. They have a 85% success rate. If that doesn't work, then he'll have to go in and fix it surgically. That would suck.
That's it for now. I still have to wrap this up. I know, I know... it takes energy to think and I don't have it right now. I'll get there.
Got the DRZ home!! Yay!! Woohoo!! Drove up to get it. 4210 miles in 3.5 days. Holy cow. I didn't do it alone, thank goodness! Hurricane helped me. He did all the night driving. It would have taken me FOREVER if I had done it myself. And it was a much more fun trip with him along.
Update on my collarbone: It's not healing. Not good. Doc says let's wait for the 3 month mark when we can try some non-invasive proceedures. They have a 85% success rate. If that doesn't work, then he'll have to go in and fix it surgically. That would suck.
That's it for now. I still have to wrap this up. I know, I know... it takes energy to think and I don't have it right now. I'll get there.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Update
Saturday, Sep 29
I will be driving up to Nova Scotia to get my bike. Ugh. Oh well, it has to be done. To make it at least a teeny bit more interesting, I plan on stopping at the LL Bean store in Maine, and hope to see some leaf colors somewhere along the way. No time for anything else. Just gotta git 'er done. :-(
The ribs has pretty much stopped hurting. My collarbone still hurts and I still can't lift, push, or pull with my left arm. As soon as the doc says it looks like it's healed pretty good - as in the bone pieces reconnected - I'll start working it to get back in shape. Wait... I shouldn't say "get back in shape" because I never was in any "shape" anyway. I mean that I want to get back to normal use and not have to think about it anymore.
That's it for now.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Post home update.
Tues, Sep 11
Yesterday was not a good day. I felt like crap, achy, and stuff just kept going wrong. There's something wrong with the left front wheel of my truck. I thought it was a tire getting ready to blow (front end shaking, tire hotter than a $2 pistol), slowed down and nursed it home. Mobile mechanic says it's not the tire, it's probably the wheel bearings. Holy crap, the whole wheel hub/bearing/rotor assembly is new!!! Had it replaced under warranty several times now. Geesus. Now I have to take it back to regular mechanic tomorrow to see if he can find out what's wrong with it.
Had my local doc appt today. There's quite a gap in the bones and he doesn't see signs of healing. However, that's not unusual and he says to give it more time and see how it's doing in 3 more weeks. He was kind of on the fence about if he would have plated it or not when it was still fresh. He's inclined to let them heal naturally vs surgery. So we'll wait and see how it goes. In the meantime, I can't go play. That really sucks.
Still haven't heard a word on my bike. Tracking number still doesn't work which means it hasn't been shipped yet. I'll give it until the end of the week and I'll email them again for a status update.
Friends are working out a sort of bucket brigade to get it down to me. I have the best friends in the world!! I hope it can all happen soon. The weather is going to turn soon and it needs to move before then.
I'm taking the rest of the week off work to get my head together. I just can't face it now. I need to settle back in to home for a bit.
I'll try to work on a wrap up and then put this blog to bed. I need to move forward.
Yesterday was not a good day. I felt like crap, achy, and stuff just kept going wrong. There's something wrong with the left front wheel of my truck. I thought it was a tire getting ready to blow (front end shaking, tire hotter than a $2 pistol), slowed down and nursed it home. Mobile mechanic says it's not the tire, it's probably the wheel bearings. Holy crap, the whole wheel hub/bearing/rotor assembly is new!!! Had it replaced under warranty several times now. Geesus. Now I have to take it back to regular mechanic tomorrow to see if he can find out what's wrong with it.
Had my local doc appt today. There's quite a gap in the bones and he doesn't see signs of healing. However, that's not unusual and he says to give it more time and see how it's doing in 3 more weeks. He was kind of on the fence about if he would have plated it or not when it was still fresh. He's inclined to let them heal naturally vs surgery. So we'll wait and see how it goes. In the meantime, I can't go play. That really sucks.
Still haven't heard a word on my bike. Tracking number still doesn't work which means it hasn't been shipped yet. I'll give it until the end of the week and I'll email them again for a status update.
Friends are working out a sort of bucket brigade to get it down to me. I have the best friends in the world!! I hope it can all happen soon. The weather is going to turn soon and it needs to move before then.
I'm taking the rest of the week off work to get my head together. I just can't face it now. I need to settle back in to home for a bit.
I'll try to work on a wrap up and then put this blog to bed. I need to move forward.
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Thursday, September 6, 2012
On the road again.
Thurs, Sept 6.
I'm leaving now heading for home. Sans bike. I can't express how upset I am about this whole situation. And if one person says "well, it's all part of the adventure", I'm going to kick their fucking ass into oblivion.
Evening update:
I'm in a hotel on the outskirts of Boston. Made good progress today. Hope to get a long day of driving in tomorrow.
OMG, do I hurt!! I can't get comfy driving. I have to move the seatbelt off my shoulder. No matter where it hits, it hits something broken. Then the muscles in my back on my good side are screaming trying to take up the slack for the other side. Feels like a hot knife in my back. I try to stretch it out but I can only move so far. I have a tennis ball that I put between the knife spot and the seat and try to release the knot but no go. Owie, owie, owie.
Time for bed. I'm tired. Nighty night.
I'm leaving now heading for home. Sans bike. I can't express how upset I am about this whole situation. And if one person says "well, it's all part of the adventure", I'm going to kick their fucking ass into oblivion.
Evening update:
I'm in a hotel on the outskirts of Boston. Made good progress today. Hope to get a long day of driving in tomorrow.
OMG, do I hurt!! I can't get comfy driving. I have to move the seatbelt off my shoulder. No matter where it hits, it hits something broken. Then the muscles in my back on my good side are screaming trying to take up the slack for the other side. Feels like a hot knife in my back. I try to stretch it out but I can only move so far. I have a tennis ball that I put between the knife spot and the seat and try to release the knot but no go. Owie, owie, owie.
Time for bed. I'm tired. Nighty night.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Labour Day in Canada
Monday, Sept 3.
Today is Labour Day. Or perhaps a better name would be "No Labour" Day? Nobody is working today, including the shipping company that has my bike. The only good thing about not having my bike yet is that I have more time to recuperate before I start the drive home. I can't drive long periods of time like normal. It's probably going to take me a bit longer to get back than normal.
The strong pain meds are gone. All I have now are the OTC ones. Aleve. It doesn't work nearly as well. My broken bones ache and the muscles that are having to work overtime are screaming too. It wakes me up in the middle of the night and it's hard to get comfortable enough to fall back asleep.
On the good side, my hosts are absolutely THE BEST. I have a comfy bunkhouse all to myself and they're watching over me. We go for walks and hang out. I've been watching movies I haven't seen before. They have an awesome dog to play with (Clayton) and their cat Bunny has adopted me. She stays with me practically all the time.
It's absolutely gorgeous up here. Of course I haven't seen it in the winter snow. But this is the kind of place I dream of for when I retire.
Oh! One of the things I've wanted to do FOREVER is to see the Bay of Fundy. I was able to do that. It's not far from here. One day we went down and watched the tide drop. It's not the big wall of water that most places make it out to be. But it does rise and fall fast. And the currents look treacherous. I'm glad I got the chance to see it. It's pretty darn cool.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the bike will show up tomorrow although I serious doubt it. That would be too optimistic. But I think I'll load all the stuff I'm not using up into the truck just in case. That'll be that much less to do later.
Today is Labour Day. Or perhaps a better name would be "No Labour" Day? Nobody is working today, including the shipping company that has my bike. The only good thing about not having my bike yet is that I have more time to recuperate before I start the drive home. I can't drive long periods of time like normal. It's probably going to take me a bit longer to get back than normal.
The strong pain meds are gone. All I have now are the OTC ones. Aleve. It doesn't work nearly as well. My broken bones ache and the muscles that are having to work overtime are screaming too. It wakes me up in the middle of the night and it's hard to get comfortable enough to fall back asleep.
On the good side, my hosts are absolutely THE BEST. I have a comfy bunkhouse all to myself and they're watching over me. We go for walks and hang out. I've been watching movies I haven't seen before. They have an awesome dog to play with (Clayton) and their cat Bunny has adopted me. She stays with me practically all the time.
It's absolutely gorgeous up here. Of course I haven't seen it in the winter snow. But this is the kind of place I dream of for when I retire.
Oh! One of the things I've wanted to do FOREVER is to see the Bay of Fundy. I was able to do that. It's not far from here. One day we went down and watched the tide drop. It's not the big wall of water that most places make it out to be. But it does rise and fall fast. And the currents look treacherous. I'm glad I got the chance to see it. It's pretty darn cool.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the bike will show up tomorrow although I serious doubt it. That would be too optimistic. But I think I'll load all the stuff I'm not using up into the truck just in case. That'll be that much less to do later.
Monday, August 27, 2012
Ooops! Too long since last update.
Sorry about that!!
Monday, August 27.
I got to my friend Pete's place and have been hanging out here just recovering. I haven't done anything until today. I drove around for a little sightseeing. Went by the Bay of Fundy but really didn't see any tidal action. Drove down to Cape D'Or. It's really beautiful here. All over. Dramatic coastline or rolling farm land. Really nice.
Other friends are starting to show up so starting today, it ought to be party city. Not that I'm a party gal. But it's fun to watch.
Finally got hold of the guy in Port Hope Simpson about my bike. I had called and left messages as well as emailed the guy but who knows what happened to that. He said he wasn't in any hurry because he was waiting to hear from me. Doh!!! Holy cow. Anyway, he said he was going to get the bike off the road today or tomorrow. Then the shipping sequence can take place. I hope they hurry up because I need to start heading home.
I'm doing better each day. Hopefully that trend continues.
Thanks for all the emails and calls. It's pretty remote up here and I have no phone or data and just occasional wifi. I can send and receive texts though.
I'll update again when I hear where my bike is.
Latah gatahs!! C
Monday, August 27.
I got to my friend Pete's place and have been hanging out here just recovering. I haven't done anything until today. I drove around for a little sightseeing. Went by the Bay of Fundy but really didn't see any tidal action. Drove down to Cape D'Or. It's really beautiful here. All over. Dramatic coastline or rolling farm land. Really nice.
Other friends are starting to show up so starting today, it ought to be party city. Not that I'm a party gal. But it's fun to watch.
Finally got hold of the guy in Port Hope Simpson about my bike. I had called and left messages as well as emailed the guy but who knows what happened to that. He said he wasn't in any hurry because he was waiting to hear from me. Doh!!! Holy cow. Anyway, he said he was going to get the bike off the road today or tomorrow. Then the shipping sequence can take place. I hope they hurry up because I need to start heading home.
I'm doing better each day. Hopefully that trend continues.
Thanks for all the emails and calls. It's pretty remote up here and I have no phone or data and just occasional wifi. I can send and receive texts though.
I'll update again when I hear where my bike is.
Latah gatahs!! C
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Chillin'
Tuesday, August 21 update:
In a hotel in St Anthony NL. My flight to Halifax isn't until late tomorrow afternoon. Spent the day sorting out all my motorcycle gear and putting it into a couple of bags I can take on the plane as checked baggage. Other than that, nothing else going on.
Tried to get a rental car to be able to go to L'anse aux Meadows but there are none available.
Feeling just so-so today. I think it's all catching up to me. I need to slow down a bit.
Oh, good news... I contacted the company that will be shipping my bike. That's all taken care of. They'll let me know as soon as they have possession of the bike and are ready to ship it. That's one less thing to worry about.
That's it for now. Latah gatahs.
In a hotel in St Anthony NL. My flight to Halifax isn't until late tomorrow afternoon. Spent the day sorting out all my motorcycle gear and putting it into a couple of bags I can take on the plane as checked baggage. Other than that, nothing else going on.
Tried to get a rental car to be able to go to L'anse aux Meadows but there are none available.
Feeling just so-so today. I think it's all catching up to me. I need to slow down a bit.
Oh, good news... I contacted the company that will be shipping my bike. That's all taken care of. They'll let me know as soon as they have possession of the bike and are ready to ship it. That's one less thing to worry about.
That's it for now. Latah gatahs.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
The saga continues.
Sunday August 19th update:
The doc I saw in the ER came by today and asked me if I saw the bone doc. I said no. Nurse said he was here yesterday but didn't come by. I asked if he was going to come by today and they said no, probably not until Monday. WTF?!?! So I'm just sitting here waiting? I could have done that in the hotel across the street!! Crimony! So I continue to wait for the doc to stroll his butt in here and tell me if this needs surgery to fix or not. Sheesh.
In the meantime, it seems that it's not so easy to get off this rock. There are no rental cars. I found that I can fly from here to St Johns and then get a rental car and drive back to the ferry. The nurse said she knew what airlines go where and she'd come back later to help me figure it out. Thankfully Jeremy got on the ferry this morning and is on his way here. Then we'll figure out a plan.
Sounds like my friends are working out a plan to drive my truck to Nova Scotia where we were going to be meeting anyway. That would be great because then I can have the bike shipped there (avoiding border issues) and I can drive home from there.
I know some of you think I should just get on a plane and fly home and deal with my shoulder there but I've thought about that and think it's best to get it done here. If I wait, I'll have to find a doc at home who will see me, wait until I can get an appt there, then wait until they can schedule surgery, etc. By that time, my shoulder would have healed a good bit in the wrong way and would be more complex to fix. The fix would not be a complex one if I can just get it done now. I'd rather just have it fixed here and get on with things. So I think that's what I'll do. That's all IF the doc says it needs fixing. I still don't know that yet.
Anyway, I'm doing better today. It doesn't hurt as much as yesterday, my head is clearer, I'm moving around better. I still need the pain killers but I'm taking ones that don't mess with my head. I hate those. I'm taking a powerful NSAID class drug. It works well but is limited to 5 days max. By then, Aleve will probably work fine.
I found a pepsi machine. That's a nice treat! The food really sucks here. I bet prisoners have better food. The breakfast is 100% carb laden which is the total opposite of what I need. Can't wait to have a proper breakfast! And lunch and dinner for that matter.
I'm doing ok. I'll be glad when I can move on. Maybe I can still salvage some of this trip.
The doc I saw in the ER came by today and asked me if I saw the bone doc. I said no. Nurse said he was here yesterday but didn't come by. I asked if he was going to come by today and they said no, probably not until Monday. WTF?!?! So I'm just sitting here waiting? I could have done that in the hotel across the street!! Crimony! So I continue to wait for the doc to stroll his butt in here and tell me if this needs surgery to fix or not. Sheesh.
In the meantime, it seems that it's not so easy to get off this rock. There are no rental cars. I found that I can fly from here to St Johns and then get a rental car and drive back to the ferry. The nurse said she knew what airlines go where and she'd come back later to help me figure it out. Thankfully Jeremy got on the ferry this morning and is on his way here. Then we'll figure out a plan.
Sounds like my friends are working out a plan to drive my truck to Nova Scotia where we were going to be meeting anyway. That would be great because then I can have the bike shipped there (avoiding border issues) and I can drive home from there.
I know some of you think I should just get on a plane and fly home and deal with my shoulder there but I've thought about that and think it's best to get it done here. If I wait, I'll have to find a doc at home who will see me, wait until I can get an appt there, then wait until they can schedule surgery, etc. By that time, my shoulder would have healed a good bit in the wrong way and would be more complex to fix. The fix would not be a complex one if I can just get it done now. I'd rather just have it fixed here and get on with things. So I think that's what I'll do. That's all IF the doc says it needs fixing. I still don't know that yet.
Anyway, I'm doing better today. It doesn't hurt as much as yesterday, my head is clearer, I'm moving around better. I still need the pain killers but I'm taking ones that don't mess with my head. I hate those. I'm taking a powerful NSAID class drug. It works well but is limited to 5 days max. By then, Aleve will probably work fine.
I found a pepsi machine. That's a nice treat! The food really sucks here. I bet prisoners have better food. The breakfast is 100% carb laden which is the total opposite of what I need. Can't wait to have a proper breakfast! And lunch and dinner for that matter.
I'm doing ok. I'll be glad when I can move on. Maybe I can still salvage some of this trip.
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