Time flies when you’re having so much fun at Physical Therapy… update on my broken leg of Feb 10.
I was hit by a truck while running on Feb 10, he came out of a gas station, knocked me down and ran over both legs just below knee, fortunately (If I can use that word in regard to such a nasty event) no soft tissue injuries, “just” a nasty open fracture of both lower leg bones (tib fib). One big and one smaller plate in the leg. Had a few days in hospital and then home for a few weeks.
Back working at the restaurant part time in mid-late March, on crutches until May 10 and slowly partially to full weight bearing over the next month, so back to walking a bit but with a bad limp and mobility/flexibility problems in early June.
At Phys Therapy 6+ hours a week, adding more stuff every few weeks. I can now ride my road bike (slowly and very carefully!) for an hour, no steep hills, nothing more than about 90 minutes and very easy pace BUT I am so happy to be able to ride a little. Also no swimming (tendinitis from the crutches!) and no extended walking and definitely no running. I hope to be back to those two by end of summer, but no specific time frame. Nice jagged scars on the leg where the bone protruded and a lot of road rash/ abarasions and pink skin. I guess I keep that forever as a souvenir and reminder.
It’s been difficult trying to keep up with PT, work and home, a strain on my co-workers and family to do without me or help me out especially the first few months. Been a bit depressed, creeped out by the scars and memories. I won’t drive near that gas station and don’t like wearing shorts in public. Sick of going to PT and sick to death of sidelying clams, leg presses, hamstring curls on the ball and everything else.
I try to treat it like training and remind myself that it’s what I must do to get back to where I was, but it’s hard to keep up the illusion after so many months and it’s more like a sentence than anything else. I have to just shut up and do my time.
Going back in next week to have one plate taken out, should help my knee and diminish some irritation of tendons around knee but a week or two off again whle the incisions heal.
Had always thought that if I had a bad injury it could come on the bike, I have been running for 30+ years, always very careful around cars and never even a close call before. Apparently the drive has good insurance coverage and I’m not out of pocket a whole lot so far, thanks to my own health ins. Could have been a lot worse, both with injury and financially. Hope to maybe do Tour of Scottsdale in Oct or maybe shorter Tour of Tucson in November, no racing until nest year sometime.