Z's Blog!

[zeligman]

so, physical therapist came today to work on getting in and out of the house. unfortunately, it was pouring outside, so too messy to do that. instead, she taught me how to crutch up (and down) steps.

You might think that it's obvious, or simple, but it isn't (at least for me) as obvious as it looks.

there are actually two (at least) methods - one crutch, using a handrail on the steps, and two crutch, straight up. unfortunately, I have a cast on my right hand due to my broken thumb - and that got in the way of the one crutch method - although, by tucking my elbow between the railing and the wall I was able to do it fairly well.

The two crutch method escaped me - to my extraordinary frustration. crutches stay down, bad foot lifted off the floor, hop up step using good leg, stand/balance on good leg, pull up crutches, repeat. my problem: apparently I can not balance on one foot very well. tried to pull crutches up with me as i hopped and almost fell on my "O Ring". And I wasn't wearing my helmet (or padding!

after an hour of that I was toast. I'm a big guy - bigger than ryan, tho not taller (I don't think). I have a fair amount of upper body strength - esp now that I'm 'crutching' and carrying myself with my upper body, but I just couldn't get the two crutch method.

Ended up resting with leg up for an hour - then up and on the phone and computer for work.

I am not sure how to get out of the house without sliding/bumping down the steps on my butt, which is just a disaster once i wear work clothes - even though it is endlessly entertaining for the kids in the neighborhood, and probably their parents too (sigh) - but I gotta do what I have to!

We have a ramp for our daughter, but it's over 90 feet long and fairly steep - i'm not ready to crutch that either - at least not without practice... which I haven't done yet.

I've gotten out with a lot of help in the wheelchair going backwards down the ramp, good thing i still have my riding gloves, they came in handy holding onto the wheels to avoid a backwards freefall.

tomorrow, standing in place and step hopping practice; leg lifts.

hope this isn't too boring!

[Wrider]

Not at all man! We're all glad you're surviving and working your butt off!
Although can I ask why you have a ramp for your daughter?

[zeligman]

yes - she has special needs. i wrote about it in the 'why i ride' section. In a nutshell, she was born with Down Syndrome (trisomy 21) and suffered an additional brain injury during surgery at 3 months old. She doesn't walk, crawl, etc, tho she rolls over like a champ! So, she's in a wheelchair. She is visually impaired, doesn't talk (yet) or sign. She does do a good job of communicating emotions and favorite people, toys, songs, etc, as well as NON-favorites (LOL) by smiling, laughing, and crying. There are a few more things but no need to list them

We do our best every day, and she has added experience, joy, empathy, and most important, wisdom to our lives. I won't pretend it's easy, or joyful on the whole, but we have many moments filled with joy and laughter to even out the challenges.

Thanks for asking Wrider

-Z

[zeligman]

so, one thing I remembered today from my time in the ER after the accident:

me: "i hurt my right thumb too"
E.R. Doc "yes, you broke it!"
me: "really?"
Doc "Yes, didn't you notice it is now an inch shorter than your other thumb?"
me: "no, but now i do, that's really weird - and ... I don't know. But it doesn't hurt THAT much"
Doc (under breath) "it's about to" and pulls my thumb
me: "OWWWW - you didn't warn me"
doc "believe me, it's better that way. All done with it now. And it should hurt less now"

And it did hurt less eventually.

tho it might have been the morphine

today I actually got out of the house - all the neighborhood kids were playing out in the street and the parents were hanging out like we usually do on the nice nights on the weekends.
so, I crutched out of the house and down the ramp - a little harder than it looks, but i went carefully! and then wheeled around to visit everyone.

it was VERY nice but tiring.

then some guy on a custom chopper came down the street... so loud it shook windows. Sorry for all the loud pipes save lives people, but i gotta say, i'm a 'loud pipes annoy the $#*t outta people kinda guy."

Really obnoxious. Ahh well.

Still getting lectures about riding again - why is it that people feel like they are welcome, or actually... OBLIGATED to give you their opinion about certain things that YOU do.

1) Pregnancy
2) Smoking (unless you are blowing smoke in their face, then well at least it is directly affecting them at the moment)
3) riding a motorcycle

sigh

have a good weekend everyone

[Wrider]

Lol yeah you should hear some of the lectures I've gotten for "riding a death machine", especially from some of the wacko christian conservative right wingers we have here. Then again I've gotten it from the nutso atheist ultra liberal lefties here too lol.

[zeligman]

A friend from work came over today with his family - the bonus is that he also rides and we have ridden together a few times... had a lot of fun. He rides a kawi 1200 I think...

His wife hates that he rides and is trying to use my crash as an excuse to leverage him - sigh.

anyway... he reminded me of a good story about his childhood friend who rides - when this friend had his last serious crash - a number of people asked him during his multi-month recovery - "are you thinking about riding again? (his answer was always yes) and then they would add "When did you start thinking about getting a new bike?" - his response was - "I thought about gettting my next bike and what it would be while i was on the ground waiting for the ambulance!"

[Wrider]

*raises hand* done that too... lol
How ya feelin buddy? Doing better?

[ofblong]

LOL wish I could get a new bike...

at least you didnt have a lady at McDonalds try and tell you that you shouldnt be giving your 6 year old a ride on the back of the bike because they dont understand the consequences. Course I just looked at her and said "thats ok I have life insurance on him". Her jaw hit the concrete lol. shut her up though .

[Wrider]

<snip> I just looked at her and said "thats ok I have life insurance on him". <snip>

LMAO that's awesome! You literally had me LMAO.

[zeligman]

<snip> I just looked at her and said "thats ok I have life insurance on him". <snip>

I could sure use some pithy comebacks.

I went back to work this week - part time... though ive been working part time via email and telecommuting for weeks from home.

on the one hand, it was great to re-engage in the normalcy of my pre-accident life, but barraged by well-meaning busybodies who all had some version of "you're not going to get back on that death/destruction/horrible/dangerous/stupid/moronic (plus a bunch of other adjectives added) motorcycle are you?

To which I consistently respond with a direct glare occasionally accompanied by an 'of course I am' until they look away in discomfort from the intensity of my glare.

Of course, I'M NOT sure what i'm going to do long term - we have to heal first, get ready to hop back on that horse, and THEN decide long term. But I'll be damned if I want to give these buttheads an excuse!

in the meantime ... upper body getting much stronger from the crutches, tho it has been 90 plus all week and hot as hell, the toning feels good. leg hurts a lot sometimes, and even the arm too. Beginning to hate the arm cast mo0st of all =- and am praying that at my doc appt in two weeks they say it can come off permanently. its itchy and gets in the way. sometimes in my sleep i accidentally bop myself with it - don't ask how, i don't know, all i know is i wake up saying owwww!

long weekend coming up - dreading it a bit actually. But, I am HERE to be miserable, I'm only temporarily held back, and by thanksgiving (US one) it should all just be an unfortunate memory!

enjoy the riding all weekend my good friends, and take me with you - at least in mind and spirit! (blues you can take more of me if you want ... hehe)

--z