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*
20th Aug,2003 (D-day) - the surgery - almost too late…
been much too long bone-on-bone… diagnosed
coxarthritis 4th grade, RoM as low as 1/3 of normal
*
DID I MAKE RIGHT CHOICE? - getting the positive answer even before
the Belgian trip is over… warm approach
and sincere humanity of the OS and his staff throughout the surgery
and after overwhelm (of
course, I am not
talking the flesh-and-bone work itself - thankfully, a general
anesthesia was administered) and…. the final
instructions on leaving Belgium make it clear: "apart from
bungee and skydiving, you are not restricted, as it
comes to sports once you pass 3months milestone"… well,
recalling all the joy I have myself since op, I
am
101% sure these were the most blue of any blue chips I could have
invested into….
*
D+24hrs - I am said to put crutches aside and lift my unoperated leg
while standing … gritting my teeth I
follow… WOW, it works! (i.e. I am performing 100% weight
bearing!)… The very last shot of painkillers taken
soon after…
*
D+2days - being expelled from the hospital, Holiday Inn next door
checked in
*
D+4days - crutching Ghent for hours, I enjoy Belgian choc, beer
and… pizza!
*
D+7days - definitely not enjoying, nonetheless surviving a ride back
home (15+hrs onboard a "middle" class
vehicle - the class as per European perspective of passenger cars
sizing…) well, would get airborne next time…
*
D+10days - as it comes to crutches, I am turning plural into
singular; tendons and muscles (or better: their
atrophied left-outs) scream being extended to their original length
- magnesium overdose works
*
D+20days - entering crutch-less era
*
D+25days - resuming office chores, getting back beyond the wheel
(though driving short distances only for
few
weeks to come)
*
D+6weeks - having strolled for 60+minutes daily since D+10d, I dare
challenging the mountainside… done!
(90minutes, half kilometer of gathered altitude)
*
D+8 weeks - 2to3 hours walks uphill/downhill (single trails high in
the mountains, ascents up to 3k ft) -
encountering "CLUNKING" (incl. subsequent soft tissues bad
feelings - pains much too strong to describe - and
itching nerves); getting startled and eventually PANICKING myself,
nonetheless having hastily X-rays taken and
communicated both to my OS and local orthopedist it comes to
conclusion there is nothing wrong with it; likely
to be side-effects of gradually widening RoM; happening to encounter
those "bad feelings" often in coming
months
*
D+4mnths - CARVING THE PISTE AGAIN!!!! (slowly, carefully and
cautiously, nonetheless skiing!)
*
late Dec, 2003 - being challenged by approaching car, I SPRINT
across the street (subconscious preceding
mental readiness)
*
D+5mnths - digging-up the powder off-piste
*
winter season's review - totaling 37 days, it climaxes with 4hours
ride thru 3feet of fresh powder
*
D+9mnths - tying the laces again… muscle volume of operated leg
gains on the undone one, nonetheless still
feels off-balanced in
performance/perseverance
*
summer season's review - 15 local summits hiked, 1.5k miles biked
(MTB, thus off tarmac, of course…)
*
1st anniversary - long, low stem goes back onto bike;
legs performing almost equally; climbing walls up to gr.
5.10 again;
lower back excruciating pains are eventually gone; right knee starts
protesting (probably due years
of overcharge)
*
D+15mnths - hiking higher and higher, I extensively enjoy colorful
palette of fall mountains… ending-up at
some 8k+ ft above the sea level…
*
second post-op winter season's review - total of 55 days; I dare
more challenging adventures - closing the
season with 6hours ride of
50o+ couloir…
*
D+1.5yrs - having felt off-balanced (physically and… mentally,
too) for years, I am becoming more and more
convinced it's over…;
resuming XC jogging (well, lungs ventilation limits the show…
working on it hard); right
knee setbacks occasionally;
"clunking" persists
*
D+2yrs - breathing fresh mountain air (almost) daily.... challenging
Mt.Blanc (though not reaching its
summit).... groin nerve gets
pinched occasionally
* and,
the later the same - outdoors, outdoors, outdoors
* D+12
yrs - fighting for my life (brain cancer)
* D+
14yrs - still the same song - the stailess works like hell,
the rest of an old man does not cope with...
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