Broke Down!

No, not the truck.  Me!  While taking advantage of a rare very slow week, I decided that it was time to turn away from the truck project for a while and work on some home projects that had been building up for a while.  Well, a handful of nails away from being done for the evening, I was coming down the extension ladder and anxiously placing the last 6 nails of the evening, clean up, eat supper, and call it good for the day.  Then it happened.  The air hose for the nailer was laying across the ladder, and instead of the rung, I stepped on the air hose.  Down I went.  Landed on the concrete with my right ankle just right.  Long story short, shattered the end of my tibia.  Hoping it was just badly sprained I got my son cleaned up, fed, and to bed.  When my wife got home from a softball scrimmage, we went to the ER.  After cleaning and stitching some cuts from a flowerpot that helped to break my fall, I got the bad news..your leg is broke and you need surgery.  Two days later I had surgery #1 to install an external fixator to stabilize the break and let the swelling go down.  15 days later, I had surgery #2 to install 2 plates and 11 screws to mend everything together.  Another 8 weeks of sitting around not being able to bear any weight, no driving, really nothing at all.  Lots of thinking, reading, watching TV, and in essence being a big do-nothing lump. 

I was released to start partially bearing weight on June 1, back to driving June 10.  I still can't walk well, far, or without the help of a cane, but considering 21 days ago, I couldn't even stand to stand on it, gimping around on this cane and mostly being able to walk, with pain, is a pretty good accomplishment.  Sometimes I get down because I can't do what I want to, but then I stop and think, It could have been worse.  Much worse.  And in 3 weeks I am walking.  3 more weeks I may be walking better.  Maybe in a couple of months I can ditch the cane.  Hopefully before the end of the year I'll be back to like nothing happened. 

Take home message....be careful.  And be ready for all the curveballs that life will inevitably throw your way.  Never well timed and usually with some smoke on em.  Be safe...will be back soon!