It's going to be a while before I'll have confidence in my legs holding up a bike without it tipping over. My wife is supporting the idea of a sidecar rig. That way there isn't any concern about tipping (except in a right hand turn!).

I like this kid. I'm going to keep her.

Stay tuned...

Something's cooking!

I will call it... Therapy.

It will be a while before I'll have confidence in these legs. A lot more exercise and work ahead.

Besides, doesn't this say, "Grandkids?"

Now I can tell my wife I'm going for some Therapy.

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When life hands you lemons, do an end run!

nice wheels brohawk!

Was all that accumulated over time or in one event?

Thanks. One of these days after I get the hang of it I'll need to make a burger run to Columbia.

I think Santa's bringing you a big roll of bubble wrap.

Well, you know what you have if you don't ask.

I have a new trick. In a sitting position, using only leg muscles, I can raise my left leg and place my foot on my right knee.

A few days ago I couldn't do that. I'd have to actually take hold of my leg with my hands and lift it if I wanted to sit in that position.

It hurts, but I can do it.

Had a follow up with the surgeon Monday. He's satisfied with what he sees on the X-ray. There is constant soreness in the hip. He said this first winter will be the worst.

Anyway, I'm still tracking. Folks at work were surprised to see a motorcycle in the handicapped parking spot!

It's been a road. The worst is behind me, but I could still whine if I let myself.

Edited.

I put a post on social media looking for eyewitnesses to the wreck. This morning there was a reply from a guy who says he was a few cars behind me and saw the kid on the phone while trying to do a quick lane change.

Big update. I mean YUGE.

You guys who saw me at lunch yesterday may have noticed I was a bit stiff and sore getting around. It took effort (and an assist from both arms) for me to rise to a standing position. When I got into the truck I had to take hold of my left leg with my hands and pull it in, because moving it on its own power was so painful.

This morning the surgeon reviewed my MRI from last week and said its condition was typical for 85% of men my age. So, while there is wear & tear, it's fairly normal and no surgery required (or replacement!). He did say it was inflamed, and he gave it a steroid shot.

By lunchtime I was walking without the cane! This evening I feel better than I can remember, the best since the wreck. It has also made a big difference in my mental state.

I want to particularly thank those of you who have been inclined toward prayer. It has been effective in sustaining me through this experience.

Now I can start using my rowing machine, going up and down stairs using both legs, and generally getting this recovery back on track.

A lot has happened since the last update. A couple days after the doc injected the knee it was hurting again. Booger. It complains pretty consistently.

A couple weeks ago I was in the low part of my sine wave (anybody who has gone through this sort of thing can relate to riding a sine wave - right, GCO?) and started into a mindset of "I guess I just have to accept that some things aren't going to get much better and adjust to my new "normal."

A couple days later I decided that sounded too much like surrender. I also decided that I was getting too comfortable with my cane. Monday of last week I started forcing myself to walk without it (imagine Linus without his security blanket!). There is discomfort (aka it hurts a bit) and the first few days I was pretty sore at the end of the day. However, on Friday I felt MUCH better than I did on Monday.

I just had to remind myself that to push back the boundaries I need to embrace the difficult. I can't achieve my goals by being comfortable.

Also, the screw in the right side of my pelvis was backing out. The doc said they sometimes do that, but it had been in long enough to serve its purpose. On 23 Jan he removed it. The next few days there was soreness and stiffness from the procedure. It felt like two steps forward, one step back, and I had to regain some lost ground. In the USAF I went to survival school, and one principle they emphasized in Resistance Training (POW scenario) was to bounce back. When you have setbacks, bounce back. Refocus, regroup, and make today a new start. I guess it took.

Anyway, I'm doing well, better than if I hadn't started pushing myself anew. Tomorrow I have another follow up with the surgeon. Weather permitting, I'm going to ride Therapy (my scooter) and walk into his office without my cane.

I know that everybody has struggles in their own lives. If in relating my experience I can give encouragement to someone who is in a low point on their sine wave, good. Press on. Endeavor to persevere.

I got to thinking, that there are some of us who have problems we're walking through that everybody knows about. Those who know us (and around here, even some who don't!) give us encouragement and support. That's good and appreciated.

This directed my mind to those who have struggles we can't see; those who face daily internal battles but present a smile to the world around them. Internalizing their struggles, people around them have no idea what's going on under the surface.

Several years ago I met a guy on Facebook through a mutual friend. Though we never met face-to-face, I felt like we got to be actual friends as well as that medium allows. We shared a lot of the same values and interests. He got my snarky humor. He was married to a wonderful wife. This guy was living a good life.

A few weeks ago he made a post that said something to the effect of, "Here's to those who struggle with things they don't talk about." I can't remember what I posted in reply, but I could relate, because I have things I don't discuss openly and just have to deal with.

A week later I saw a post that he had passed on suddenly and unexpectedly. There were no details of the circumstances. Usually there is something about a cause, such as a heart attack, stroke, care accident, etc.

Nothing.

Since then, I've wondered about the last post I saw from him. Did I miss a plea for someone to reach out to him? I've pondered that question without an answer many times. What if I had picked up on the hint and sent him a message letting him know he could talk to me about anything in total confidence?

These days we need to be more tuned in to those around us. Be sensitive to subtle clues. When someone says something that's a little off, ask them if they're OK, if they want to talk.

I guess I'm posting this here because of all the encouragement I've received. This is the first time I've mentioned my wondering about my friend, Bob's last post.

Y'all watch out for each other.

This is probably going to be my last update in this thread.

Yesterday I had my last follow up with the orthopedic surgeon. He's happy with the state I'm in and said there's no reason to see him again unless a problem comes up.

I asked him about lifting limitations, and he said I can lift as much as I can tolerate. Pretty much green lighted me to live as much as I can stand.

There's still healing ahead, as the soreness in my hip reminds me. However, I have been steadily (albeit slowly) improving. The big focus now is improving strength in my legs.

A while back my left knee was causing some serious pain. As noted previously, the MRI showed a knee typical for a 60 y/o man. I started taking a glucosamine/condroitin supplement (Osteo-Biflex) and over the past several weeks it has improved drastically, to where it doesn't really bother me anymore.

So, thanks to all for the prayers and moral support over the past seven months. It's appreciated.