My physical and mental feelings were all over the map yesterday. I didn’t realize how much both were tied to painkillers until looking back upon it, retrospectively, and then seeing the correlation. It was only three days after hip surgery, so I’m not sure why I’m not just vegging for the next few days, but that doesn’t seem to be where my mind is taking me. I actually came up with this great idea of trying to “spin” the excess water out of my swollen left leg yesterday. Again, I didn’t realize until after, that it was a premature idea. At the time, it seemed sensible, but again, that is on painkillers. Trudi secretly video’d the attempt and sent it off to Stacie, who forwarded it to Dr. Karam. Busted. Well, I’m not sure, because he did imply that I could do anything that didn’t involve an enormous amount of pain.
I didn’t realize that I didn’t write a post yesterday until way late in the day. By then, I couldn’t focus enough even to just watch TV. It is truly amazing how much mobility I actually have in such a short time, but it is so easy to forget how little I have too. I’m using a walker instead of crutches now. The walker just seems much more sturdy. I’m okay on the crutches, but sometimes I get a little off balance and have to reconnoiter before moving on.
I have permission by my doctor to put as much pressure on my leg as I can stand. I thought, great, I’ll be walking really quickly. That ain’t happening. At least if the healing curve stays the same as it has. I’m assuming it will be better quickly. There is so much swelling, like 2 gallons of liquid, 16 lbs, swelling, that it is very hard using the leg at all. The joints are all puffy and it is just difficult to bend anything. I know that I retained a ton of water thru IV’s in the hospital, but I thought that would leave way quicker than it has.
Sleeping is hit or miss. Mainly miss right now. I’ve been sleeping pretty good from maybe 10 pm to 3 or 4 am. Then I’m done with that. Seems like 5 or 6 hours is enough, especially compared to sleeping an hour at a time in the hospital. I do nod off multiple times during the day, like dozens, so I am probably sleeping more than I’m awake really.
Okay, I’m just rambling here. There really isn’t much to report other than it is already old. And I’m impatient. It is very hard for me to believe it is Saturday already. I crashed on Monday, so it has been the better part of a week already. That is nuts.
Today is the Dirty Kanza, a 200 mile gravel race. I think there are 1300 riders. The race actually starts in less than an hour. I sealed up some extra wheels yesterday for Brian. It was supposed to rain last night and there are some primitive roads, like no gravel primitive, so clogging can be an issue. I put some 34mm Hutchinson Bulldog cross tires on my tubeless wheels, just in case. Brian is going to do great today, if he has good mechanical luck. I’m hoping to feel good enough this afternoon to do the hour drive over to Emporia and see the festivities and finish.
Last year, I was still banged up from shoulder surgery, so I was slow moving then too. Bill is there for support today, so I’ll be getting updates from him, as long as he’s in cell service. I had been kicking around doing the event, last minute. I had enough miles, but now it is just a distant thought. Live streaming of the Dirty Kanza, click here.
And on the upside, I’ve had no issues with saddle sores this whole week. Not even during my little stint below.
This probably would have went better not using Ugg boots. I needed cleats to get over the top and bottom of the pedal strokes.
Dirty Kanza start this morning at 6am.
I bet Dr. Karam is OK with that. I know a few surgeons who say their biggest headache is the patient who blows off rehab and physical therapy and then complains a year later that the surgery didn’t “fix” the problem. The doctor seems to be saying let pain be your guide – although careful about busting stitches so soon!
You might experience some better sleep with one of those foam mattress toppers.
Steve you are a wonder, and Trudi is a Pillar!
Sorry but I could not stop laughing at the video. It must be the painkillers scrambling your senses! Ha! I fractured my hip in a road race last July and had a pin put in my femur so maybe my surgery was worse? I spent 3 days in the hospital and then was sent to a rehab hospital for 6 days. My family was out of the country so they were reluctant to let me go home. It took me about 20 days to get my leg over the pedal stroke with the saddle lifted and 34 days to ride outside for a very short slow excruciating ride. I had tears of pain and joy! I would think you would want to wait till the incision closes somewhat before getting too rambunctious? My incision was glued and hardware titanium! Give yourself a chance to recuperate. You have gone through a lot of trauma from the operation. Wait till you are off the pain meds so you can tell what is really going on with your body. Don’t forget the laxatives to counter those pain med!
Better quit with the premature exercise or you’ll b in a wheelchair for the rest of your life.
I wouldn’t call this toughness but instead foolishness. Soldiers are warriors, Mr Tilford is addicted to Cycling and he is his own worst enemy.
“he did imply that I could do anything that didn’t involve an enormous amount of pain.”
I bet your sense of what enormous pain means is far different from that of the average American.
I recently had hand surgery and was really surprised at how exhausted I was, even days after getting off painkillers. Your body is working extra hard to heal – do your best to help it along.
It hurts to watch this.
Have you discovered what caused the crash?…..Then there’s the question that’s always asked after the crashee is on the mend…..”How’s the bike”??
.
.
It may take another day or two….or three, before you can spin circles on your trainer.
.
i had a 3rd degree separation of my ac joint from a mtb crash last year. No surgery required even thou the 3 ligaments were severed and my clavicle was popped up about an inch out of the joint. Two different orthopedics told me to do as much as I could with my gimp arm because it was good for rehab and that I would not do anymore damage to it. now, i am not comparing my injury to tilfords, but he likely knows his body and how far he can push with this injury.
keep riding and writing dude!
Wow, thats impressive…..impressively stupid! WTF are you thinking? There isn’t a pro cyclist on planet earth that would do this. Not Cancellara, not Boonen, not Ekimov, not Museau, NOT ANYONE! And they would at least have a motive, a target race or entire season that they’d be trying to prepare their body for. What do you have that you need to get to so fast? The bike racing world will tick along just fine without you, probably better. But hey look on the bright side, the sooner you get back in the saddle the sooner you can throw yourself back on the pavement again. I think thats what you really like.
This is beyond ignorant and is very hard to watch. You need a reality slap man! Just scroll up 3 or 4 posts and recall exactly what you just put yourself through. And now you think you’re good to go pedal a bike. You’re definitely gonna turn yourself into a cripple or a quadriplegic and probably sooner than later.
Your two worst crashes (injury wise) have happened before the race even starts. You’re a shell of your former self man. Wake up and see it. You can’t even pedal around the course without crashing and needing immediate, emergency surgery. Then you lay in a hospital bed and talk about when you’re gonna fall on that hip again. Do you even think about what will happen when you shatter that hip again with all that hardware in there? 1 word…..wheelchair, but hey….it’s got wheels.
This is not brave, this is very, very sad. This is an addict that will happily let his addiction kill him, completely ignoring the fact that others care about him and don’t want to see this happen. Completely ignoring their feelings and eventual pain. People are writing in and saying we don’t understand your mentality. Gimme a break, I understand it 100%. Its sick. Selfish and sick!!!!
This is really overblown and emotional. True, Steve needs to stay away from road riding and especially racing until he gets enough bone mass density going so he doesn’t risk this kind of injury, and until he gets his full range of motion back. The ergometer might help, it might be a bit early at this point, so he needs to use the walker instead, but he needs the motion, keeping things moving. I’ll be surprised if he’s back outside doing any riding before August, and I think for Steve, the summer racing season is over.
I think BR came on strong with that post, but I understand where he is coming from and he is right on alot of what he says. You (Steve) are under the influence of drugs at the moment of the video. Narcotic pain killers not only mask the pain, but they cloud your thinking. You’re not magically doing so great you can ride a stationary bike.The narcotics are simply doing what they do and temporarily killing the pain. The injury and trauma is still there and will be for a while. Do too much and you will regret it.
Wise up, or you’re going to look like a fool.