So it turns out I’m actually pretty great at using crutches. Yes, if I do say so myself. I can’t remember the last time I had a set but it would have been many years ago – short-term, maybe for an ankle sprain? Either way, on Thursday night I was handed a set and away I went clack-clack-clacking my way home from the hospital. Admittedly there were a couple of sore back muscles the next day, but generally, an experience where my only complaint was my (low) speed.
I invested a few days in picking up the pace and then this week I transitioned to using just one crutch, as needed, and now into walking with a cane. It’s an excellent aid for a bit of extra traction up and down steeper pitches, especially when the sports surface is off-camber. Flip it around and it’s also pretty great for signaling to drivers that you’re happy to fight them for your right-of-way in crosswalks.
The cane also has a bushing that tightens in addition to the push-pin so it feels like a proper extension. My crutches were sloppier than a six-month-old Maverick Speedball after the first day of use, where this is silent and solid.
My friend David dropped it off, so I wanted to say thank you. It’s made life easier. Today I spend just over thirty minutes walking a mix of gravel path and sidewalk so I could work at the library while The Clairebarian is at school and then I’ll walk back the same way to pick her up. It’s a nice taste of sanity.
By the way of an update, that will be my exercise for the next 8-12 weeks while I’m fully immersed in my walking-boot experience. In a week and a half I get to remove the first of three heel shims and I’m more than a little excited about it. Sometime in the first 8-12 week period the boot is going to disappear and physio will start. I’m also planning to swim a lot with a float-assist at that point so looking forward to a return to sanity and less of my family looking at me suspiciously like I’m going to snap at any moment from my lack of riding.
I could be back doing some light pedaling somewhere in the 4-6 month period. I almost dare not dream, but maybe some little off-road rides with my kid? Whenever I reach 80% strength in the Achilles. By 9 months my fingers are crossed to be back to 100%. It sounds like a really long time, like a really f***ing long time, to me but t least I feel like I’m walking towards something. I am very happy on how mobile I can remain during the healing process.
I have some cool projects underway right now as well. Next week I’m hanging out with Nice Guy Geoff doing a King hub re-and-re for my long-long term review for NSMB.com. Claire and I are also tearing down my Waltworks V1 so it can take a little trip to see the WZRD while I can’t ride it anyway. I’m heading over to pick up my wrecked old Acre pack that has just been fully-fixed by the good folks at HMPL, and my new 7Mesh weatherproof vest (read, old 7Mesh jacket) is ready to go at Sateen. Looking forward to sharing.
Cheers,