Broken bones mend eventually

The X Ray was very difficult to look at.  Two of them actually.  You see, he had broken both legs clean through mid-way down the femurs in a toboggan accident.  That was over 18 years ago and it happened to Andrew.

I can still remember the evening.  On my way home from work, told that Andrew was in emergency with broken bones. Dam...we were 2 weeks away from a planned vacation.  Maybe we could get him in a cast and on the plane.

It was not to be.

I got to the hospital and rushed to the emergency ward.  Things were eerily quiet around Andrew but he was scared.  I'll never forget that face.  There he was in bed with both legs inverted.  He was in pain but he was gritting his teeth.

The doctor took us to the X Ray screen and showed us the results:  both legs broken clean through.  What? He would have to spend 6 weeks in traction with his legs inverted then a further 6 weeks in full leg casts.  How?

He was admitted later that evening and his brother's came to visit.  They were scared as hell.  I know each had his private feelings but Court, his twin brother was really affected.  And you know brothers...love/hate on the best day.  This was not one of the best days.  When time came to leave the hospital for the evening they did not want to leave.  I believe some gentle force was required.

I did not leave.  I spent that first night with Andrew in the room with him not sleeping on the only chair in the room.  The pain of seeing him in pain was unbearable.  "Please God, break my legs and fix his...anything to take his pain away".  It was a long night.

Questions, questions:  would he ever walk again?  Play baseball, the game he loved.  Oh, and let's not forget school...

I am reminded of all this as I deal with the bone fractures I suffered recently (Is this the day I no longer run).  Nowhere near as severe as Andrew suffered those years ago.  What keeps me going is knowing that bones do knit, injuries do mend and the memory fades away.  I keep that top-of-mind.

Andrew's bones did mend.  Even stronger than ever.  He went on to play rep baseball throughout grade school, high school and into university where he and his twin brother Court won the Provincial Championship while at Western.  Additionally he led the Iona Football team for 4 years as the starting Quarterback.  The highlight for me was watching Andrew, Court and Holden all playing high school football together.

Oh and school...his teachers and friends rallied around and made sure he kept up with his work and not spend his days idly watching television.  He graduated last year from DeGroote with an MBA.

Those 6 weeks in the hospital were tough.  We visited him every evening.  We've been tight ever since.

Broken bones do mend.

Until next time..
ThatRunninGuy

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Follow me on Facebook at Run for Heart.  Race for 2012: Reggae Marathon, December 1.

A teaspoon of ... Calcium ... helps the bones get stronger

I hate milk!

Was that too strong?

Maybe it's a result of growing up in the heat of Jamaica and being given 'warm milk' as a beverage at lunch and not finding that very appealing at all.

Or maybe it was an early connection to the Coca Cola that I got from the vending machine at my Dad's Texaco Gas Station when I went to 'work' with him.  Yes I was only 8 years old but no it wasn't child labour.  I got to work in the grease pit with the mechanics and spent my days getting thoroughly covered in dirt and grease.  Loved it.  Now I know why he kept the plastic covers on the car seats.

I digress.

I really don't enjoy a 'cold glass of milk' at all.  The closest I ever came was when they loaded it up with condensed milk to 'sweeten it up'.  Now there was something I could enjoy.

So now that the doctor has told me I have a tendency toward 'brittle bones' I've embraced the calcium supplement.  And this stuff actually tastes good.  It comes with it's own dispenser so every morning before the first cup of coffee I toss back my Calcium along with my multivitamin.

So now I'm 3 weeks into recovery with 3 weeks to go until I can remove the foot cast for good.  I can hardly wait.  I'm still not sure how and when the first run will go but I am looking forward to it.  I'm getting tired of looking longingly at runners while I'm driving or walking (hobbling).  I want to scream out, "Hey...I'm a runner too!"

I'm staying focused on the 10K at the Reggae Marathon December 1.  Registration submitted, airline tickets booked, finalizing hotel. I plan to run.  I'll walk if I have to.  I WILL cross the finish line! And unlike the winner of the Indy 500 auto race, I will hoist a cold Red Stripe to celebrate.  Not milk!

Until next time..
ThatRunninGuy

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Follow me on Facebook at Run for Heart.  Race for 2012: Reggae Marathon, December 1.

Now let's get on with the recovery: Arnica Montana

Arnica Montana

It comes in a little bottle with a plain white label.  It's called Arnica Montana and the lovely couple who run the local health store recommended it for it's chief value:  helping bones knit faster. Yes, I'm back on the road to recovery and it can't happen fast enough. But then you knew that I'd try anything didn't you.

This may all be mental (Sally will of course have a point-of-view on my mental state) but for $6 I figure I can't go wrong.  Of course the workouts in the pool 3 times each week are key to keeping fit and staying in shape but if this helps speed up the healing then Arnica Montana pills under the tongue each morning washed down with a cup of coffee it is!  

The real motivation in trying Arnica Montana along with the daily Calcium supplement (I HATE milk) is that I can't get this 'foot cast' off soon enough.  Little old ladies on the subway have been offering me their seat!  Really?  It's bad enough that I caused this foot injury trying to compete with my younger self but I can't bear the thought of another nice Grandmother feeling sorry for me.  And no, I don't take it from them...but the thought does cross my mind. 

Until next time..
ThatRunninGuy

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Follow me on Facebook at Run for Heart.  Race for 2012: Reggae Marathon, December 1.

Is this the day I no longer run?

The Boot

It certainly seems so.

After last week's running 'incident' where I injured my right foot (Bike Ride Injured My Foot) I came to this realization:  it's time to take running seriously. More correctly, I have to take better care of myself if I want to continue to run.  The stress fracture that I suffered as a result of carelessness was totally avoidable.  I wanted to put in a tempo run before going bike riding. Oops...not 30 years old any more.

I'd been doing speed work at the local track over the past few months so I figured an intense workout on the short 2 km run up to Brad's place would be OK.  Unfortunately I broke (bad pun) the cardinal rule of training:  I didn't adjust for the change in surface.  At the track it's a hard earth surface.  Much easier on the feet and legs.  The 2 km to Brad was cement side walk.  Not so good for feet and legs.  And unfortunately as I have now experienced with this stress fracture not so good for me.  "If only I had listened to Sally and taken the truck".

Through all of this Sally has been gracious and hasn't said "I told you so".  I know she's thinking it though. But she has been super supportive.  She took me to get my walking cast last Wednesday morning and in a moment of madness even offered to drive me to work so I wouldn't have to endure the challenges of the TTC.  And she continually reminds me that this is serious and needs complete recovery before I get back to running.  She sent me this great, in-depth article:  Stress Fractures of the Foot.

But after 30 years of running nearly every day in all conditions and through every ache and pain (and injury), having to wear 'The Boot' has been a blessing.  Truth be told, I feel relieved!  Don't get me wrong, I love running but I also like swimming and cycling.  This injury has 'given me permission' to transition to a more rounded physical regimen respecting the fact that I can't keep 'pounding the pavement' with the same single-minded intensity.  With this injury biking will have to wait until next spring but the pool beckons.  And get this, not just with swimming lengths, but with 'water running'.  I had my first experience last Sunday and loved it all.  For a primer on running in the pool, take a look at the video below from Olympian Carrie Tollefson who I met at Reggae Marathon a couple of years ago. (Check out her train tips here at:  Mental Toughness) I tried it, I liked it... it is one heck of a workout with virtually no stress on the knees or feet.  "I'll be back!"



The immediate goal now is to stay in shape while recovering fully so that I can handle the Reggae Marathon 10K December 1 in Negril.

So today is not the day I no longer run but it is the day that I don't run every day.

Until next time...


ThatRunninGuy


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Follow me on Facebook at Run for Heart.  Race for 2012: Reggae Marathon, December 1.