My Blog

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On my most recent Ortho visit some history came up which I thought revevant, and would add to this section. When I was 38yrs old and was on about my 12th Motorcycle I had a compact pickup truck turn into me on Rt 8 in the Adirondacks while coming back from Aspencade in Old Forge NY.  While a good bar story with the details. for this section I will only comment on the fracture to my L5 vertebrae, which was always a struggle due to my Mom having Polio when I was very small, which lead to scoliosis and  scheuermann's disease deforming my spine. Over the last couple months  I did have both Bone-Density, and Bone Strength tests done, and it turns out I have the bones of a 70 year old !! Go figure. I did learn that men should start taking Vitamin D and Calcium (together) once we turn 60 yrs old, women should start at 50 yrs old.

In 2002 I was diagnosed with the death of bone in my left hip. Options @ age 49 were either a hip replacement, (too young for that) or a new wacky surgery just coming off trails  called a "Free Vascularized Fibula graft" Downside of this option was I wouldn't walk for 8 months (thank goodness for Long-Tern Insurance I had elected to pay for when I joined Rockwell!)

I was excited that the surgery had the word "Free" in the name, only later to learn that I would have to donated a bone the Doctors thought I might not really need!! Within a month of being diagnosed, I was in surgery having my left  Fibula removed, my hip bored out with a 9/16" * 5" hole, and the fibula inserted and pined into my hip to provide new bone and a blood supply for new bone growth. In theory if successfull, it should work for the balance of my life!!

Update is that I've lived over 20 years with no left fibula, and the wacky bone graft, and bicycled over 70,000 miles like this!

This does show up in X-rays and always a subject of comment when I've been evaluated for my 3 cycling crashes. 

My wife always says, I cannot be cremated, but must be buried at death  so future archeologist who my chance upon my bones have a WTF moment !! LOL

I wore a heart monitor for about a week, to try and understand why I lost consciousness. Nothing showed up with that, so I went in to the Hospital to have a Stress test ( while in an MRI Machine!!). While that was an experience, nothing came of that. Next, the talk was about an Implantable Loop recorder ILR, for longer timeframe monitoring. I'm thinking I may drag my feet on that!

I did see a fine Neurologist who checked me out , and explained that  concussions are cumulative, and this recent event added  a couple "Brain Bleeds" and a "Traumatic Brain Injury" so guidance there is  I cannot riisk another event for the 12 months from the crash date to make sure my brain "properly" heals. Other that  Horrible News, he did say he didn't need to see me again. I am thinking of changing my watch and Calendar  to Venusian time to shorted the curse!

So, a month before my crash I came down  with a bad case of what tested to be the Flu, which I haven't had in over 40yrs! I did have a COVID booster in the first week of September, and since there also got a Flu shot  MUCH earlier than normal. This left my right ear deaf from fluid inside  my ear, so in following up on that , my Doctor said "I'm going to treat you like a 2yr old and put a hole & tube in your ear!! I wish I had thought about that a bit more as it kept me from swimming!!