I met with the doctor again today after some more x-rays hoping to hear, "You can take that brace off now and burn it." Unfortunately, like Cousin Eddie's daughter getting cured off the Wild Turkey, I'll need to slowly wean myself out of the brace over the next two weeks.
I spent one glorious hour sans brace today, and will be out of it for two hours tomorrow. Three on Saturday, four on Sunday, and so on and so forth until the brace-burning ceremony the day after Christmas. After I'm out of the brace for good, I start physical therapy -- which is currently set to be twice a week for 6 weeks. Once all that is finished (mid-February), I head back to get more x-rays and another check with the doctor to make sure none of the vertebrate fell out. Well alright, they don't fall out but I have no clue what they check for and as Hirsch put it, it's really none of my business.
I wish this could all happen quicker. I wish I could be back on the bike before the end of the year. I wish I was typing this post right now without the brace.
But I'm a man. I can be patient. If I have to. I guess.
It felt great to be free of the brace for an hour today, and I'm really looking forward to two hours tomorrow. It isn't going as quickly as I'd hoped for, but baby steps are still steps -- any progress is better than none. Sometimes personal records are just one second faster.
I'll take it.
And be extremely thankful for it.
Well said Buzz "any progress is better than none". Spring time will come soon enough and is the best time to be on a bike. Congrats on first hour without the brace!
ReplyDeleteThanks, it's funny how excited I am to be able to take it off for 2 hours today. Can't wait for spring!
DeleteWell progress is what matters. Patience is difficult but it's easier than starting over because you over did it in the beginning.
ReplyDeleteExactly, it's really tough when I look at VoTS and the TBC though... I could probably race in TBC but my form won't be very good.
DeleteI'd say target something later in the year like the state road race at bike the bluff. Then you can use TBC as a training race, three hard days in a row will do wonders for your form.
DeleteYeah, I'm also thinking about somewhat peaking for Tour of Gila.
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