• There has been a recent cluster of spammers accessing BARFer accounts and posting spam. To safeguard your account, please consider changing your password. It would be even better to take the additional step of enabling 2 Factor Authentication (2FA) on your BARF account. Read more here.

My OG mend has started.

Thanks Bill.

I realized one more thing needed to ride. Getting my boot on and off. That is a range of motion challenge (a painful one). Started focusing on that this AM by NOT using the sock machine. Sounds silly but tis needed.

Suppose the next test is gearing fully up and throwing the leg over. :cool
 
OK, will reveal a ritual performed often after long rides...

I'll pull the bike into the garage, slump into a camping chair and clap my hands twice. Beautiful blonde appears to remove my boots. socks* and garners a kiss for her efforts.

Ask Mrs. Budman for some help with the boots. She can call you Arthur (or Lancelot) and you can refer to her as Guinevere.

(* No, she's not so appreciative of my safe return as desirous of getting my clothing washed as well as this rider.)
 
Man are you a lucky SOB.

I am happy just have her come out and say "Don't mess up any of my shit!... and make sure everything goes back were it was before you moved it."
 
budman said:
Man are you a lucky SOB.

I am happy just have her come out and say "Don't mess up any of my shit!... and make sure everything goes back were it was before you moved it."
Click to expand...
Does not mean she isn't happy that you're home :x
 
ThumperX said:
Does not mean she isn't happy that you're home :x
Click to expand...
Of course it does not. She seems genuinely happy that I have gotten to this point and was genuinely excited to show me how clean my gear was.
The day she moves some of her shit so I can fit another bike in the garage I will know she thinks I am a keeper. :teeth
 
Another week. A couple of observations and medical updates.

Observations:
1. Small stubbed toe led to a quick (and small stumble) where I had to catch myself with the right leg. Ouch. Not a problem but.... ouch. It showed me my leg is NO WHERE near normal strength. Got it.

2. Mrs. asked if I was going riding on Sunday. That was cool. "Not yet"

3. The above brought me to the conclusion if I lose by balance at all and lean right I am jumping off the bike so save me myself. "DU CAT you are on your own!" I know it would still hurt like hell and please Mr. Bud DO NOT TRY TO SAVE IT!!!!!!

So that has me a little mentally set back as once again reality steps in to cool my jets. There is still a long way to go.

Medical:
Next week is the last PT session for my shoulder. I have made some range of motion improvements, but nowhere near normal. Therapist thinks I have gotten about as much as I am going to get... so probably Medicare will say "YOUR DONE".

Going to have to live with this forever... at least I can ride without any problems. Thinking I will take a cortisone pain injection shot. I have been making good strides weight lifting and it would be nice to do that and few other things without the pain.

Two weeks of PT left on the leg. I have a feeling I will have to fight to get them to continue. I believe it is necessary to help maintain the stretching focus and continue to monitor the range of motion.
 
budman said:
Another week. A couple of observations and medical updates.

Observations:
1. Small stubbed toe led to a quick (and small stumble) where I had to catch myself with the right leg. Ouch. Not a problem but.... ouch. It showed me my leg is NO WHERE near normal strength. Got it.

2. Mrs. asked if I was going riding on Sunday. That was cool. "Not yet"

3. The above brought me to the conclusion if I lose by balance at all and lean right I am jumping off the bike so save me myself. "DU CAT you are on your own!" I know it would still hurt like hell and please Mr. Bud DO NOT TRY TO SAVE IT!!!!!!

So that has me a little mentally set back as once again reality steps in to cool my jets. There is still a long way to go.

Medical:
Next week is the last PT session for my shoulder. I have made some range of motion improvements, but nowhere near normal. Therapist thinks I have gotten about as much as I am going to get... so probably Medicare will say "YOUR DONE".

Going to have to live with this forever... at least I can ride without any problems. Thinking I will take a cortisone pain injection shot. I have been making good strides weight lifting and it would be nice to do that and few other things without the pain.

Two weeks of PT left on the leg. I have a feeling I will have to fight to get them to continue. I believe it is necessary to help maintain the stretching focus and continue to monitor the range of motion.
Click to expand...
Setbacks aren’t the story
Your persistence is…..
Keep pushing,
Budman you’re on the right path.
PaulR
 
budman said:
Another week. A couple of observations and medical updates.

Observations:
1. Small stubbed toe led to a quick (and small stumble) where I had to catch myself with the right leg. Ouch. Not a problem but.... ouch. It showed me my leg is NO WHERE near normal strength. Got it.

2. Mrs. asked if I was going riding on Sunday. That was cool. "Not yet"

3. The above brought me to the conclusion if I lose by balance at all and lean right I am jumping off the bike so save me myself. "DU CAT you are on your own!" I know it would still hurt like hell and please Mr. Bud DO NOT TRY TO SAVE IT!!!!!!

So that has me a little mentally set back as once again reality steps in to cool my jets. There is still a long way to go.

Medical:
Next week is the last PT session for my shoulder. I have made some range of motion improvements, but nowhere near normal. Therapist thinks I have gotten about as much as I am going to get... so probably Medicare will say "YOUR DONE".

Going to have to live with this forever... at least I can ride without any problems. Thinking I will take a cortisone pain injection shot. I have been making good strides weight lifting and it would be nice to do that and few other things without the pain.

Two weeks of PT left on the leg. I have a feeling I will have to fight to get them to continue. I believe it is necessary to help maintain the stretching focus and continue to monitor the range of motion.
Click to expand...
Why does it have to be the freaking right leg? I suppose that our dominant side would of course cause that leg to be the freaking hero, thus the commonality of right leg/knee/ ankle/ foot injuries.

I think you should take this thing off my hands and pass it on to the next person.
 
I missed the beginning of this but I have an excuse from a cardiologist.

Femur fractures are no joke. When I ski patrolled I saw a few stomach flipping femoral freakouts.

You must be throwing a leg over by now?
 
Well Jim.

I threw a leg over, but I have not gone for a ride. I believe I can now get a moto boot on by myself and have high hopes of getting it off by myself. The plan is to go for a ride on my BDay. April 25th. It will be 7 months from the break.

I am going to also move back into my bedroom. I have seen it once... when I had to find clothes for a memorial.
There is still a ways to go to be considered recovered. Mostly walking without the cane now but still need it going up and down (!) stairs.

My martial arts caning continues to improve. Really has taken some time to get my left side back in the game. Not there yet, but looking better. :teeth

Feeling some of my Kobudo routes. Using a Bo, Tonfa, Nunchaku and a wooden Katana (Bokken) were super fun as a teen / young adult. Did not realized I missed it until I put a cane in my hand 24/7. I need to find that Bokken and graduate back into a practice weapon. It always impressed my kids... I am sure the grandkids will be quite :wtf if I can regain some of those skills.
1775833193392.png

Sorry for the tangent :laughing
 
budman said:
Well Jim.

I threw a leg over, but I have not gone for a ride. I believe I can now get a moto boot on by myself and have high hopes of getting it off by myself. The plan is to go for a ride on my BDay. April 25th. It will be 7 months from the break.

I am going to also move back into my bedroom. I have seen it once... when I had to find clothes for a memorial.
There is still a ways to go to be considered recovered. Mostly walking without the cane now but still need it going up and down (!) stairs.

My martial arts caning continues to improve. Really has taken some time to get my left side back in the game. Not there yet, but looking better. :teeth

Feeling some of my Kobudo routes. Using a Bo, Tonfa, Nunchaku and a wooden Katana (Bokken) were super fun as a teen / young adult. Did not realized I missed it until I put a cane in my hand 24/7. I need to find that Bokken and graduate back into a practice weapon. It always impressed my kids... I am sure the grandkids will be quite :wtf if I can regain some of those skills.
View attachment 592561

Sorry for the tangent :laughing
Click to expand...
Back in the 70's & 80's there was a terrific Kenpo Karate dojo in downtown Menlo Park, "Ed Parker's Kenpo Karate" run by Harvey Clary (Clarey?) on Menlo Ave/El Camino. I trained there for years & was on their tournament fighting team, we got to go all over California. We'd train inside, go for a group run to the park Santa Cruz/University and work out there or down to the seminary on Middlefield Rd- talk about turning heads. They did staff/cane training, but I never got around to doing that side of it. Thanks for the memory!
 
budman said:
Well Jim.

I threw a leg over, but I have not gone for a ride. I believe I can now get a moto boot on by myself and have high hopes of getting it off by myself. The plan is to go for a ride on my BDay. April 25th. It will be 7 months from the break.

I am going to also move back into my bedroom. I have seen it once... when I had to find clothes for a memorial.
There is still a ways to go to be considered recovered. Mostly walking without the cane now but still need it going up and down (!) stairs.

My martial arts caning continues to improve. Really has taken some time to get my left side back in the game. Not there yet, but looking better. :teeth

Feeling some of my Kobudo routes. Using a Bo, Tonfa, Nunchaku and a wooden Katana (Bokken) were super fun as a teen / young adult. Did not realized I missed it until I put a cane in my hand 24/7. I need to find that Bokken and graduate back into a practice weapon. It always impressed my kids... I am sure the grandkids will be quite :wtf if I can regain some of those skills.
View attachment 592561

Sorry for the tangent :laughing
Click to expand...

Oh, man. That's some serious recovery work.

I practiced Shotokan ( Kyokushinkai )from about 10 years of age to my 30s. My father in law taught Kendo at an Oyama dojo in "Barkerey" and used to use me as a human bash post.
Great workout though, hand to cane defense training.
3 damaged cervical disks ended any full contact sparring or combat. (Not from Ono's bokken, from a surfing mishap)
Serious PT should be a slope that's possible but steep enough to take you to the top again.

Hitotsu!
 
Last edited:
7mos has arrived. I can see how much progress has been made and clearly see there is a lot to go.

Only use the cane to go upstairs and do cool martial arts sword shit now. :teeth

The dedication to rehab has paid off for sure.
I am generally healthier now than before the break (other than the leg) so that is one good thing about this process.

Gym is now a good habit and it makes me happy where not much else does. Certainly living in a rut and generally not real happy. The mental side has taken a toll on how I feel about myself and life. I guess sort of depressed on and off.

Tuesday I went to do an MRI for my shoulder so I can do a cortisone shot and failed to get in that fucking little tube. My shoulders are too wide and as soon as they said pull your elbows in to clear access and started sliding me in with pressure holding my arms still my anxiety went to the moon and I bailed out.

Not sure if I will even try the drug route to do it.
Just frustrated as hell with the current status but can sure acknowledge the improvement. That is huge.

After walking five or six very gimpy steps I can start to walk with zero limp. Sit for two minutes and the process starts over. Leg gets “rusty” super quick and the limp comes right back.

Really need to shake off the up and down mental crap.
 
budman said:
Really need to shake off the up and down mental crap.
Click to expand...
I don't usually give up my magical, mystical ways.. but for you, I'll make an exception.
A sam harris quote I like on "pain and suffering"... I think it to myself often.
"By the time you feel physical pain, you've already endured that moment. The suffering is your runaway thinking about enduring it in future moments." :nerd
I'm in pain most of the time... but I suffer very little.
 
Last edited:
Find a facility that has an open MRI. No claustrophobia. I’m surprised nobody has mentioned this.
 
Regarding your mental ups and downs...I know it sounds trite but you're already living a life that 90% of the world can only dream about.
Sleeping in a safe place, having a roof over your head, fresh water, plentiful food, not having to worry about the cost of something small when you buy it.

A long rehab sucks, but there are a lot who are worse off.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top