{"id":28158,"date":"2017-11-16T17:32:11","date_gmt":"2017-11-17T00:32:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/?p=28158"},"modified":"2018-11-11T13:17:05","modified_gmt":"2018-11-11T20:17:05","slug":"broken-leg-update-a-setback-and-a-plan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/2017\/11\/16\/broken-leg-update-a-setback-and-a-plan\/","title":{"rendered":"Broken Leg Update: A Setback and a Plan"},"content":{"rendered":"

I’m not where I want to be in my progress for my broken leg. Full stop. So I have two options: A) accept it or B) do something about it. \u00a0I choose B.<\/p>\n

After my Bierstadt hike a few weeks ago, my ankle and leg began to sing a coordinated chorus. At times, they kept me up with all their singing. Captain Rod had lost all control so I had to do an intervention and escalate to a higher power … my Doc!<\/p>\n

I saw Dr. Hale today and explained the situation. He had mentioned months ago, and encouraged, that I was pushing myself unlike his standard patient so if I did experience discomfort or lack of mobility, we could take steps to address it.<\/p>\n

As I have said before, my goal is to climb again, not to move from the couch to the chair. I have been thoughtful in my activity, not foolish, resting as needed and giving myself permission to take days, even weeks off, but I want and need more progress.<\/p>\n

The x-rays show all three fractures have completely healed so the hardware is not adding value.<\/p>\n

\"9<\/a>
9 month x-ray<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The time has come …<\/p>\n

On 30 November, I’ll go under the gas and knife again to have all, yes all, the screws and plates removed from my tibia and fibula. It will take about half an hour and the recovery should be straightforward. I’ll walk out of the surgical center.<\/p>\n

We don’t know if it will “fix” all the issues but according to Dr. Hale, there is little downside.<\/p>\n

And I want to go ice climbing in Ouray in January so – Come On Man!!<\/p>\n

Climb On!
\nAlan
\nMemories are Everything<\/p>\n

\n

Background<\/h3>\n

\"Twin<\/p>\n

On February 10, 2017 while training for the 8000 meter peak, Dhaulagiri, a sudden wind gust estimated near 100 mph swept me off my feet and into a talus field on a simple walk up mountain of Twin Sisters Peak, 11,4327′, in Rocky Mountain National Park near Estes Park, Colorado.<\/p>\n

I described the entire incident in my post\u00a0Broken\u00a0Leg: I don’t want\u00a0to be in the Rocks<\/a>.<\/p>\n

When I was slammed into the rocks near 11,000 feet that Friday afternoon, my lower right\u00a0leg was broken in multiple places.<\/p>\n

The tibia had an angular fracture and the fibula was also broken. \u00a0My left\u00a0leg had a puncture wound. My nasal cavity was broken as well. The\u00a0injuries required two operations under full anesthesia and a five day stay in the hospital.<\/p>\n

Jim Davidson was with me that day and called 911 who in turn set a rescue in motion with Rangers from Rocky Mountain National Park<\/a>, Rocky Mountain Rescue Group<\/a> and Larimer County Search and Rescue<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Jim cared for me over four hours as I lie in the rocks and it took another five hours for SARs to evacuate me off the mountain.<\/p>\n

Previous Updates:<\/h3>\n