Photo Finish Friday

Shots of the week that was...

Day 9 Of My Achilles' Last Stand...

And I need a laugh...

I could... If these stupid paws!

Hahaha! I wanna do this.

On a ride you've never been before.

The Best Things (So far) About a Ruptured Achilles



Creamy Creations Ice Cream

Snickers Ice Cream Bars

Frozen Fruit Bars

HBOGo



WEDNESDAY: Ruptured Achilles, Check

... In disbelief I know that there are only so many things this could be, but it wasn't gonna be me...

WEDNESDAY: Brynn cracks jokes as my brother helps us into the car. We're both on crutches, she recently had knee surgery and is going through rehab, I am only at the beginning, not even on the recovery path yet. We're headed to my doctors office. We get there and park in garage 2... We'll quickly realize that we should have parked in garage 1 as my brother says to us, "I guess I could have dropped you both off in the front." Brynn's on crutches and I am using a walker now, the same kind your favorite elderly mall-walker uses. But I am no where near as graceful and speedy as the silver-mane vintages tracing the mall. on our way to the doc's I stop several times to catch my breath and wipe the sweat from my brow. This walker business ain't no joke, especially when paired with the pain of the bounce of my foot with every stumbling step I take. DAMN. This short walk is long as hell on a humid day. We finally make our way into the office, before even signing in, I pull a half dozen or so tissues from the box on the receptionists counter. I am winded and literally glistening from sweat. I can also smell myself. The fuck? That short struggle to the air conditioned office had me feeling like I had just run a race. And lost.

I'm called back and asked to sit on the bed in the exam room. I immediately apologize to the nurse for my scent, adding that I had no idea how hard this would be for me. Dr. B finally comes in and evaluates me, a few questions and pokings later he recommends that I see another doctor for an MRI. Just what I figured.

Later. At Austin Bone & Joint, Dr. G performs physical tests along with questions. With his tests, he doesn't even need to put me through an MRI, my left foot wasn't moving at all, it's a ruptured Achilles. He gives me my options, one is a cast followed by a boot, with a 6 month recovery time and 85% heal rate. The other is surgery with a year's time for recovery. WOW! I knew this was some shit, but dayamn, this is some Dino-shit. HUGE.  He tells me my decision isn't immediately required as this isn't an emergency case, I should take some time deciding the options, but he recommends surgery. As he's talking I see the pages of the calendar change, the things I'll miss out on and the draining of my savings. Most of all, I see Lil Money, my son, I see him playing and I'm not there. I can't play with my little boy and that makes me the saddest. I text the news to The Wife and wait for her reply. She calls, and I tell her that I am considering surgery in hopes that it gives me the best opportunity at a full recovery.

My next appointment is on Tuesday, the doctor and I will discuss further the procedures and/or concerns of the surgery. I just want it done already. I've fallen, I'm ready to get back on my feet.

Special thanks: 

To - Skeeter, Granny, Clonda & Mimi. Your jump to action and sacrifices have made this stressful and sad time much more bearable. It's a great thing to have family there for you when you need them. I appreciate everything you have done for me and all you will do for me. Thank you. 

And to - The Wife, thank you for not taking it as hard as I thought you would. Haha. Thank you for helping me out and understanding that this is a difficult time. I love you. Oh, can you get me some Buttered Pecan ice cream? :) And also to - Nes, for your caring calls and talks, thank you and I love you. 

And to, last but not least - Lil Money, seeing your happy, smiling face makes this so much easier for me. More than you know. I can't get down and play with you right now, but the come back is where it's at. I love you. 

TUESDAY: Car Accident, Check; Achilles injury, Check

TUESDAY: I had done this so many times before; feet planted firmly on the ground, legs squatting preparing for air-time, the force from my glutes drives down my thighs to my calves approaching lift off. POP! The energy blasts through my right foot, I leave the ground momentarily... Then crash to the floor bouncing against the bed's foot-board, I reach for my left leg, clinching my teeth, as I look around the room. Someone hit me. I felt it. With the force of today's "swollen headed" home run hitters, someone hit me with a 2x4 on the back of my left ankle. 

Wait... Let me start at the beginning. It's 7:20 in the morning on Tuesday, I know I'm going to be late for work. As I approach Ben White on I35 I notice that there aren't any cars in the slow lane, I merge over and quickly get up to 70 MPH. Still, no one is in the slow lane but me, while the inside and center lanes are crawling I am picking up speed. In the center lane, ahead of me there is an 18-wheeler with a Styrofoam green Ford Focus planted in it's ass. I drive closer cautiously knowing how fools drive, but I am too close for the Focus try and jump in front of me, not only that... It's too close behind the 18-wheeler to gain enough speed to make that jump quickly enough. I'm still cruising at 70 MPH, when all of sudden I am forced to squeeze the brakes, the Styrofoam green machine limps over, right in front of me. I'm pretty annoyed, I hate that shit. My first thought was "light this bitch up" (Flash'em), but the better of me quickly vetoed that and I let them be. It was gonna be a better day than that.

We make our way over Ben White, traffic thickens and all lanes slow to a crawl. From the slow lane I along with the "green machine" make our way to the center lane, not long after, the Focus hops into the inside lane. The center lane now begins, briefly, it's turn to move through traffic but the glow of red quickly follows, just then the our villain attempts it's second "fuck you" to DY, my brakes are already pressed as I'm anticipating normal traffic, but the green machine has now taken the space I had available for stopping. I try to stop NOW, but that Styrofoam green piece of mutha-fuckin-shit gets popped by Heidi (that's my car's name). Ain't that a bitch?! I had just gotten notice that due to my safe driving, my insurance lowered my deductible by $100 and I was also going to see a significant decrease in my rates for the next term. There goes that, everyone knows that you're to blame when you hit someone.

Or so I thought, I talked my insurance guy and he said... Not in Texas, there is 99.9% that you are to blame, but the case will be reviewed and evaluated to determine who is to blame. I gave him the details of the incident and he agreed that the other driver should be at fault in this collision. [Wednesday] As I am on my way to get my MRI done on my left leg I receive a call from the claimant's insurance company... After review of the stories and assessment of our vehicles, I am not to blame and the claim against me is dropped. Woo Hoo! 

I lay there gripping my leg, teeth clenched, face full of pain, knowing in the back of my mind what happened when I heard that pop and was struck in the back of my leg with the fury of Barry Bonds, Jose Canseco & Mark McGuire. I crawl up to the bed, embarrassed and angered, cursing aloud to myself while thinking "this can't be happening". In disbelief I know that there are only so many things this could be, but it wasn't gonna be me... 

AUSTIN, TX: Freddie's Place DEAL.

Freddie's Place

Music Monday: All I Know

Matt The Electrician - All I Know