Airport metal detector misses 15" titanium rod

It was clearly obvious that I would set off the metal detector at the airport, so obvious that I brought along copies of my X-rays and I showed them to the TSA agent before going through. Then, it didn't go off! The agent said it was only just below the threshold but not enough to stop me, no need for a pat-down. Maybe there is some screening effect from the flesh around it but this still surprises me. Back when I had plates in my ankle, they certainly set off the metal detectors.

On the up side, there is now free wireless at Syracuse airport. Yay!

Too busy to blog?

Perhaps it is because I've been busy coding that I haven't blogged. Or, perhaps it is that I'm not stuck inside. I don't think this is the end of the blog but perhaps less frequent postings are now to be expected, there are just too many other fun things to do... when you can.

I'm happily driving about and going in to work regularly. I need a cane to help me walk properly (without it I list rather alarmingly to the starboard), but with it am pretty mobile. On Friday I fly to England to test this mobility further -- I think the immobility of sitting in a cramped seat is actually much more likely to be troublesome than getting about.



And now for something completely different... A while ago Jen sent me an email about Guinness Marmite. After some investigation I concluded it was a hoax and told her so. Well, a couple of days ago Jofish conclusively proved me wrong by showing up with a jar (pictured above). The jar is pretty cool but the contents are really very similar to ordinary Marmite (which I import in 2 kilo loads every time I return from England). After side-by-side tasting I think the Guinness version may be a little "gentler" tasting. From the label it seems they replaced only 30% of the yeast extract with a Guinness version. I was hoping for something more radical.

The boy can walk

I've been sneaking around the house without my walker for a couple of days but now it is official -- the walker is toast, I'm to do it on my own. Of all the "hurrahs!" on this blog this might be the best. I also took the step of driving myself to my orthopaedic appointment today. It feels like wonderful progress.

The news from my appointment was pretty much all good: the bones are healing (if you look at the top of the femur in the x-ray, it doesn't look like abstract art anymore); I'm to progress with walking and strengthening within the limits of pain; and I'm officially allowed to work again. I'll still be doing some physical therapy to continue working on mobility of my left wrist and strength/mobility of the right leg.

Back to yoga on Wednesday, I wonder how much flexibility I have lost and what postures I can manage?

Coding maniac rants

Without really getting fully fixed in between, and still mainly stuck inside, I shifted from working a bit to being a long-hours coding maniac. The reason is that I'm finally going for the "big push" (ready Blackadder?) to get the arXiv identifier changes done. It is a little too close to call as to whether we'll make it in time for 1 April (an amusing day for some big changes) or not, but I think we have at least a fighting chance.

So, to the rant. Not entirely unrelated but not about arXiv: why is the "state of the art" of web design based around fixed 800 pixel wide layouts? This is really pitiful and sadly includes this blog -- which I apologize for but claim I have no control over other than to chose another blogging service. I have a 1600 pixel wide screen which isn't even super high resolution these days, the blog size is fixed at half my screen width so if I choose a sensibly sized font for casual reading I get about two and a half words on a line. I can't imagine that I'm the only person who thinks that high resolution screens are to give beautiful and easy to read text rather than to cram more small text in. Hurrumph!

I can do it standing up

As I sat on the "tub transfer bench" in the shower I wondered what was stopping me from taking a show standing up now. I couldn't think of a good reason so I stood up and took the rest of the shower that way. Much better! I think I'll take the bench out as soon as it has dried off. No more tub transfer bench, hurrah!

Taking a hike

Limits are for pushing... right? Today I gimped my way all the way to the credit union and thence to Leslie's for lunch with Leslie and Chris. I think it took 15-20 minutes to get to the credit union. My leg felt fine but my left wrist was little sore from swinging and hanging on the the walker all that way. I opted to the easy way home in Chris's luxury vehicle.

In doing my exercises I feel it is the wrist that needs most work. Yesterday I managed to get my left (good) leg a little tired after 30 minutes on the exercise bike, so I think I'm doing fine there. My wrist still has rather limited range of motion and aches quite a bit. The range of motion is improving steadily though, so I don't think I should worry but instead keep with the programme.

The great north face of the Eiger... or my driveway

The Eiger it isn't, but my driveway has been looking pretty steep and intimidating for the past couple of months. However, the warm weather melted the remaining snow and ice and it started to look tempting. Today I plucked up the courage to tackle it -- solo, unroped -- and I succeeded in collecting my mail. The round trip must have taken me about 15 minutes but what an adventure! What a feeling of achievement!

I must be feeling bold today as I also ventured upstairs to do some laundry. I didn't want to try to get the walker up so I butt-scooched up the stairs and then slid and hopped to the washing machine. Not elegant but it seemed to work. I suppose I'd better go up again and move it to the dryer.

Sweet Sweat Rain

This weekend was marked by several outings: shopping at Weggies and Targét, a failed attempt to go to Stellar Stereo, a delicious dinner at Pangea, and a trip to the pictures. The flip side of these outings is that the muntins of my windows feel more than ever like bars. I want out.

It is always good to have a place to channel aggression somewhere harmless, or even better, somewhere productive. Recall that exercise bike? Well, today I managed 30mins and a good sweat in a 59F room. I broke a sweat on track 7 of the Sex Pistol's "Seventeen". As I enjoyed the feeling I noticed them belting out the lyrics... "I'm a lazy sod". Ha! The youth of 1977 I thought. I, on the other hand am working out and enjoying the sweat as if it were warm summer rain. This is probably more than you wanted to know so I'll put the ice-pack for my knee back in the freezer and take a shower.

Putting on the miles

I've been missing exercise, missing the kind of work that makes one sweat. Now, thanks, to John I can bike to my heart's content (leg willing) in the comfort of my living room.


Jim and Kata helped me set the bike up yesterday. I found that I can't hold my usual road bike posture so we had to turn up the handlebars in just the same way that all the cool kids did at high school (that didn't include me). Looking at the photo I think I should be mindful of my back... looks rather too rounded there. Anyway, did about 15mins both yesterday and today and it feels good. I haven't yet managed to break out into a sweat but I'm not far off.

Sticking my neck out

Hot on the heels of my Monday orthopedic checkup, Tuesday was neuro day. X-rays of my neck in a neutral position, bent forward and bent backward all showed that the chip on C3 moves with the rest of the bone. From this, and the time since injury, it is inferred that the chip is now connected with the main part of the bone which is good. Various other tolerances were checked and are also fine, so I got the go-ahead to ditch the neck brace. Hurrah!

That was two days ago and I am delighted to report that life without a cast or neck brace is better than with. My wrist still feels very weak but is improving. I spent most of yesterday with it out of the soft brace. I'm doing my best to use my right leg at the appropriate weight bearing level as I walk around -- just about to go to the scale to calibrate myself to the feeling of 56lbs for today.

...and the sun is shining.

On to more weighty issues

News from my orthopedic checkup yesterday was good. I have lost the cast on my left forearm (where did I put it...?) and now have just a removable wrist brace. No more plastic bag in the shower, no more stinky dead skin in the cast. I had a long soaking and scrubbing session to clean up the forearm and wrist, and it looks quite respectable now. Instructions are to work on mobility and then strengthen.

For the leg I'm told that all is staying in place nicely and the lack of any pain is a good sign. Instructions are to start at 40lbs and then gradually increase weight bearing to full over the next 4 weeks. By my calculation, this means the following weight bearing schedule:

26Feb   40lbs
27Feb   45lbs
28Feb   50lbs
 1Mar   56lbs
 2Mar   61lbs
 3Mar   66lbs
 4Mar   71lbs
 5Mar   76lbs
 6Mar   81lbs
 7Mar   87lbs
 8Mar   92lbs
 9Mar   97lbs -- Can stand with weight evenly distributed
10Mar  102lbs
11Mar  107lbs
12Mar  113lbs
13Mar  118lbs
14Mar  123lbs
15Mar  128lbs
16Mar  133lbs
17Mar  138lbs
18Mar  144lbs
19Mar  149lbs
20Mar  154lbs
21Mar  159lbs
22Mar  164lbs
23Mar  169lbs
24Mar  175lbs
25Mar  180lbs
26Mar  185lbs

Now all I have to do is adjust my diet so that 185lbs actually is full weight bearing on 26 March. All this sitting about and eating is not good for my waistline.

Quantifiable progress

Maximum right knee bend angle measured at 102 degrees on Monday, 112 degrees today. This is good. Also no pain medications for the past 5 days.

The real question is what news I'll get from my orthopedic appointment on Monday and my neurosurgeon appointment on Tuesday. I'm hoping for removal of hard cast on the wrist, and bone growth in the leg on Monday. On Tuesday it would be good to ditch the neck brace. We shall see.

Sauna expedition

The sight of my sauna, 30 meters away across the snowy garden, has been a little frustrating over the last week. It needs to be used when there is snow about, and the use is better if I am among those sweating. Last night this problem was addressed.

There was, of course, just one small problem: I can't walk over that 30m to get to the sauna as I have a broken leg. I can't even get there with my walker because the ground is uneven and covered in 5 inches of crusty snow. Friends to the rescue! I hobbled outside with the walker (again using the half steps that Polar made), enough to get off the deck to the edge to the snow.

I then lowered myself onto a plastic sled while Leslie held the walker steady to avoid any mishaps. It seemed important to keep the leg in the mending, rather than re-broken, state.

Leslie, Jonas, Laura and Polar then hauled the sled across the garden to the threshold of the sauna. I thank them for not letting go and sending me out-of-control down the driveway, that would have been bad. I then maneuvered myself in and onto the bench, sat and sweated.

Cook until lightly roasted, and reverse. Ahhh!

The phone company loves me

It just so happens that the start of my phone billing cycle was the day before my accident. I just got the bill for the month following and instead of the usual couple of hundred minutes, it seems I was on the phone for 1,905 minutes last month! That is over 31 hours or a little under 5% of the month. Yikes.

One other news... it is warm and sunny here, the ice is melting and the snow sinking away. Noises of snow sloughing off my roof are sometimes quite eerie.

Narc free for 36 hours

No pain medications for 36 hours now and I'm not in pain. Having saved up all those doses I'll be able to party hard tonight (joke).

When I say "not in pain" I should add the proviso "except when I do my PT exercises". Most are OK but the knee-bend is a killer. The pain is paying off though, on Thursday a knee-angle of 90 degrees was officially recorded. That is about 70 degrees better than it was a couple of weeks ago, just another 70 or 80 degrees to go.



Just in case you happen to live a few thousand miles away and haven't been inundated with snow of your own. Above is Kata the snow clearing fairy on Wednesday when we got about 18", after she cleared a long long path up my driveway and to the house. Thanks.

And finally, the vexing PBR question has been answered. To remind, the question was "how did a can of PBR get into my fridge?" This is not the usual choice of my very generous and discerning friends. The answer, I am told, is Chris. Hmmm, next party he throws... Waste not want not though, I drank it, with lunch. Burp.

The unbearable lightness of this water

I can sit and watch a rainy day without problems. I can sit and watch the sun stream in through my window without feeling too bad. Watching a foot of fun fresh fluffy snow accumulate as I am trapped and immobile is really frustrating. That is all I have to say about today.

Monday checkup: OK but no speed records

I had my first out-patient orthopedic checkup on Monday 12th (day 30). Many x-rays of wrist and leg. The wrist is healing well and I'll probably lose the cast in two weeks (hurrah!). The femur is OK, all bits in the right places, but not showing so much sign of bone healing so we just have to wait and see.

I did get permission for my PT to work on some new exercises -- ouch, why did I ask for that? I'm also encouraged to put 20lb weight on the right leg to encourage bone growth. This is not much, less that the weight of the leg. All progress though, if not as fast as I might hope.

To be fair to my PT, she did also suggest that I might take advantage of leaving to house for a checkup, and go out for lunch. Kata, Leslie and I enjoyed a fine lunch at Olivia's, washed down with some very pleasant fizz. Yum.

Incisive comments?

So, there you have it. A picture of my naked right leg. Sexy, eh? Actually, I'll have to agree that it is not a very pretty sight though the incisions are healing up very nicely.

I woke up on Thursday morning to an NPR report about increases in addiction to painkillers, especially OxyContin, the one I'm taking. I think I'd better avoid getting addicted, especially if there is any chance that Rush Limbaugh's brand of hate speech might have been in some way connected with his OxyContin addiction.

My new evening meal plan continues to work wonderfully. Thanks to Carol, Don, and Carl and Sandy! Yesterday I ventured to make supper myself -- it took me about three stints to make a simple pasta sauce but I think the achievement still marks progress of sorts.

Eating like a king

I'm now settling into the long haul waiting for my bones to mesh so that I can stand on two legs again. A fine silver lining is that I have friends coming over every evening to keep me company, to prepare a delicious meal, and even do the washing up. Thanks to Leslie, Jeni, Phoebe and Thorsten, and Laura! I wonder what Carol with bring tonight?

The weather has turned cold cold cold. There is snow for skiing and ice for climbing. I, on the other hand, am mobile only with the walker shown. Fortunately I have to wear the neck brace only when I'm up and about.

Gotta brag

I might be incapacitated at the moment but the mail reminds me of better times. I just opened a package to find a copy of the Alpine Journal 2006 with my picture of Ade on Good Neighbor on the front cover! We knew they were going to include the article about our climb (see also version on Cascade climbers) but I didn't know we'd get the cover. Yay!

I too can take a shower every day

To avoid any interpretation along the lines of Senator Biden's stupid comments, I'd like to point out that I make no claim that I will be any cleaner (hygienically speaking) than any 2008 or earlier US presidential candidate of any race. I do think my record on lying and war crimes stands up pretty well against Bush's though. Am I straying into politics? Oops.

Thanks to Don's efforts in fitting a hand-held shower head I can now sensibly shower on my own (cast in a plastic bag). Another feel-good step in the right direction. Kata had to head back to PA to work so I even fixed my own lunch. It wasn't very complicated (bread, seitan, oil, olives, juice), but I did wash the dishes too -- tidier than normal I'd say.

Home sweet home

After 17 nights in hospital I'm home. This is good, very good. I haven't magically gained more mobility, a shorter healing time, or less discomfort. Nonetheless, it is wonderful to be home. Thanks to Kata and Leslie for orchestrating the break out, and to Jim for building extra legs to make my now-downstairs bed a convenient height.

So far I've got myself juice from the fridge, made toast with butter and marmite (yum), put on a CD, and had a shower with a little help from Kata. Not much, but a start.

Exit visa

When an employee leaves Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), they get a sheet of paper with the names of about a dozen people and departments that must sign the form before they can leave. I don't know what is supposed to happen if you don't get all the signatures, but then again, I've never met anyone who left without them... Good to know that we can be sure no federally funded paper clips are left unaccounted for. After all, it only takes a day or two to get the form filled in (which with an average LANL salary costs...).

This morning my Occupational Therapist signed off on my hospital exit visa. Apparently I can now wash myself, dress myself (with a sock aid), get in and out of bed, and am potty trained. Now I just need signatures from PT and the doctors...

Patience level: low

Sometime around Saturday my patience ran out. I think a two week stretch of being good, patient and not-so-sarcastic is a laudable innings. However, it couldn't last. I now want out, to be in my own home and in control (albeit in some limited sense for a while longer).

Another weekend of the very finest Kata-care with various visitations. Many thanks to Polar for constructing some intermediate steps that should allow me to get on to my deck and over the threshold into the house (in 4" not 8" steps -- 4" I can do, 8" is optimistic with the walker). I haven't seen them yet but I'm told they are a fine construction.

New cast

Another forward step. I have a new cast on my left forearm (above) which is both much lighter than the earlier one, and doesn't extend to include my elbow. I have much improved mobility though I think I might need this new one tweaked as it cuts in slightly when walking with my elbow bent.

Stress control sheep

Actually from Monday but I have only just downloaded the photos from my phone. First, sheep (ram) and Simeon in non-stressed mode. Second, sheep and Simeon on stressed mode -- isn't it said that pain shared is pain halved?

1) 2)

The news keeps roliing in... wrist good

This seems to be the afternoon for news. The bones of my left wrist are still in a good position so it is unlikely that I'll need an operation there. The surgeon says she'll come in tomorrow to put it in a cast that doesn't go as far as the elbow. Hurrah again!

I've also seen my post-op x-rays and the femur shots are scary -- one big rod almost the length of the bone with a screw holding it near the knee end. Then a big rod/screw through into the head (ball) of the femur. The bone in between shows several fractures.

Exit date: Tuesday?

I'm told that I'll likely be released on Tuesday (30 Jan, day 17). Hurrah!

Good news for sticking my neck out

News from the neurosurgeon after a bone scan and the MRI of my neck: C3 fracture looks very good. I should wear the neck brace most of the time, especially when moving about, for the next 2--3 weeks. However, I also have a T4 fracture. This should be fine on it's own, was likely due to over-extension with back rounded. Also, two broken ribs show up on my right side but no amount of prodding finds a sore spot. They are probably left over from an injury at the end of last year, mostly healed.

I'm so dizzy... (Wednesday, day 11)

Occupational Therapy at 8am: "Might I take a shower?", "yes"... Oh! How wonderful that felt. Had my arm in a plastic bag, leg wound open and neck still in a brace. The physician even visited and took out the remaining staples (10 days after op) so that I could have an MRI of my neck. Slight dizzy spell trying to get dressed -- perhaps I was too relaxed -- but that soon passed.

No "new" ability in Physical Therapy but consolidation and less pain for the same. Laura stopped buy with delicious mango and grapes (big hit) and I'm waiting to hear results from my x-rays (leg and wrist) and MRI (neck) earlier today. Visits also from Andre, Rayko and Jim, and a chance to see Rayko's stitches from the weekend.

Quiet day

Kata came in in the morning to say goodbye before heading back to PA, pesky work. Leslie brought Chicken Mole Burritos (OK, tofu for herself) from Viva (yum) and, inconceivable as it may sound, "The Princess Bride" played on TV at a convenient time
so we watched that.

Monday, monday (day 9)

Party in room 248: Kata, Leslie, Laura, Anne, Don, Ari and Rima all visited and there was much telling of stories.I think Polar wins quote of the day for his later report to SUOC (even if it may not be entirely accurate):

His leg is about the size of a German torpedo, containing enough blood to offer transfusions to the entire US Olympic high altitude marathon running team.

His left arm is in a hard cast from his fingers around his elbow, which keeps him from picking his nose. The neck brace has a bit to do with that as well. His right arm looks like some purple abstract art, bruised from the IVs. There is a hospital sign above his head and outside the door labeling him as a "Medium Safety Risk". That's a good one. However, since Leslie injured another climbing partner this past weekend, we are labeling her a "High Safety Risk".

He has to go to group physical therapy sessions where they sit in a circle just like other 12 step programs, "Hi, I'm Simeon. I fell down and couldn't get up." From what I can gather, they play soccer or badminton with a Nerf ball with their various mangled limbs. I told him this morning on the phone, "I want you to go in to that group session today, and I want you to WIN!"

Weekend of Kata-care

I like Kata-care. Katalin bought me an appropriate wardrobe of baggy trousers (a fashion nightmare, but practical), brought tasty munchies and was generally lovely to have around. The weekend saw a rush of visitations (Leslie, Rayko, Naomi, Matt, Don, Carol, Dan, Carl that I can remember now) which was great, if perhaps tiring at times. I should probably have paced myself a little...

Road trip

The road from Burlington to Ithaca takes 7 hours to travel and is bumpy. The ambulance had the suspension of an pickup. I arrived in the Medical Rehab Unit of the Cayuga Medical Center in good spirits but promptly bonked for the rest of Friday (day 6): sleep and pain meds. Kata's attention was a wonderful consolation though.

Life in Burlington

I stayed in Burlington through Friday (day 6). Leslie provided invaluable support by spending all of Sunday, Monday, Tuesday with me, acting a press agent, and as my advocate. I was somewhat surprised to hear of a report in the Ithaca Times, apparently from the AP wire service. Flowers and email messages started to arrive almost before I was out of the OR (thanks to all, and many thank to the volunteers running the email printing and delivery service at Fletcher Allen in Burlington.

On Tuesday I received 2 units of blood to help increase my low (<20) hematocrit level and that had a marked effect on how I felt and apparently on my appearance too. Much of Wednesday and Thursday were spent dicussing what would happen next; both with physicians and the case manager in Burlington (who wrestled with my insurance company), and with Carol, Elly and Naomi in Ithaca who helped advise me (thanks!!).

Milestones over this period included being able to pee for myself, being helped to stand up on my good leg, and later doing it without my vision blurring. Tried the TV at one point and quickly decided that TV-free is the way I want to continue living, what rubbish!

Surgery

When I arrived in Burlington on Saturday evening I was examined, x-rayed and then went to the operating room for some preliminary work. The dislocation of my left wrist was reduced, a fractured bone chip set, and the arm put in plaster to just above the elbow. A rod was also inserted through my right leg just below the knee. This protruded a few inches either side and I assume was to help hold/align the femur later. Quite gruesome looking. When I came to I was in the formerly orthopedic ward and managed to sleep for periods of high-medication.

Leslie arrived on Sunday (day 1) morning with tales of who was about at the Mountainfest slide show on Saturday night. I had more x-rays, CAT scans and examinations, bit "nil by mouth" as they say in England. Later I was put under again so that my femur could be pinned. When I came to I was in the orthopedic ward and was told that all had gone well. The rod through my lower leg had vanished.

So, this is how it went...

I met up with Leslie on friday night at "The Hut" in the Adirondacks, after an intense couple of days meeting in NYC for the OAI-ORE technical committee. We got a late start but were finally on the hike in to Pitchoff North around 10am on Saturday morning (let us call this Day0). We first checked out Central Pillar, which was overrun with climbers, and then started our way hiking along the foot of the cliff. On the trail is normally covered with several feet of snow I mis-stepped just below Tendonitis. To my surprise and horror, I didn't just fall over but started accelerating down the icy gulley. As I neared a big boulder it was obvious that pain lay ahead of me. I don't recall the details of my trajectory from then but suffice it to say that I was bounced a couple of times after hitting the boulder and came to rest in a crumpled heap with my right leg in an odd position. Ouch.

Apparently, up above there was immediate recognition that "oh, he's in a bad way". Leslie and other started down to help me as I complained and suggested my leg was broken. There was a physician Olga and several WFRs amoung the numerous climbers present. I was carefully poked, prodded, and rearranged with the conclusion that I had a broken femur and/or hip, a dislocated wrist and possible spinal issues. With some drugs and many down jackets I was made modetately comfortable as others went for help.

Several batches of Lake Placid Search and Rescue arrived and started procedures to immobilize my neck, transfer me to a backboard and finally tie me in to a litter. As soon as I was in the litter, various of the climbing community vocally argued to get me out asap. A belay was set and I was passed hand-over-hand by the climbers for about 200 feet down the gulley. From there the SAR team took me over the lake and then out on a ATV trailer. After then my recollections get more confused as the mix of drugs was increased. I was first taken to Lake Placid hostital with the intention of helicopter to Burlington. The weather precluded the helicopter so I was moved to Saranac Lake hospital before finally getting an ambulance to Burlington, arriving around 9pm.