The Unwrapping

Saturday couldn't get here soon enough because that's the day I could take the wrap off my knee.  Not only was I anxious to see what was under there but the wrap was becoming increasingly binding and uncomfortable.  So, before I even had my coffee, here's what we found.

First of all it's not as bad as it looks.  Once I took a shower and cleaned the knee up a little it looked much more normal.  It was swollen and a bit bruised but otherwise much better that what we'd expected.

I was kind of relieved and disappointed at the same time.  As a family we tend to marvel and appreciate when one of us gets an awesome bruise, especially the kind that turn green, black, blue and any other colors you might want to add.  I'm pretty active and both the kids are studying Tae kwon do so we tend to come home a little banged up at times.  On the other hand, I'm really anxious to get back to my routine so, the less damage, the quicker the recovery.

Since taking the wrap off yesterday I've also begun my rehab program in earnest and plan to add the stationary bike to the mix tomorrow.  Dr. C thought it was a realistic expectation that I'd be back to running, among other things, in the next in three or four weeks.

I can't wait!

The Recovery

After waking up and being discharged Kate and I got in the car and made a bee-line for the nearest Sonic Drive-in for a Route 44 Diet Coke.  Massive amounts of caffeine! Need I say more?  Once I had a large drink to satisfy my thirst we headed home for some food.

I got set up on the couch with my laptop, cell phone, XBOX 360 and the remote control.  With a full stomach and my pain killers I living the good life.  I spent the rest of the afternoon keeping my leg elevated and playing video games.  I was in pretty good shape until it was time to go to bed.

Exhaustion kicked in and it was time to hit the rack.  I'd been able to get pretty comfortable on the couch and was hoping for the same luck in bed.  A good nights sleep was not in the cards that first night.  No matter how hard I tried I just could not find a position that eased the pain and let me get to sleep.  I tossed and turned all night and kept Kate awake as well.  She was great when she helped me at 2:00 a.m. when it was time to take my medicine and rearrange the pillows under my knee. Finally morning came and that's when the real wake up call occurred!

Since I couldn't sleep I got up with Kate and we had breakfast together before she began getting the kids ready for school.  We kind of fell into a routine that first morning.  Kate and the kids would head off to school and I would nap on the couch until she got home.  Kate walked through the door with a Route 44 Diet Coke and I was in love all over again.  I'd fallen asleep with the ice pack from the hospital on my knee and had forgotten all about it.  Kate asked if I was done with it and I reached up to get it for her.  Apparently the pack was difficult close all the way and when I grabbed it the top opened up and a flood of ice cold water landed in my lap!  Even though my knee had just been through surgery I came off the couch like a shot!!

After I caught my breath and changed into some dry clothes we settled in with our computers and watched the Dan Patrick Show.  Kate had heard me talk about him and I listen to his podcast everyday but this was the first time she'd listened to or watched the show.  After a couple of mornings watching Dan and the boys she's hooked.  After the show we had lunch and just hung out until she took off to pick up the kids.

I have had the best time these last two days lounging around the house, playing games, working on our computers and catching up on the shows we'd recorded.  I actually ventured out on the town today to have lunch with Kate and get the last of our son's birthday presents.  It was great to get off the couch and out of the house for some fresh air and a change of scenery.  If this is what retirement is like, minus the knee surgery, bring it on!

Tomorrow morning we have the big reveal.  I get to unwrap my knee and take a look at the damage.  K, my physical therapist, said the incisions may be open and oozing some of the saline solution Dr. C used to flush the knee.  Just the thought of it made Kate a little squeamish but the kids and I can't wait to see if there's any carnage.

Stay tuned tomorrow for the big unwrapping................if it's nasty enough there may even be pictures!

Windows Phone 7

I currently own an iPhone but this thing looks awesome.  I may be a switcher.

Dave vs. the Meniscus

So, about two weeks ago I was going for a run like I do most days during my lunch hour when this sharp pain shot through my right knee.   The pain began in the back and wrapped around the inside of my leg ending just below the kneecap.  I continued running for about a hundred yards hoping it was a cramp or something and would work itself out.  When it didn't I stopped and tried stretching but ended up with the same result.

It seems like these things alway happen in the middle of your run so I was still a ways from the office.  I'm either hard headed or a glutton for punishment but instead of calling one of my friends for a ride, I hobbled along and finished my run.  C'mon, any true runner would've done the same....don't you think?

Once I got showered and changed the swelling and stiffness were in full effect and I was hobbling around like an old man.  Over the next couple of days the knee wasn't making any progress so I broke down, listened to my wife, (she's a runner as well), and went to see our family doctor.  Our doctor thought I may have strained or partially torn the medial collateral ligament and referred us to an orthopaedic specialist.

One set of x-rays, an examination and an MRI later, Dr. C's diagnosis was confirmed. Torn Meniscus.  If you're like me you said, what in the world is a Meniscus? According to Dr. C, it's a layer of cartilage that cushions the area between the upper and lower leg bones in the knee.  Apparently I hadn't just torn my Meniscus but I'd cross sectioned, sliced and diced about a third of it.

Dr. C and I talked about my age and level of activity and how much I enjoy exercising. He said that if all I did was play golf one or two times a week we could probably just let the knee heal on it's own and it may flare up on me once in a while.  However, if I wanted to continue with the same fitness regimen, Kate and I have a half-marathon on December 12th, we would need to fix it.  And by fix it, he meant arthroscopic surgery.

So my surgery is scheduled for noon yesterday and I go in around 11:00 in the morning to start the pre-op procedures.  As part of the pre-op I couldn't have anything to eat or drink past midnight the previous evening, not even water.  By the time high noon rolled around I was starving, thirsty and in desperate for large amounts of caffeine.

Things went a little off the rails from the start.  Since I was so dehydrated from the restrictions the nurse had a tough time finding a vein for my IV.  Three tries and two band-aids later and we were in.  I thought we were ready to get this show on the road until Nurse S stuck her head through the curtain to tell us Dr. C had a flat tire on the way to the hospital and was running a little late.  He finally arrived, spotless I might add, thanks to his roadside assistance plan and we gave him some grief for not changing his own tire.  In true Dr. C form he responded with, "these hands are not meant for changing tires."  Seeing as how he was getting ready to operate on me I couldn't have agreed with him more.

I have to admit, I was a little nervous about being put under for the procedure.  This would be the first time I'd been anesthetized since I was a kid.  The stuff they put in my IV sent me off to la-la land in a hurry though and the last thing I remember was commenting on how much better the music in the operating room was compared to the pre-op area.  I swear there was music playing but you never know, I was drugged up pretty good.

After what felt like a quick nap I woke up with Kate and the nurse by my side.  The nurse knew I had to be hungry so she had some saltine crackers and ice water ready for me.  I polished them off in short order and a Gatorade was next.  I was parched! Then the coup de gras.  They actually had a soda fountain in the recovery room and she brought me not one, but two ice cold Diet Cokes!

After some good drugs, a quick nap and two ice cold drinks, I thought maybe I should do this kind of thing more often.

Stay tuned for day one of the recovery..................

Dave vs. Monday (Part II and 112 days apart)

You ever have one of those Monday's where things went wrong right from the start? You know the kind I'm talking about.  The kind where you had a good weekend and were looking to ease back into the workweek?  Well, this Monday was not one of those. And the worst part is that it could've all been prevented.

We have a lot of smart people where I work who are good at their jobs.  Things go awry when people start making decisions that are outside their area of expertise and then I have to spend the entire day, part of this evening and some of tomorrow in order to make things right.  This was one of those times when it definitely would've been better to put in the time and effort on the front end and save us all a ton of work down the road.

I was pretty spent, not in the best of moods and brain dead when I got home.  But, after hanging out with my family, having an awesome home cooked meal, (my wife wants to be Pioneer Woman), taking my daughter for her first legit drive after getting her learner's permit, and Monday Night Football I have a whole new outlook on the day.

And don't forget Call of Duty.  Nothing winds up the day like taking out my frustrations on unsuspecting internet warriors with automatic weapons and a little high explosives.

But I guess that's why they call it Monday.

Dave vs. Monday

Today seemed like a day that that I was destined to get lot’s of stuff done.  I only had one meeting at work today which means I have plenty of time to do things that actually have a semblance of importance to them.  There are some days that consist of one meeting after another, sitting in on endless discussions and getting absolutely nothing accomplished.


I did attend a speaker’s series on ethics today that was both enjoyable and informative.  Not that I needed any ethical training but in a previous life I have been known to be very comfortable working in the gray areas.  The biggest fear during the event was that the speaker, who happens to be a very high ranking officer of the company and that we work with closely, would call on us to ask a question.  We managed to dodge that bullet but were recognized for our support, which was nice but a bit embarrassing.  We prefer to work in the shadows and behind the scenes.


After the speech I got a great call from Kate to let me know that she had done me a solid and mowed the front yard for me. What a wife!  While we were on the phone I was driving to the gym and happened to look in the rear view mirror and saw nothing but black storm clouds.  I couldn’t tell if they were heading our way but figured I’d better get my run in while I had the chance.


I got to the gym and changed into my running gear.  I stepped outside just in time to notice that the black roiling storm clouds were definitely heading my direction.  I took off trying to beat the weather, keeping a constant eye on the clouds and wondering how far I should go before turning back.  I chickened out after about a mile, you would’ve too if you’d seen the storm that was bearing down on me!  I got back to the gym just as the sprinkles started falling so I guess I made the right decision.  


I went to my one meeting of the day then headed home.  This is when things really got busy.  As I mentioned before, my wonderful wife had mowed the front yard but that left the back for me.  I got home and had exactly 45 minutes until I had to take our daughter to tae kwon do.  I changed out of my work clothes and got down to business.  I got the yard done in 40 minutes leaving me five whole minutes to choke down a snack and Diet Coke before heading out to ninja training.


Just as we were heading out the door my amazing wife and son were coming in from his kung-fu class.  Did I mention how great my wife is?  Well, she got even better when she asked if I’d like her to take our daughter to class?  I jumped at the opportunity, kissed her and told her how beautiful she was, then headed back to the computer room to get my workout in.  


An hour later and workout done it was time for some dinner, ninja nights are usually sandwiches, and it was time for a quick shower and a little Call of Duty.  Nothing like ending up a busy day taking out any frustrations on unsuspecting internet warriors using automatic weapons and high explosives!

Floyd Landis vs. Integrity

In 2006 Floyd Landis turned in one of the most amazing performances in the history of the Tour de France.  Riding for Team Phonak he broke away from the peleton with an almost super-human effort to win Stage 17 and assure himself the honor of riding into Paris wearing the race leader's yellow jersey.


Mere days after that enormous effort Landis tested positive for a banned substance.  For confirmation a second sample was tested and it too came back positive. Landis was stripped of his victory, giving the win to second place finisher Oscar Pereiro of the Spanish team, Caisse d'Epargne.  Floyd Landis was banned from cycling for the next two years.


Ever since that first test came back positive, the cyclist has gone to great lengths to prove his innocence.  He has done repeated interviews, testified in court, wrote a book and accepted millions of dollars from faithful fans and supporters.  Today news broke of Landis' confession that he really did cheat to win the Tour de France and that it was a pattern of behavior dating back to 2002.  


I remember back to the summer of 2006, the highs of the victory in Stage 17 and the lows when the positive test result was made public.  I was so thoroughly disgusted with the cheating that I threw much of my cycling gear in the trash can.  I don't think I even rode my bike for a couple of months.


That was nothing compared to how I feel about Floyd today.  I think I'd feel even worse if I was one of those people who believed in him and donated money to his cause or bought his book.  He has basically been living a lie for the past eight years and I don't know how he can look at himself in the mirror.  


It's one thing to cheat, we see it all the time with athletes in other sports using performance enhancing drugs and claiming they don't know how it got into their bodies.  But to go to the lengths of writing a book and taking people's hard earned money makes this situation that much harder to swallow.  


He's even taking a page out of Jose Conseco's book and making allegations against others in his sport.  Landis is most notably calling out former teammates Lance Armstrong, George Hincapie, Levi Leipheimer and Dave Zabriskie. Lance is possibly the most tested athlete in history and has never had a positive result. The other named riders have never tested positive or been accused of using illegal methods to boost performance.


"I want to clear my conscience".  That's what Floyd Landis says in a New York Times article by Juliet Macur and Michael S. Schmidt.  If that's the case he should've done it eight years ago and saved everyone the time, money, and aggravation.    


For his performance from 2006 until today, I'd like to borrow a line from MSNBC's Keith Olbermann and nominate Floyd Landis as this week's Worst Person in the World.