Hug somebody today

Newtown CT is about 20 minutes from me.  Too close for comfort....    Hug somebody today and remember those poor families affected by this terrible tragedy.  I really am at a loss for words....

Angels saved me last summer

Best to read the post just before this one to get the context...   I know I said a story for another day, but I have a slow morning so I thought I'd tell it.

I do throw caution to the wind even in my advanced age of gulp - 50!    Besides my big boat, I have a Zodiac - a 13 foot long rubber raft with a 10HP motor on the back.  I remember the Zodiac as a kid as being the preferred mode of transportation for Jacque Costeau and the boys as they went off to explore some far flung coral reef.  I always dreamed of doing the same thing in my life, and for years now, I have enjoyed speeding around the bays and inlets of CT and Long Island on my own Zodiac.  This particular summer weekend afternoon was not unlike many others.  Sitting around on the dock enjoying the company of friends I got bored and hopped into my Zodiac for a spin.  Noting it was low tide, I knew I could not venture into the salt marsh as I usually do - so I headed up river and once clearing the no wake zone I opened her up.  After some time I turned around to head back to the dock but decided to take a quick detour over to rock pile in the middle of the river that once served as a channel marker to look at the nesting ospreys who called the rock-pile home.  I picked up a little speed and suddenly the prop hit bottom and I was thrown from the boat.  Fully clothed, sunglasses on, I tumbled and bounced along the bottom eyes open staring at bubbles and green water.  Coming up for air, I gasped and realized I could stand up on the sand bar I was on.   My Zodiac was over near the rock pile about 40 feet away, still running and slowly going around in circles inching further and further from me.  At this point extreme panic started to set in.  I am out in the middle of a tidal river far from land other than the rock pile.  The tide was beginning to turn and I could feel the incoming tug of the current, and my boat was moving away from me.   I thought to myself - get ahold of yourself!  Do not panic!  DO NOT PANIC.  Now - what to do?  I am a strong swimmer - swim over to the marsh which was about 100 yards away?  Swim to the rock-pile and wave down a passing boat?  Or swim towards my spinning zodiac - risk getting chopped up by my prop and climb aboard?  God and angels protect drunks and fools as the old saying goes - so I start to swim out to my Zodiac and catch the bow rope and hang on as she is still spinning.  I manage to hit the engine kill switch and pull myself on board.  I am soaking wet, and shaken.  I re-start the motor and slowly putt putt back to the dock.  Damn!  I lost my new aviator sunglasses.   Embarrassed, I slip past my wife and dock friends back to my dock, sneak on board my boat and put on a pair of dry clothes.

Later that night I did tell my wife about this ordeal - but to this day I never told anybody else!  

Thank you guardian angel - once again!

Angels

I know I have not posted in awhile, been busy with life.    I have been wanting to get a story down for some time though.  A lot of people like to believe they have guardian angels and I am not one that wants to tempt my own fate in not believing!  In fact, I have had many close calls in my life that made me reflect on the fact that I probably do have an angel.  One winter's night about 8 years ago I was commuting home from New York on the Metro-north train.  Like many riders, I have a preferred car, and when it's crowded, you tend to pick the first available seat outbound on the train.  I like to sit in the last car of the train, and on this particular night I was several cars up front and as we neared my stop I started to make my way through the train to the last car.  Along the way I usually will 'scavenge' newspapers or magazines left by other riders for a quick read so I am quite aware of what is sitting on each seat as I pass by.  This night the pickings were slim so I found an empty seat in the last car with no magazines on it unfortunately.  So I sat down and looked out the window and reflected on how lucky I had been in my life.  I thought to myself jokingly that I must have a guardian angel.  As my stop approached, I got up out of my seat to leave the train - and on the seat next to me was a booklet.  I picked the booklet up out of curiosity - and on the cover was a beautiful angel wings and all.  Inside the booklet it talked about how we all have guardian angels in our life....

My blood ran cold, I threw the booklet back onto the seat and hopped off of the train somewhat shaken...  I knew for a fact the booklet was *not* on the seat next to me when I sat down.  That's when I knew for sure that I had one!

Aside from not killing myself the night I injured my foot, over the years especially as a young man I threw caution to the wind more than once and lived to tell about - thanks to my guardian angels...  a story for another day.

Happy October

It's been awhile since I posted.  The leaves are changing here and Autumn is in full swing.  Last year at this time I was learning how to walk again.  Thankfully, a distant memory.   I hope everybody is having a good year and healing well.   I noticed my views are getting close to 4000.   Wow!

Life

How is your summer going?  A thunderstorm rolled through the other night.  I woke up in bed and could hear the thunder rumbling in the distance and could see the flashes of lightning lighting up the sky.  It reminded me of the old Bob Seger song.."I woke last night to the sound of thunder
How far off I sat and wondered
Started humming a song from 1962
Ain't it funny how the night moves
When you just don't seem to have as much to lose
Strange how the night moves
With autumn closing in"   Wow - Powerful lyrics that still resonate with me to this day.

Life moves on - my basement flooded during a storm due to new construction near my house - insurance covering but what a pain in the *ss to have the entire basement ripped apart, flooring, walls, etc.  But that is why you have insurance.  So in five weeks or so I will have a "new" finished basement.   Trying to figure out a way to say that my old rear projection TV got water damage so I can put in a new 70" flat screen  ;-)  LOL

I know my last post was about summer's swan song - but now here in mid-august you REALLY can feel the change of season coming - It's dark by 8pm now, and the mornings are a little cooler.   and BLASTED!  I HATE seeing all the back to school sales, signs, commercials etc.  Brings back memories of being a kid - that feeling of dread and excitement all in one about getting back to school.

I think summer still has some tricks up her sleeve before she relents to autumn.   The USA is still hot overall, the pools are still filled with kids, and there is plenty of time to enjoy your back-yard, beach or park.  Take a stroll with your loved one, eat an ice cream cone, have a slice of watermelon, have a BBQ and invite friends!

Life is short - enjoy!

G

Summer's Swan Song

Happy Friday!  I have been reflecting on the change of the season.  While we still have many hot days left here in New England, I can't help but to be reminded of the impending autumn.  Dead give-aways are the sound of locusts in the trees in the day time and the ever present sounds of the northern Katydids at dusk.  This time of year their song is fast and furious.  By late fall, you may hear one or two singing a slow song, and then as the cold sets in nothing.  My vegetable garden is in full swing - with tons of zucchini and finally the first of my tomatoes ripening on the vine.  This was a new project of mine with my daughters and son.  So far, we have had fun with it.  My yard has tons of crab grass, and when driving down the road, you can actually see a tree here or there with a hint of color in it.  In our surrounding waters, the fishing is really firing up, and under the water, the first hints of our tropical visitors are arriving.  Along the east coast of New Jersey as far up as Cape Cod - in the warm shallow bays and backwaters, baby tropical fish are thriving and growing.  They get caught up in the Gulfstream every late summer and early fall, and their eggs and larva are deposited along the coast.  Butterfly fish, damselfish, triggerfish and other tropicals are seen while diving the bays, piers and rock jettys.  As the water starts to get cold again in late fall these fish then all die - with the exception of those rescued by divers like myself for display in home saltwater tanks.  Speaking of the tropics, I keep a nervous eye on the weather report - looking for signs that a tropical storm or hurricane might make its way up the east coast - prompting me to head to the boat to secure her lines, or worse, have the boat hauled before the storm.  There is still plenty of time to enjoy a pool, beach or boat before the labor day weekend.  Which sadly, to me marks the true end of summer with the kids back in school.  Until then, I intend to enjoy each and every day of these final weeks of summer.

G

Florida Keys Reef

The Christ of the Abyss

Ever since I was a little kid I have dreamt of seeing the famous statue of Christ located in the John Pennekamp coral reef state park.  I have been scuba and snorkeling the Florida Keys reefs since 1988.  Last week, I finally dove the reef - Dry Rocks - where the statue is located.  (That is me reaching out to his hand)  Dry Rocks, part of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, and within the John Pennekamp park is about 3 miles out from land.  The statue is in about 25 feet of water.  The statue was a gift from Emilo Cressi - a famous dive gear manufacturer.

 "....This submerged bronze statue of Jesus, of which the original is located in the Mediterranean Sea off San Fruttuoso between Camogli and Portofino on the Italian Riviera. It was placed in the water on 22 August 1954 at approximately 17 metres depth, and stands c. 2.5 metres tall. Various other casts of the statue are located in other places worldwide, both underwater and in churches and museums.
The sculpture was created by Guido Galletti after an idea of Italian diver Duilio Marcante. The statue was placed near the spot where Dario Gonzatti died in 1947. He was the first Italian to use SCUBA gear. It depicts Christ in a pose offering a blessing of peace. His hands and head are raised toward the surface (or the sky, when positioned above water)..."  -- (this from Wikipedia.)

I met all of my goals while in the keys - I dove, I kayaked, I spend time with family, and generally did nothing but enjoy the beauty of these enchanted islands.

Key Largo Bound...

Taking off for Key Largo Saturday for a week with the family.   Goals - Re-connect with one of the most beautiful and unique parts of our country.   Swim, Snorkel, Scuba, Kayak, Explore the reefs, explore the mangrove canals, nap in a hammock, rent a boat and explore the flats and patch reefs.  Eat a lot of good seafood, check out local bars and restaurants.  Hopefully my kids and their boyfriends will fall in love with this place as much as I did my first trip to the keys way back in 1988.

G

Happy 4th!

A day late I know....  Catching up on the news as I started my vacation this week.  Funny the political correctness around the 4th.  You have got to be kidding!  We can't in this country even celebrate what is a great holiday without politicizing it.   Yes - we celebrate our independence from Britain on this day.  But to me - it's more than that.  It's the high-point of Summer!  A great time to take time off with friends and family. To spend time outdoors - even if it is 100 degrees out!  Over the past 2 weeks I was lucky enough to catch 3 fireworks shows!  One on my boat in Branford CT - the scene of my Lisfranc accident last year.  Then, from the back of my boat in my homeport of Stratford CT, and finally, aboard a friends very nice boat anchored in front of the Fairfield CT fireworks.  All awesome!  We came back to our marina last night in the dark - with lightning lighting up the sky and a couple of tropical down-pours. Glad I was not at the helm - sometimes its really fun to let somebody else do the driving.

A New Chapter

Well - Given that I am as healed as I ever am going to be - I thought I'd use this page to chronicle some of the more interesting (at least to me anyway) parts of my life.   So first and foremost, I am a husband, a father, and a businessman/boss.  In that order of importance more or less.  I'd also think that I try to be a good neighbor and friend.  No secret I like to spend time on my boat.  Probably my biggest passion.  I love the water - Everything about it - the smell of salt air, being in it, around it, through it - and everything nautical is my passion.  I have logged over 100 scuba dives in my life - from tropical coral reefs in the Caribbean to the cold dark depths of a Jersey Shore Shipwreck.  I've been into Surfing, collected tropical fish, explored tide pools, beachcombed and generally any free time I have you will find me near the water.  A while ago I told my wife and kids I wanted to start a blog to chronicle my life - so they could read it after I am gone.  They thought that was pretty morbid LOL!  Anyway - I am going to change the nature of my blog hereon in - To write about this and that.  If they read it some day - great!  If not, at least I had fun doing it.

G

1 Year Later

It has been one year since my accident.  I went back by boat this weekend to where the accident occurred for the same event.  This time, I was VERY careful stepping off of the boat, and walking about the marina.  My friends were all commenting on last year - and joking about making sure it did not happen again.

Well, one year later, and I am very appreciative of the fact that I walk with no limp, and if you did not know my story, you would never know that I was injured.  I'd say I have even improved since my last post.  My foot is not as stiff as it was even 1 month ago, and I rarely have pain.  I will now book my final follow-up with my Surgeon and close this chapter of my life.

For all of you suffering from this injury in your early stages of healing - or even the late stages of healing - Remember - not all the stories are doom and gloom.  Hang in there -  time will hopefully heal your wounds.

I wish everybody the best of luck.....

                                   Last post for awhile.....  Glenn

A Permanent Reminder of a Temporary Feeling

Hello Lisfranc world.  Coming up on Memorial Day Weekend here in the USA.  A time for picnics, friends, family and remembrance to all those who have served our country and paid the highest price for our freedom.  Weather wise, the weekend here in the NE looks mixed - partly cloudy, chance of storms and warmer and humid.  I certainly plan on eating my share of hot-dogs, burgers and other food that's not so good for me.

So where to start - 11 months out.  Coming up on my 1 year mark.  I visited the scene of my accident last weekend on my friend's boat.  It was chilling to look down at the exact mooring cleat that I tripped over - and my entire ordeal came flooding back.  After kicking the cleat with my good foot a couple of dozen times - I felt better and then went up to the dockside bar for lunch.

So my permanent reminder of that fateful night is still with me.   NOT A DAY goes by that I am not reminded of my injury.  Every day when I get out of bed to a stiff foot, trundle down the stairs into the kitchen for coffee - holding onto the railing for support.  But once warmed up - no issues.  Or, every time the weather changes - the slight soreness that comes and goes throughout the day reminds me of the injury, or looking at my foot barefoot - the scars from the injury and resulting surgeries stare back at me, or the fact that when I put on certain shoes, the snugness of the shoe on the left foot - due to the fact that my left foot will always be bigger.

Having said all that - I know I am lucky - all things considering - I feel like I am 98% healed.  I can run, I can jump, I can do things in the Gym that I never thought I would ever be able to do again.  Albeit - sometimes with a little pain or stiffness.  Above all, I do not walk with a limp - which I was not sure I would ever be able to do.  So physically - all is good.

Mentally?  Almost one year later - I am still affected.  I am SO careful on stairs, hills, bumpy terrain, around the boat, sidewalks, curbs, etc.  Not to the point of paranoia - but knowing I NEVER want to go thru this again!  I still think of my trip through ER, the pain, the frustration of learning to walk, dealing with NWB for an entire summer - It was not easy!  So it has changed me.

I am going back to the scene of the accident again next month on my boat.  I have requested a mooring slip - on the other side of the harbor - I don't think I could actually put my boat in the exact same slip - tied up to the exact same cleat, almost to the day of the accident - and deal.  But I am not - not going to get on with life and do what I enjoy - in what is actually a very beautiful harbor to spend time with friends and family.

My last post for awhile will be next month on the anniversary of the accident.  I'll post a final pic of my fat foot and chronicle the boat trip.  After that, I plan on seeing the surgeon for the last time - and invite him down to the boat for a cocktail and dinner as appreciation for his fine work.

I think I'll most likely post sporadically, up to my 2 year mark.  They say it takes a year to heal.   I'd say I am pretty much at where I will be for the rest of my life with respect to this particular injury.  But I am curious whether I'll ever achieve additional flexibility and less pain over the next year, whether I develop arthritis additional scar tissue and pain, or stay the same.  So I'll post that.

Until next time - I wish all you Lisfranc people the best of luck and good Karma in your journey.

G

Over 2000 Hits

Wow!  2000 hits.   Many, many countries.  The other day I was bragging to my kids and I told them I was world famous.  My daughter aptly pointed out - No - I was not famous - but I was "World Read".   Kind of cool none the less.  Easter morning here in coastal Connecticut.  The trees are blooming a little early due to our warm late winter, the grass has greened up, and some lovesick Robin keeps banging into our picture window - enamored with his/her own reflection.

Reading the news these days bums me out.  The world is in turmoil, my country is split in half in some crazy political, ideological battle.  I can only imagine what the rest of the world thinks of us.

Years ago in my younger days, I used to fancy myself as a surfer.  I bought a couple of surfboards, and any chance I got, I got up at the crack of dawn and headed down to the NJ shore to catch some waves.  There is nothing like catching a wave and experiencing the solitude of the Ocean.  So where am I going with this?  I was in the DR's waiting room Friday waiting for my son to get his cast off - after breaking his arm 6 weeks ago wrestling, and I picked up a copy of "Surfer Magazine".  I started to read an article about the good samaritans in California who came to the aid of non locals surfing local only surf spots.  You see in California - the home of peace and love, there lives a hypocritical culture.  If you even try to surf a local surf spot out there you may find yourself getting cursed at, punched in the face, or your car vandalized.  There apparently is a movement underway by a group of soul surfers who are coming to the aid of these victimized surfers and they are showing these locals that there is a better, kinder way to share the waves.  And it seems to be catching on.

Maybe someday there will be a movement or a leader to show us all a kinder and better way to share our planet.  Happy Easter, Passover, or whatever your faith or beliefs may be!

9 Months

Just coming up on the 9 month mark.  I finished my weight loss challenge and lost over 15 pounds - which puts me lower than my pre-injury weight so I am very happy.  Foot feels OK these days.  I know now that it will never be 100%, but it is for the most part more than bearable.  Since my last post there really is no change - still stiff when I get up in the am, and still the occasional sore day.  No limping, and I am able to jog, and do other exercises.  We shall see if there are any breakthroughs by the 12 month mark.  If not, I can't complain, but it would be good to see the increased flexibility with time.

8 Months!

Hello Lisfranc world.  I just passed 8 months since my injury.  Life moves on.  I hardly notice my injury these days.  My foot is still a little stiff when I first get out of bed - but that's about it.  No pain, no swelling, and pretty much full mobility.  No limp.  In fact - I hit a milestone in the GYM the other day.  I got on the treadmill - instead of my routine elliptical.  I was able to jog a fair distance!  This is the first time since before my injury.  Hard to believe - but I STILL have one small scab left on my foot from the removal of my hardware in December.  This was my problem wound.  But I would say it's totally healed.  Since my last post - a good friend broke her neck skiing (she is OK in a neck brace for 11 weeks - ugh!), and my son broke his arm in Wrestling practice - of course it was his writing hand!  Going to the DR to watch him get his cast on of course brought back bad memories.   It is amazing though to see how quickly young kids get on though with broken bones - not like "old" me.

I fretted a-lot about the size of my bad foot over the past months.  I am pleased to write that the 2 seem to be about the same size - putting on dress shoes is not the chore it used to be...  So there is hope for all you folks who think you will have to wear 2 size shoes the rest of your life.

Happy Spring!  I hope everybody is coping - no matter where you are in your journey.   Remember - It will pass.  You may not feel like it will pass - but eventually, it will pass.

G

Reflections

Hi Lisfranc world.  I hope everybody is coping as we cruise through what is certainly a tepid mid-winter here in New England. Today my post is not about Lisfranc, but about perspective.  I have been meaning to post this but have been busy with work and life.  Last week, I ran into some friends at the local pub.  One of which, I do not know well, but know that she had been diagnosed with stage 3 cancer.  At first I did not think it was her - as I know that she had just had breast surgery, etc.  When I realized it was her, I could not believe that she was out only a few weeks post surgery - having dinner and drinks with friends.  I was glad to see that she was in such good spirits and having a good time.  At one point, after I had sat down to eat, I saw that my wife had approached her - and they were exchanged in a conversation and then an embrace.  I was struck by the warmth coming from my wife - a fellow sister to this woman - whom my wife did not really know very well - but somehow, this event had brought them together - and it made me really feel good inside - and made me reflect on how blessed I was.   You see - in the end - we really can't predict what happens to us in life - and we really have no control.  When I first went over to their table to talk they were commenting on how well I was getting along after my injury.   Really - who cares.   Sometimes - there are far more serious things that happen in our lives - and some of us face these very terrible realities with a lot of courage and strength, and it makes me realize.....  how lucky I really am.

The Revolution -- 7 Months since my injury

I just hit my 7 month mark.  As they say - this is a 6 month to 1 year recovery time.  Where am I?  There are periods of time when my foot does not feel any differently than my 'good' foot.  My 2nd surgery scars are almost healed! Yea! - I still am stiff after sitting for awhile or first thing in the am.  I still can limp from time to time but really working on focusing on walking normal - my wife says that my residual limp is somewhat a habit.  This is probably somewhat true and sometimes she catches me walking after I have been sitting for awhile and I will limp.  Foot almost never swells - but yesterday after a lot of heavy lifting around the house - and up and down a ladder cleaning and fixing a ceiling fan my foot was a bit swollen - but within an hour of resting the swelling came back down.

The Revolution - My local gym's fitness challenge - who can lose the most body fat and weight in 8 weeks - hardcore workouts and diet - Just in time for me to lose my post Lisfranc weight gain.  Hoping by month 9 to be a new me!

4 Weeks Post 2nd Surgery to remove hardware

Wow - I can't believe it's been 4 weeks since my hardware removal.  For me, the second recovery is dragging along.  While I can walk, exercise, etc., and I am generally in no pain, the surgical incisions are taking sooooo looong to heal.  My top incision is healed over and scarred.  But it still hurts to wear a dress shoe - it's the rubbing on the new skin.  This also causes me to limp slightly - which is very frustrating.   The second wound - my "problem wound", is healing along nicely - seems to be shrinking in size and does not look as deep.  I decided to keep this one covered with a band-aid, and I just change it every morning.  So the wound is still moist - but not oozing and bleeding anymore.  It really does not hurt either since it is not in a place that rubs against a shoe.  

I cannot wait to post here that my wounds are healed up - then I will have an accurate assessment of what I am left with in terms of foot pain and flexibility.  I suspect just based on where I am now - that my flexibility is much better than when the screws were in the foot but that I will still have some stiffness in the am.

Time Heals all wounds - slowly if it's related to Lisfranc

Today marks three weeks since my second surgery to have my hardware removed.  I know I have reported that I am healing fine.  Which is generally true.  My top of foot wound is completely scarred and healed over.  It is still sensitive when I have a shoe on though.  I guess its the new skin layer.  My side wound, has been the trouble maker.  This was the wound that oozed and bled, then became infected.  Post wound care instructions were to keep it clean, use a butterfly bandage but not cover it.  So by last week's wound check, it had scabbed over and was healing nicely after my anti-biotic treatment.  At that time, my surgeon told me to keep it covered with a band-aid.  Well, 24 hours later, I go to change the dressing - and the wound is all soft and oozy again.  Sort of like skin that's been in the water too long.  I apply first-aid ointment to the band-aid at each change - and a week later the wound - while looking good, is still soft, but not oozing.  I am no doctor, but I would think you are better off having the wound scab over to heal.  So today, I am going to stay out of shoes, work from home and let the wound air out.  I did not expect this to take so long to heal over.  But from all I have read, foot wounds do take a long time to heal.

There is a trade off.  If you are walking around and out of the house - you really need to keep the wound covered -- otherwise, it will become infected.  But in my opinion, you also need to let it air out a bit.

Oh well, its almost been seven months - what's another couple of weeks?

Surgeon Follow-up Visit

I had my follow-on visit with my surgeon today.   Off the antibiotics and the foot is clearing up.  He says everything is looking good and I will not not need to see him until the 1 year mark - about 6 months from now.

10 Days Post 2nd Operation to remove hardware

Slightly Infected

Slight Setback -- Infection

My surgical scars oozed blood for the first couple of days.  Given that they tell you that you can weight-bear as tolerated, you can put a lot of pressure on the incisions given that your foot bears all of your weight.  They also tell you that you can keep the wounds uncovered - so I did.  Showered second day after surgery as suggested.  The wound site always looked a little puffy, red and inflamed - as I assumed it would.

Well 10 days post surgery my family keeps telling me the wounds are infected - I say Nah!  So yesterday I wake up and do some Google searches on wound infection pictures - and I see a surgical scar that is indicated is infected and it looks just like mine!  So at that point my stubborn brain realizes that it might actually be the start of infection.  I called my surgeon and got the on-call surgeon for the medical group to call me back.  I describe the symptoms and he calls me in a prescription for an anti-biotic.  So now I am on Cephalexin  4 times daily for 5 days.  I tell myself the wounds look a little less red this am.

Lesson learned...    Happy New Year!