Broken Leg

Well, strictly speaking I have a broken ankle. I broke the fibula (smaller leg bone) in my left leg and tore a ligament too, when using my foot as a brake on a hotel bicycle. Stupid. I forgot to pedal backwards to brake and tried to use the nonexistent hand ones. Fortunately, it was at the end of a gorgeous 2 1/2 hour ride up and down the coast of Santa Barbara, where I was attending an IVF conference. I missed the last day of the conference. I spent the night in the ER and then in surgery to fix the bone (screws and a plate). I was able to be discharged the next afternoon and go straight to the airport to get my 5PM flight home. Horizon Air was awesome, and provided me with wheelchairs and had a chair contraption to get me up the outside stairs. I was able to hop on one foot down the steps to get off. They also got me bulkhead seats so I could prop my foot up on the wall in front of me. It still swelled, but not as much as if I had a normal seat. Learning to use crutches has been humbling. It is hard work. I have been working half days since I came home, with the extra help of my staff, wheeling me around in a wheelchair, until today. Da da da dum....I now have a knee cruiser, so I can prop up my bad leg and use my good one to push me around. It made it easier in the office, plus I won't have to rely on someone to meet me with a wheelchair everyday. I just have to figure out how to balance all the stuff I want to carry with me (like the crutches in case I need them, maybe I won't?). At any rate, I am able to work and do most things, but slower than normal. I did cancel surgeries for a couple of weeks to be sure I will be able to do my best job for my patients. Luckily, I have a high pain threshold and can get by on plain tylenol and antioxidants. It has certainly made me slow down in my life and appreciate some of the things I took for granted. I look forward to walking, hiking and playing tennis again, but until that time, I will try to remember to do my situps.