After two weeks in the hospital, I have returned to our place. Despite the fact that I wasn’t allowed to leave until I showed I was able to hobble up and down stairs on crutches, doing this at home, where we have many, many stairs, has left me exhausted. It will be months yet before life is back to normal. I will not be allowed to put any weight on my right leg until August. At that point the real physical therapy will begin. The good news is that my surgeon (also a bike commuter!) expects I’ll regain full function.
Aside from the injury itself, we feel very fortunate. Our families have cleared their schedules to spend time helping us, friends have been ferrying our kids to school and back, and my coworkers made sure my hospital stay was as comfortable as it could have been. I am grateful, too, that we know so many people who have broken their ankles, knees, and hips, and who have loaned us crutches, a bath chair, and other bits of assistive technology that I never imagined needing before.
I really appreciate all the well wishes. I had no idea so many people were reading the blog and found it valuable. It was a very welcome thing to learn during a difficult time. Thanks so much.
I’m not sure what, if anything, I could write about for quite a while. Although I’m likely to have lots of spare time in the next few months, I won’t be able to spend any of it riding a bike. And it’s a bit embarrassing to think about zero waste after spending so much time in the hospital, a place where a single bandage change filled a large garbage can. Moreover, I’m mostly bed-bound for the next two weeks (coming soon: a synopsis of ceiling cracks!) I’m open to suggestions.
In the meantime, locals can still catch Matt and the kids out on the Bullitt. Be sure to tell him he’s awesome if you do. Thanks for hanging in.
Hum of the city 
Dorothy said it best: “There’s no place like home.” Welcome home and wishing you a speedy recovery.
It’s your blog, your rules. Don’t feel any obligation to fill it; we’ll wait for you. However, if something inspires you to write, do it! Just because you started it as a family biking blog, doesn’t mean you can’t write about family, health care or reviews of Doctor Who. Don’t feel obliged to be cheerful either – recovery can be hard and there’s no need to hide that.
I’m so happy that you’re home again and recovering, even if it won’t be quick.
Welcome home! I just now learned of your injury or I would have chimed in sooner to wish you a good recovery! Sorry to hear of this, I hope you find a way to make the coming weeks pass as quickly and painlessly as possible adn that you are able to hop back on the bike in due time! Sending you lots of good wishes!
My wife has an injured foot for almost 5 weeks now and she couldn’t get on a bike let alone walk more than a few meters. I hope you have a speedy recovery.
So glad to hear that you are back home!
I’m sure that you’ll find plenty to write about. And there’s always that blog- maintenance that is easy to put off when you’re working on a must-write post. http://heartifb.com/2013/04/17/5-steps-to-spring-clean-your-blog/
We’re all rooting for you and we’ll be here when you get back 🙂
I’m glad you’re home and that the end in sight looks like a happy end! And yeah… medical waste… can’t get around that! I hope you recover quickly.
Glad you’re home Dorie! …Very sorry to hear about your misfortune; prayers are sent for a speedy recovery. I hail from Idaho and I am a new reader of your blog and have been enjoying it very much. You have been one among many who have recently inspired me to make a few changes in my life. I have decided enough is enough and I am committed to taking better care of myself (getting more exercise) and living a more minimalistic (less wasteful) lifestyle. I have decided to start commuting via bicycle. I have ordered a Brompton (bicycle for commuting to work) as well as a Civia Halsted (bicycle for grocery shopping). If you’re looking for blog ideas, while you are in recovery mode, I would like to suggest that you write about the various meals you prepare with items you purchase at the Farmers market and with those that you buy in bulk at the grocery store.
Best wishes for the recovery period. I’m a newer reader, but I think it’s safe to say your readers will still be around when you’re ready to write again.
And I hear you on hospitals and waste! I still cringe to think of the garbage generated in the hospital during the [homebirth-turned-Cesarean] birth of my son.
Nice that your surgeon is a fellow bike commuter, and glad to hear the good prognosis!
I was so sad to read of the accident. A few months ago my five year old and I had a bike accident that resulted in her breaking one ankle in two places and nearly severing her Achilles. An ordeal we fortunately have recovered from. It’s nice to hear that your recovery should turn out well, too.
I agree with Antijen. It’s your blog, write whatever or nothing at all as it suits you, but don’t feel obligated to anything but your recovery and the emotional healing in your family. Your varied discussions on local living, zero waste, parenting/family/work challenges, etc. are all valuable and interesting and readers like myself appreciate the effort but can understand the challenges you have going on now and wait.
All the best to you.
Very happy to hear that your recovery is moving forward. Stinky that there is no weight-bearing on your leg ’til August but think how rockin’ strong your shoulders and arms will be! Enjoy home. Perhaps read all the good books you’ve been waiting to read? Watch Scandal online? Just hope that you can enjoy some positive time despite less-than-ideal circumstances.
Just discovered your blog. Wishing you a very speedy recovery! I am a biker newbie–bought my bike in March, and managed to replace almost all of my car trips in April by bike! I was very excited, and then a bad respiratory infection at the beginning of this month stirred up my asthma, and I’m just barely getting back to the bike, and at the moment, for much shorter trips. It was so frustrating–you just want to keep your momentum going, you know? Anyway, best of luck getting through the downtime to come. Your bike will be waiting for you!
Wish you well as you convalesce. I would investigate the GNG electric mid drive system. If you want to continue to ride, this would allow you to utilize your bikes gearing to ride all electric as you begin your rehab. You may even be able to put it on one of your Bionix bikes; this would give you the hill climbing ability of a mid-drive combined with the Bionix regen.