Two Years Living On Two Wheels...And Counting

[Judoka]

Sometimes I would ride all the way to Lake Havasu City AZ to pick up packages or mail for people from Quartzsite. It costed less than the local service in Quartzsite would charge and I got some money and a great ride out of it. Motorcycle Currier at your service!

 

[Judoka]

I tried to make the most of each day, hustling where I could and traveling when I could. I knew I was going to have to work every angle to get money together for doctor's visits and flights and such. ( Work Comp would not pay for my travel expenses to those appointments because I was now living out of state. I was as frugal as I could be without living like a beggar.)

 

[Judoka]

 

[Judoka]

One Friday afternoon while I was in El Centro CA, I called the Surgeon's office to see if they had any news.
PANIC!!!!
They had called me and left a message telling me that they had gotten the surgery cleared after medical review and that my pre-surgical appointment was scheduled for the that coming Monday! I could not miss that appointment or they might not be able to get it approved again!

I got on Priceline immediately and tried to find a ticket. No chance of a cheap ticket but at least I booked one for Saturday late. Now I had to ride 75 miles, pack up camp and head for Quartzsite to drop everything off. Then Saturday I would get a ride to the airport. I would have to figure out the hotel when I landed early Sunday morning!

 

[Judoka]

Somehow I managed to make my flight and I found a hotel for the night and made it to my appointment. The surgeon told me how everything was going to go and what to expect. Then he told me that the surgery was going to be scheduled within two weeks. Great news! Kind of.

I had not planned on flying out for this appointment and therefore I was unable to get a cheap flight or a cheap hotel. That pretty much depleted my finances. Needing to come back in two weeks was going to be difficult at best!
I realized then that I was in trouble. Not only would I need to come up with another round trip ticket and a hotel for at least one night, I would also need to find someone to drive me after surgery! My last surgery taught me that it would take about 6 weeks to heal after the surgery, then I would need to find a Certified Hand Specialist for rehabilitation for 6-8 weeks. All while no longer being able to ride a motorcycle!

The news I would get next made those concerns seem like a walk in the park!

 

[Judoka]

When I walked out to the scheduling desk I was informed that the surgery scheduled would be scheduled on a Thursday just over two weeks away but that I would also need clearance from my cardiologist.
"How on earth am I going to get an appointment scheduled within that time?' I asked.

"That is just what the Anesthesiologist wants." she replied.

"There is just no way I can get it approved with Work Comp in time even if I could get an appointment that soon!" I told her.

"Also sir, the doctor wants to get your first therapy appointment scheduled as well. We can get you in on [ the next Monday following surgery]. Do you prefer morning or afternoon?"

"Wait! Are you telling me that I will begin therapy within a week of this procedure? I thought it takes 6 weeks for the tendons to heal"!

 

[Judoka]

I will spare the lengthy details of how after many stressful calls I did manage to book a cardiology appointment and was able to get it approved by comp.

Upon returning to Arizona I was faced with a difficult decision. I was going to need to sell my motorcycle. I needed the money badly and I would not be able to ride for months. I was about to be homeless and on foot!

 

[Judoka]

I bought a big Army duffle I could pack my gear in and throw on my back. My friends in Arizona let me store the rest of my stuff at their place. They brought me back to the airport and eastward into the night I flew.

 

[Judoka]

There is nothing for wild camping within walking distance of Louisville, so I booked the least expensive campsite I could find in the area which was at Mammoth Cave National Park. Two weeks would help me figure something out I had hoped. Upon landing in Louisville I took a cab to the bus station where I would catch a Greyhound south to Sonora KY which is as close as I could get to Mammoth Cave. Arriving very early in the morning I set my tent up in some bushes down the road as I waited for a friend to come get me later that day and take me the rest of the way to Mammoth Cave.

The next day he brought me to my Cardiologist, who after giving me a quick EKG told me there was no concern and cleared me for surgery. That was a serious relief! The surgery was on! I WAS GOING TO GET MY HAND REPAIRED...FINALLY!

 

[Judoka]

"The best-laid schemes o'mice an' men Gang aft agley."

A beautiful as Mammoth Cave National park is, with it's lush vegetation and beautiful river and streams...



It is also very bad for my allergies! So bad that sleeping on the ground in a damp tent for a week had gotten me very sick! I had to go to the doctor and get antibiotics because of an upper respiratory infection. While that alone is no big deal, the ramifications of that were huge!
When I informed the surgeon of my infection, they rescheduled my surgery another 5 weeks away! That meant that I would now be stuck in Kentucky for at least three months! I was going to need to figure out a way to survive and make a life in Kentucky when most of my stuff was out in Arizona.

 

[Judoka]

I was able to find some work with a friend of a friend who needed help moving off of his farm. He was insistent that I done lift anything heavy, even though the surgeon had already said the damage had already been done. The real help that he needed was for someone to help him to purge of things they no longer would need and to organize what things were remaining. This was something which I was very familiar with! This kept me busy and earned me a little money while I awaited my surgery. We actually became pretty good friend from that experience!
I was also able to camp out at a friend's property and I was able to have a reasonably "normal" life during that time.

Then came the surgery. What the surgeon would discover was surprising to say the least!

 

[Judoka]

I had rented a room from a friend of mine just before the surgery so I would be able to have a clean place to recover. The last thing I was going to chance was an infection from sleeping outside in a damp tent! He is USAF Retired so offered to bring me to all of my medical appointments and rehab appointments. For this I am so very grateful ! He was the one who would drive me to and from the surgery.

When I returned to the surgeon for my first follow up appointment I was informed that the procedure had went well and he was excited that he was able to use a new medical device which was just being promoted because the rep was in the area that day and was able to bring a device down to the surgery! it is some form of collagen sheath or something and helps with adhesion and scaring. I can attest to the improvement as my tendons were able to glide way easier than after the first surgery! No! I am not endorsing anything. Just sharing something I felt blessed by.

 

[Judoka]

Then came the news I was waiting for. The mysterious bump on my tendon which was diagnosed as "scar tissue" by the first surgeon, was discovered to be staple which the surgeon had left in my hand! It had caused the tendons to rupture again!

 

[Judoka]

I had complained several times to the Certified Hand Therapist and was seen by the original Surgeon for the painful bump but he just said that it was scar tissue and never investigated further. I had suffered more than a year with that piece of metal in my hand just grinding back and forth in my hand! The more I used my hand, exercising it, grabbing the clutch or working, the more damage it was doing to may hand! Eventually, the damage was done and I loss function. If only that bump had been investigated more thoroughly. If only the surgeon had considered that he hay have made a mistake, It would have saved Work Comp thousands and it would have saved me a lot of pain and suffering!

 

[Judoka]

OK. With that said, I hope to share something beautiful I learned from that wonderful experience of damaging my hand, fighting for years to get it fixed, being financially ruined and losing so much...stuff. It was when I had lost my home that I was forced to get on two wheels and ride into a life of adventure with only those things which I NEED or which truly add value to my life! It was the constant struggle which kept me humble and OPEN to a new way to live! It was with the loss of function in my hand that I learned time and again to adapt, and to be resourceful when supporting myself in a traditional sense was not an option! It was this entire experience which showed me what was truly most important in my life. This, was the beginning of my real journey, and I am thankful for every moment!