Broken Ribs

Saturday, September 19

I'm really starting to go crazy. Two weeks ago I took a bad fall and broke three ribs. It could have been a lot worse -- I was lucky. Like a lot of accidents, this one can be chalked up to stupidity, and loss of focus. I've been asked if it was a bad bike fall. I wish. It might have been easier to deal with the recovery if it was done "in the heat of battle" during a race, or something. No, I fell -- about ten feet off of a seawall in Plymouth, watching my son do his first olympic distance triathlon (which he placed fourth in his age group!)

It's been two weeks now, and my back and side are still very sore. While I can bend and move around reasonably ok, it is still wicked painful to cough, sneeze, burp and, worst of all: sleep. The only position in bed I can be comfortable in is flat on my back. I'm normally a side sleeper, and it hurts (too much) to sleep on either side. And, forget about sleeping on my stomach. One, I can't do it. Two, I can't get comfortable there, either. So, I sleep as much as I can on my back. The first ten days I had to take morphine the pain was so bad. Actually, the first five or six days, I couldn't get IN or OUT of bed without help. Anything that engaged any of the muscles in my back, which includes lying down or getting up out of bed (but also includes standing up after going to the toilet; pulling up your pants after the same act; putting on shoes, etc etc) I just couldn't do without some help. I was going crazy.

Then about a week ago I was able to start moving a little better. In fact, during the day, when I am moving, it's really not too terrible. Unless I cough. Or sneeze. And, then I'm reminded that I have a few broken ribs. Two days ago I was thinking to myself "I think today or tomorrow I might be able to try to do a light spin on the computrainer." Two minutes later, while drinking some water, I sort of gagged, went in to a coughing spasm...and the pain was so intense. I was like "um, nope, not going to be riding for another few days."

The worst part is doing nothing. I've been recovering from a stress fracture in my right foot. So, I haven't been running in now eight weeks (it was six weeks at the time of the fall). At least with the stress fracture I was still able to swim, ride, even lift weights. With this -- NOTHING. I can't do anything right now. And, it is really, really starting to drive me crazy!! Ugh.

I've missed three triathlons because of the stress fracture: Timberman half IM; a sprint tri in Sharon, Mass; and then the Plymouth Tri (Olympic distance) two weekends ago, when I fell as a spectator. And, this weekend, I'm missing running in the Berlin Marathon. My son said the broken ribs were God's way of keeping myself from tempting myself to run Berlin after being on the sidelines for six weeks with the stress fracture. I might have tried it -- he is right. It wouldn't have been fun; it probably would have been ugly. But, it was going to be a father-son bonding trip to Berlin, run the marathon together; both try to qualify for Boston '10. The broken ribs made it no question i wasn't doing it this year!

So, I guess on the flip side -- the good news is that I have (1) started to clean up my desk at home; (2) started a blog, which never would have happened in a million years if I weren't injured; (3) have even started reading BOOKS again. And, best of all, I guess, is I have been able to spend more time with my wife and little baby girl the last two weeks -- and I sure can't complain about that.

Jen (my coach) has been great at keeping me motivated and looking forward to getting back. As I've told many people about my accident (1) it was only due to my own stupidity; (2) it could have been a LOT worse (eg fatal if I had landed a little differently); (3) they are only broken ribs -- they WILL heal and I WILL be back. Hopefully...really, really soon!!!