Wednesday, July 16, 2008

YUM!

He can walk! He can walk, he can walk, he can walk, he can walk - I can SWIIIIIMMMMMM!!! (Take off of Simpsons, Planet of the Apes)

So, stitches are out, and I got the go ahead to hobble around on my heel in my boot. Since I no longer have to keep my stitches dry, I can hop in the pool with a pull-buoy. Summer has been taken back!

Monday, July 14, 2008

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Something to shoot for

I really don't have any news to write about, so I've decided to write about things I will write about later...

Namely, before winter sets in, I would like to break 1,700 watts on my bike. You'll be seeing a post when this happens. Below is a power reading from a ride I did a week before I broke my foot.


Other than planning a glorious comeback just in time for the first snowfall, I've been spending most of my time doing things to help me pass the time and feel productive. So far, I have gathered all the materials, tools, software, and resources to start actually making headway on some carbon fiber disc wheels I've been dreaming of for some time. I've even done some paper-and-pencil engineering analyses to determine safety factors on all the crucial parts. Next in line is to finalize the computer models, run some FEA simulations, and start machining the darn hub! Pictures will accompany progress.

Friday, July 4, 2008

Extreme Pedicure!

I had a very expensive pedicure yesterday. Dr. Wertz put 3 screws in the 5th metatarsal of my left foot. I believe they will stay there indefinitely, but I go back for the follow up appointment on July 16th to get all the recovery details.

The 40 minute operation went smoothly, and I got to watch some of it. The spinal anesthetic didn't start working completely until a few minutes into the operation, so I could feel them slicing my foot open and positioning the bones back together. The spinal anesthetic is supposed to numb everything from the waist down, but oddly enough I could feel and move everything except the calf and foot they were operating on. As soon as the surgery was over, they removed the tourniquet from my quad and almost instantly I could feel and move my left leg. Thankfully I was not in pain.

Right now I'm hopped up on Percocet, which I can tell you I do not like as much as Vicodin. Percocet makes me feel as if I've just woken up still drunk after a big night of drinking. Vicodin just made me pleasantly tired.

Let the countdown to a good foot begin!