If you've already read this multiple times, you dont need to read it again. But you can if you want to. It is a "free" country.

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My bike and I

So, I put my bike back together today.

I haven't seen it since May 17th, when a bike shop in Boise, ID. put her in a box and shipped her back here. I've been on crutches since then. I've had knee surgery since then, and am recovering. I am off crutches! Which is the main reason for writing. Finally, 7 weeks after surgery and after 11 weeks on crutches I am once again a bipod. I am still recovering, mind you, still in physical therapy. I have a difficult time lifting my leg to a 90 degree bend behind me. But I am walking and I will take that any day over having to crutch. My therapist tells me that it should be about a week and I'll be walking normally. Then, I can begin adding other forms of exercise. First on the list, biking.

Me and my bike have a very special relationship. As soon as I can pass legislation observing the union declaring man and bike, it will be so. Not many people can say they've biked across Oregon. I had hoped to bike further. But I am young. There is next summer, and the summer after that. Speaking of next summer, there has already been talk about a trip down the west coast. Start at the Canadian border and find the Mexican border along highway 101 (or whatever it is - along the coast.) How frickin sweet would that be? We'll see.

First things first, learn how to walk again. Start school in two weeks. Start biking again. It's gonna be a great year.

peace,

matt

Hey,

So tonight - I looked, and there before me was struch by a feeling akin to awe. A sight, something that I had not seen in awhile. I looked, and as things fell into focus and my eyes adjusted, rubbing them once in awhile to make sure I was not hallucinating. I looked, and there amongst the swelling I saw what looked like the outline of my knee cap! Amazing.

So yeah, surgery was last friday the 16th. So just in case you have not heard how that went, were curious and have the patience to sit through my whimsical ramblings.

When the got in, they found there were actually three tears instead of one, as well as finding that some of the cartilage had begun to pull away from the bone. So, they did what they do and repaired it all, I really dont know how, I am not a doctor, nor was I there. I was, at the time happily unconcious on the table miles away from where I actually was.

So now, recovery. 6-8 weeks "non-weigh bearing" - means that; Dude can't put his foot down. It's like playing "dont touch the floor" as a child. Where you had to jump/climb from furniture to furniture to avoid touching the floor, yeah, its like playing that with just one foot. One week down, 5-7 to go. I hate crutches! It really has been tough at times. I am trying to maintain a positive attitude, but everything becomes a process. It's frustrating.

Everyone says that this is happening for a reason and that reason will become clear someday, I understand, but have a heard time seeing it sometimes. I guess, someday it will be clear-er. So for now I am doing alot of reading, writing and watching movies, feel free to come and join me. It's a blast let me tell ya!

Hey, anyone want to have a "crutchless" party 5-7 weeks from now?

peace,

matt

"To infinity and beyond!"
-Buzz Lightyear, Toy Story

This is an email I sent out to my list this morning.

Hello, As usual I hope that everything with you is going well. With an email titled "surgery" I can't really admit that it is going as planned for myself.

I am scheduled for Arthoscopic knee surgery on this Friday, June 16th 2006 at 10am. I have to be there at 8:30am for preparations and what not. This may come as a shock to some of you and so I thought I should inform you BEFORE surgery.

A month ago I was setting off on the large adventure of biking across the US. I didn't make it. One month ago from this coming friday(the day of my surgery) my brother(Nate) and I, were working on what would have been a 78 mile day. At the time of the accident we were just starting up the second pass of the day(Drinking Water Pass, in Oregon --- the first pass was called Stinking Water Pass...we did not attempt to drink water from either.) As we began our ascent of the second pass, I got a flat tire, this happens - not frequently, but often enough. So I hop of my bike and set out to start fixing the flat. Removing the tire, tube etc....setting out a new one. So, down in a crouched position on the cement I am pumping up the new tube when the stem blows off, this doesn't happen frequently. So, half out of suprise and half out of knowing that I am going to need to get another tube I quickly popped up....and so did my knee. I don't know if I audibly heard the pop, but I felt it. I felt it alot. So, we make work of hitching a ride to Boise, ID. (thanks Scott and Fam.) and the next day I hop....er...hobble on a bus toward Omaha. The dissapointing end to a very much anticipated and planned for summer. Doctor appointments and blood clot diagnosis, finger sticks and MRI's confirm I have a torn miniscus (left knee) and a blood clot (left ankle.) So, I've been on blood thinners for the past couple weeks and have surgery on Friday (for which I have been off blood thinners for the past couple days so I don't leak all out...in case you were worried.)

So...this has all been quite the change of plans for my brother and I. He rode on from Boise, arriving in Omaha, NE. last week and has called it quits on account of costing more money being alone. So we're back "home" I think we both feel the adventure of crossing the country still in us. Next Summer...? Surgery first. So if you guys think of it, I would covet your thoughts and prayers as I go in on Friday. I will bike again. :-)

peace and love,

matt

The Second Eagle has landed!

Nate is home. He rolled into Omaha late Monday night. So it's good to have him back home safe and sound. He headed off to Mahoney State Water Park this afternoon, much to the chagrin and jealousy of this writer. Oh well, life comes and life goes.

One of the things that Ive been reflecting on about the bike trip is just how much slower life is by bike. We have this tendency to make life move as quickly as possible, moving from meeting to meeting, lunch to home, check in with fam and run off to some other responsibility. Cell phone calls and emails, they all serve to make life that much more complicated. So now, as opposed to doing the same amount of work that we would have done in a 40 hour day 10 years ago, we do twice as much work in 60-70 hours now. Wasn't technology supposed to slow life down? But on a bike the world goes by at 10-20 miles an hour. Beautiful. I really have become more grateful and appreciative of a slow moving, simplified life. "The Simplicity of Bike Touring" thats a subject for another blog session.

I guess, in retrospect and seeing how being on crutches has slowed me down, I find myself wishing I could move faster. Maybe, crutches are a blessing? I dunno. Anywho, surgery is set for Friday the 16th at 10:00am so pray that all goes well. Needless to say, I am not really looking forward to it, similarly I am not really enjoying sitting around, biding my time until surgery either. Sigh......

peace,

matt

The Clots are losing.

That is to say that the swelling in my foot and ankle are going down. My foot once again looks similar to what you might expect a foot to look like as opposed to a grap-a-melon. What's to be done on the knee is yet to be finalized. Looks like surgery, but we can't do that till the clots are gone and I am off blood thinners. As much as I appreciate the things that medical technology can do for us, I hate going to the doctor/hospital/orthopedist/vascular doc. etc...... anywho, I'll keep you updated.

Nate!!!!!; the main reason you guys are still reading. :-) Nate called a couple days ago from Scottsbluff, NE. NE.!!!! thats right, the big guy(not calling him fat) is in the "home" state. He said he was gonna take a day off in Scottsbluff to give his legs a chance to rest. So I don't know what there is to do in western NE. but I'll bet he tried to find it. So that should put him in Omaha by the end of next week or so.

The right coast? thats the question. Will he continue? I don't know. He had mentioned that being alone has been costing him more than he expected (ie-camping, not divided between two people, etc....) So, we'll see. He is healthy and seemed to be doing pretty well. We'll see what he does.

Thats all for now, I promise a little more reflection from my "bike trip across oregon" soon! Now that I've had a chance to process some of it.

peace,

matt

So....Doctor called this afternoon with the results of the MRI and said that I have a partially torn miniscus. (sound of a balloon deflating) So....what that means is that we can either have surgery (where they can either repair it or remove the torn tissue) or not (which would mean letting it heal as much as it can on its own, this would also mean that the rough edges of the tissue would still be there and may cause future injury. So....thats something. Decisions that I wasn't really looking forward to making. This has been tough, on both me and the family. I feel deflated. This isn't how this summer was supposed to turn out. I should still be out biking.

But I am not, for whatever reason. And in the past week of being home I think Ive come to the place of realizing that this is not the end of the world. I will live to see another day, I will live to see another bike ride...someday. It has made me more thankful for the health that I do have.

Deflated but not defeated. Keep praying for us.

peace,

matt