Recovery Update

Hey guys,

First of all, I have to say that the support I've received from the triathlete, cyclist, and just overall athletic community has been amazing. My friends and family have really reached out to me and made me feel great, I've been visited frequently during my bed rest hours and I love all of you guys, each and every one of you has made this accident a little easier on me. The last blog post I wrote describing the crash is by far my most viewed post at this point, and I just want to thank all of you who read this blog for your thoughts and prayers. Thanks again to everyone who reads this blog, it really helps me express my thoughts and I'm glad that some people are actually hearing them out. So a big thanks to everyone.

Now, today is the 5th day after the crash, and I have to say, I'm very blessed for my recovery. Yesterday I left the house for the first time, my road rash all bandaged up and me looking a little bit like a mummy. But the wounds on my face have really recovered well and their shouldn't be excessive scarring. I was able to take my bike to the shop to get it looked at, and it seems to have fared well, with just a few chips in the paint, scratched bar tape and possibly a damaged rear derailleur. So that was a good first step in the recovery process, because I was able to leave the house and get up out of bed.

There is a lot to get used to, and that's for sure. The liquid diet I'm forced to be on is difficult to live with, especially when events are going on. For example, today is my little sister's birthday, and so they can eat cake to celebrate, while I'm just sitting in the background sipping chocolate milk. It's very hard to get used to. It's the little things that I'm finding hard to deal with, such as yawning. I cannot open my mouth due to my jaw being wired shut, and so whenever I have to yawn it pulls on the wires and my jawline and creates pain. I also can't lick my lips, which is kind of funny, because if I get a bit of milkshake on my lip, I can do nothing. It's hard to get used to, but the liquid diet is giving me some peace of mind, because it will help me lose the weight I was struggling to lose and keep off while eating regular food. In summary, the liquid diet is helping me out, but it also brings it challenges.

My injuries are doing extremely well. The road rash on my face has cleared up the fastest, and so I am almost looking normal again. Apart from the deep cut on the bottom of my chin, my face has healed very well. The road rash on the rest of my body is shrinking as well, with the biggest problem region being my right leg. The left leg wasn't hit as hard, and so it has less to heal, and less severe wounds to heal, but the right side took the brunt of the force and impact, so my right hip and right knee have very sensitive, very large areas of just raw, inflamed skin. My biggest concern right now is the hip wound, because it is the deepest wound and also the largest. But time will help heal it, as only time can. My jaw is doing pretty decent as well, with only minor flare-ups of pain now. Two or three days ago, I would have my jaw flaring up very often with intense pain, but now the pain comes in less intensity and less frequency as well. So my jaw is improving, as well as the rest of my body.

Working out has been at zero for the past few days though, which is driving me crazy. I'm going to get back on the bike as soon as I can, and ride a few miles again. A better option prior to riding will be to hit some weight training in the gym and strengthen some weaknesses.

So all in all, I am doing very well and my recovery is going swiftly. Again, I thank you all for reading this blog, keeping me in your thoughts and prayers, and for visiting me! It really has helped me immensely. Stay safe out there everybody, don't end up like I have.

Happy training!