"For the Love of Andrew"

1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Andrew is a great picture of what love is ...

I was medicated, had my jaw wired shut, and I still continue to heal, but Andrew has been patient and kind as he blended my smoothies, prepared my soups, and continues to take great care of me.

Never did he envy others when he was nursing me, and never did he boast to others about the great job he was doing; Andrew is not proud.

He is never rude, nor is he self seeking, though I can be difficult to be around at times (and not just now as I'm healing).

Thank God, he's not easily angered and never reminds me of my wrongs.

Andrew does remind me of the TRUTH of God's word when I get discouraged. He does not delight in evil.

He always protects me, always trusts me, always gives me hope, and helps me to persevere.

I thank God for blessing me with a husband like you.

Chin Up

I'd be a hypocrite if I only blogged about my good days. So here I am admitting that yesterday was pretty tough. But I took multiple naps and kept my chin up ... literally ... hahahaha!

I woke up with a headache that just wouldn't go away, and my chin became increasingly achy as the day progressed. The stiffness seemed to spread beyond my chin to both sides of my jaw. I'm attributing it to the fact that I've been exercising it much more ... meaning I've been eating more :-) I also had an orthodontic appointment the day before. Though no work was done, I did have to open my mouth wider than I was used to so they could assess the damage. And then I visited with some friends for a bit afterwards, choppin' it up and laughing more than I was probably ready for. So I really felt it yesterday ... as did my husband and daughters. I was a real pill to be around.

Today is much better.

Speedy Recovery

Many of you have been praying for a speedy recovery for me. Thought I'd give you an update on the effects of your prayers! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I covet your continued prayers as there's still a long road ahead - particularly physical therapy for my jaw, as mobility is limited and bone grafting for dental implants since I lost 3 (possibly 4) front teeth ... I look like my 1st grade picture when I smile :-) More surgeries may be necessary IF (and only if) things don't heal correctly.

Though I'm on the road of recovery and getting better, please don't forget to pray for those who are on the road of cancer - enduring till a cure is found.

The day of the accident (Thursday, July 5th) at Queen of the Valley Emergency Room. Taken by ambulance to Oakland Kaiser where I stayed one night.





Monday, July 9th just before my outpatient surgery at Oakland Kaiser. They'll line up my jaw, plate my chin, and wire my jaw shut.






Saturday, July 14. Almost one week on a liquid diet here. One more week to go.







Saturday, July 21. Wires finally off! Diet limited to soft foods. But hey, at least I can eat! Lower lip and chin still numb. Getting ready to go to the annual fundraiser for the volunteer fire department that helped me the day of the crash.

All Things Work Together

In an email I received from a friend, she wrote, "I can't wait to see how God's going to use this experience in your life!"

This statement caused me to pause ... not that my life is moving very fast these days ... but my heart and mind paused as I reflected on Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."

What good could come out of such a horrific accident? Let me tell you ...

I truly experienced "God is with me" the moment of the accident, and every day as I'm getting stronger. And that I'm stronger than I realize.

I've been overwhelmed and humbled by the display of love from unexpected sources. While it is more blessed to give than to receive, I've been more open to receiving from others and have experienced how the display of love from others has blessed my heart so ... and how it's also blessed them ... to be able to minister to someone. Lord, never let me never hinder someone else's blessings.

I'm learning to live "one day at a time," and that recovery (both physical and emotional) is a process. Though I'm getting better, I have a long way to go. Though I'm not fullly healed, I'm amazed at how much better things already are! I'm learning not rush things and learning to be thankful for how things are ... today.

More to come, I'm sure ...

Finally Out and About

What a great way to celebrate the removal of my wires and the completion of my liquid diet - Attended the Annual Home Winemakers Classic at St. Supery Winery in Rutherford with some good friends this evening. The Classic’s sole purpose is to raise money to support the Dry Creek-Lokoya Volunteer Fire Department www.drycreek.org, the department that arrived when I crashed. I really wanted to go to this fundraiser to not only support the Department, but to personally meet and thank Ken who helped me and kept our bikes while I was in the ER.

To my surprise, not only was Ken there, but we also ran into Tony, the ER doctor who took care of me at Queen of the Valley! (Ken to the left, Tony on the right.)

I was thrilled to be able to meet and thank the both of these noble and humble men personally. (They said it's rare they ever get to see the people they work on after they send them off to the next place.) I was also excited to be able to finally get out and enjoy the beautiful weather with some good friends, laugh it up, and talk up a storm ... ok, maybe just short of a storm ;-)

Doctor's Orders

Had my post-surgery follow up with my surgeon this morning. Wires were removed and replaced with rubber bands to aid in the positioning of my bite. I was also instructed to not lift anything heavier than a grocery bag, to eat only soft foods (meaning anything not requiring a knife to cut), and to exaggerate my facial expressions which helps to strengthen the muscles and nerves that were traumatized. Lots of laughing and kissing was also prescribed (kissing limited to my husband of course)!

To my surprise, doctor's orders also include the practice of opening and closing my mouth as wide as I can while the rubber bands are on. At first, I was anxious about that (which the surgeons noticed), but they reassured me it would not cause any damage to the jaw bones which have not yet fused together. They said opening and closing my mouth is safe, whereas trying to bite down too hard on food or another traumatic blow is not.

So that's my workout regime for now: lifting grocery bags, making goofy faces, opening and closing my mouth, laughing alot, and kissing Andrew :-) Another follow up appointment in two weeks and no riding for at least another four.

I did lose 8 lbs (which makes me lighter on the bike). I just have to be careful that my soft-food diet isn't limited to tapioca pudding, soft-serve ice cream, and the like ;-)

Movies Watched So Far

(Tho' it's not a movie - The Tour de France every day)

Crimson Tide
Parent Trap
A Walk to Remember
The Devil Wears Prada (2X)
A Few Good Men
Finding Nemo
Flight Plan
Saving Private Ryan
The Constant Gardener
The Silence of the Lambs
SWAT
High School Musical
Men of Honor
Inside Man
Zodiac
Message In A Bottle

A Debt of Gratitude

I've been thinking alot about the day of the accident. A paramedic friend of mine mentioned how they were talking about it at the dinner table the other night ... how this could have happend, how it's good that didn't happen, how much worse things could have been, etc. Well, their young son interrupted them when he said, "Mom, God was right there with her!" I love that! Because it is so true ~ God and a few of his angels were right there with me on that day.

I owe a debt of gratitude to my friend, Jun, who maintained his composure while calling the ambulance, tracking down my husband, and waiting for hours in the ER with me and my family.

I owe a world of thanks to Sandy and Kelly, two cyclist who stopped and waited with us until the ambulance whisked me away. I do remember one of them (though I never saw her face) holding my head steady so as to not cause any possible further injuries.

I am so appreciative to Ken and the other volunteers from the Dry Creek-Lokoya Volunteer Fire Department. (Ken also held our bikes till Andrew and Jun were able to retrieve them later that afternoon.) I'm hoping to be able to express my thanks personally at their annual Winemaker's Classic Fundraiser, www.drycreek.org.

And of course to the many paramedics, nurses, and doctors who tended to me so caringly on that day ... a million thanks is not enough.

God bless you all for blessing me ... and others ... the way you do every single day.

My New Bike!

I got a great gift this afternoon! A new bike ... much lighter than even the expensive carbon ones out there on the Tour de France :-)


A few people have asked to see pictures of my old bike, so here it is. Sad, huh.


The fork completely broke off because of the drain in the ditch which I hit.

Post-Wire Menu

I've never been one to prepare meals based on a weekly menu. I know it makes for more efficent and cost-effective shopping, but how can you prepare pot roast or spaghetti for dinner when you feel like eating enchilladas or sushi?! Anyway, I am sooo missing my meals.

I have a friend, Lucas, for whom food is nothing more than a source of nutrients. Every meal is just a plate of numbers for him. For me ~ I love everything about food. I don't have a food addiction or anything. I just love the visual presentation and the aromas that fill the room of a beautifully plated dish. I love the way the textures and bold flavors make my taste buds dance. And I love the little dance the palate engages in going from appetizer to salad to entre to desert. This one course soup stuff just isn't cutting it for me, but I have at least one more week to go.

Here's what I'm looking forward to once these darn wires come off (not in any particular order) ...

Chicken Katsu and Rice from L & L Hawaiian BBQ
Shrimp Gamberi from Pasta Pomodoro
Carne Asada Fries from Baldos
Pasta e Fagioli Soup, Salad, and Breadsticks from Olive Garden
My mom's Kare Kare
Melting Albacore Sushi and Vegetable Tempura from Sushi King
Mongolian Beef from Happy Garden
Stuffed Eggplant from Jay's Garden

I'm sure I'll be adding more items to my menu as the week progresses :-p

My mouth is watering ...

Extreme Makeover

I took off the bandage from my chin today!

The doctor said to keep the dressing on for 5 days, and with the surgery done on Monday, today is the day! I was chatting about it online with my sister-in-law, Darlene, last night. I was so excited. I told her how I've been cleaning my face everyday trying to take off as much "gunk" as i can with out irritating the areas that are still raw. You know, road rash scabs, dried neosporin, etc. It doesn't look like there'll be very much scarring.

In trying to make light of the situation, she said, "Don't worry, you'll look like a FOX when it's all over!" "A 'fox' I thought ... what year did THAT word come from?!" She said when she saw me with the bandage on my chin after the surgery, I looked like one of those people on Extreme Makeover. You know ~ they look all swollen and black and blue after the procedure, but after the recovery process, they look like a million buck$? She said they fixed my chin, and with my liquid diet, I'll probably lose alot of weight. And then I commented, "Ya, and I get new teeth too!" We had a good laugh.

Extreme Makeover - I've caught glimpses of it on TV but would always change the channel, because I could never sit through the show without getting queasy. And that's exactly how I felt while taking off my bandages. I was all weak in the knees, breathing all uneasy, feeling slightly faint ... only to discover the incision site to be less than an inch!

I find it odd that I can be strong falling off my bike at 36 mph, hitting the ground first with my chin, I can be okay at home for 4 days waiting to have my broken jaw fixed, I can endure surgery, soups, and smoothies ... but be a total baby taking a bandage off my face!!

You'll never see me on one of those Extreme Makeover shows. I don't have the stomach for it. Besides, personally, FOXY is over rated.

(Two of my mentors ~ Ruth and the Proverbs 31 woman.)

Life is Not ...

"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming - WOW - What a ride!!!" ~ Unknown

While I will not be able to ride in Marin or Honolulu, I do plan to resume my training with TNT for November’s 100-mile ride at El Tour de Tucson in Arizona (once I get clearance from my doctors of course).

What I’ve gone through is minimal compared to what those brave souls that I’m riding in honor of endure everyday, waiting for a cure.

Warm Regards ~ Tessa

Valle vs. Veeder

Veeder -1 Valle -0
Rematch in 4-6 weeks

Jun and I attacked Mt. Veeder on Thursday, July 5th.

The first part was tough but familiar, the Dry Creek timed trial route.

Turning onto Mt. Veeder, things got from tougher to greuling. It seemed like every turn in the road became steeper and steeper. I had to stop several times, but remember laughing at several things:
~ there was this fly that would just not leave me alone; i could have sworn he was taunting me!
~ speaking of swearing, it used to be a really bad habit of mine ... the toughness of this hill was bringing it out again ... I prayed hard to not let the words that were forming in my mind slip outta my mouth
~ ackwardly trying to clip back in on an incline, i had to learn to go back down the hill a bit and then turn around to go back up
~ oddly, I was feeling stronger after each climb

At the crest of Mt. Veeder, I remember Jun calling out, "I think this is it!" Being a ways behind him, I remember punching up my pedaling after hearing him say that. But I'd pushed too hard, passed him up, and started on the descent faster than I'd anticipated.

The rest is a blur as it happened so fast ... it was so steep, I was picking up speed, the turns seemed so sharp, I just did everything I could to stay on the road. I remember having a tough time with the brakes on the hoods - my hands were getting fatigued. So I went into my drops. Tho' the brakes were easier to apply, it was also more abrupt and I felt myself almost fly forward a couple times. But I remember NOT being in a panic.

Coming out of a sharp right, I couldn't veer left in time. The next thing I saw was a ditch that I knew I was going to hit ... and then nothing ... I don't remember the impact ... I just remember opening my eyes to a lady holding my head and my telling Jun I lost some teeth. I remember asking him in between moans if he'd called Andrew. And I remember agonizing over not being able to ride on Saturday or go to youth camp with the girls next week.

I was brought by ambulance to Queen of the Valley Hospital where they determined I broke my chin and the left and right side of my jaw. I was then admitted to Kaiser Oakland where they cleaned me up, pulled some pebbles out of my face, and kept me for the night. I go in for surgery on Monday where they'll repair my chin and jaw. My mouth will be wired shut for 2-4 weeks, the doctor says.

The display of love has been overwhelming - from family, friends, church family, and TNT family. Thank you all so much. I know I am well supported. At first, I didn't want anyone to see me, as my face is pretty banged up. But though things don't look so good on the outside, I'm feeling strong on the inside ... and that's what I want others to see ... to be reassured that I'm going to be okay.

Of course i think the occasional, "If only I had ... or I should have ..." But then I think how much worse things "could have ..." And so I'm reminded to have peace in what just is. And to be thankful that I can get back in the saddle again.

I Raced The Sun And Won

I had to get an easy ride in before what I know will be a tough one on Thursday, so I did my Lake Herman route this evening. It's still odd to me that I now call that 16.5 miles an easy ride, because I clearly recall the first time I did it. I WANTED to turn around at mile 7, certain I wouldn't be able to make it home if I went any further. But Jean wouldn't go for it ... and I did make it up the hill and back home ... I thanked her at the end for not letting me quit half way.

So tonight I went out at 7 pm determined to make it home before sunset.

Lots of headwinds, but I finished the short ride strong in 1 hr 17 mins ... AND WITHOUT MY GRANNY GEAR FOR THE FIRST TIME !!

Thanks for Deer Park and Howell Mountain, Jun. Whatcha got in store this week?!

"This is so much more stressful than biking!"

I golfed with Andrew and a friend Sunday afternoon. Thought it's the least I could do, since I've been pre-occupied with biking. I've also flaked on a couple of his golf dates, so I knew it was high time I got my swing on.

Golfing used to be mine and Andrew's "thing." There was a time when we'd get out there together on the course at least once a month. Up at the crack of dawn, loading up the car with all our gear, and riding the golf cart in the cool, crisp air, untouched dew still on the fairways. I love that he loves my getting out there with him.

What I don't love is how exasperating golf can be! (Now, I didn't say Andrew's exasperating, I said GOLF is.) Head down, light grip, knees bent, coil at the waist, pull back, nice easy swing, follow through ... oh my gosh ... I actually gave up golf for a year, because I was so frustrated with my lack of progress. I picked it up again vowing not to keep score.

I have a nice swing, I've been told, and I do hit an occasional "nice shot" every now and then. What gets me is that there isn't that noticeable and consistent improvement like there is with biking. I used to only be able to bike 2 miles. The week after that, I biked 4. Then after that I did 8. Now I'm up to 47.5 miles! There isn't that consistent sense of improving with golf; at least for me there isn't. And then there's those three other people standing there watching you swing and following your ball, whever it decides to go (usually in the rough).

What I try and remember is that for Andrew - it's not a matter of how well I do or don't do. It's just the two of us getting out there and doing something together that he enjoys.

As Andrew would say, "Hey - at least the ball's moving forward!"