Redirect

Having completed "Tessa's Extreme Cycling Challenge," I have decided to retire this blog.

You can now find me on TV Clips, which will be more general in nature ... though the occasional ranting and raving on riding will hopefully continue.

Oh, and I'd like to continue to challenge YOU ...

All the best,

Tessa 

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"We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give." Churchill

I Want ...

  Legs like these!  Ahh, to ride again...

Post-Op Email from Andrew

Good evening:

Wanted to update all of you ...
When I left Tessa this evening she was resting.
Praise God, she is comfortable with very little pain.
Her nurse was surprised she hasn't requested any painkillers, especially for this type of surgery.
Tessa told her its because of the prayers she's receiving.
She even wanted to come home with me tonight.
I told her, "No way, for the overnight fee they are charging, we're getting our monies worth and then some."

Thanks again for your continued support & prayers, keep them coming.
Thanks for the kind words via emails, text, and messages from the girls.

I'll be going back to the hospital early tomorrow morning.
Nurses expect the Dr. to be there about around 6:30 to check up & release her to come home.

Andrew

Withdrawals

So I'm not crazy! While I'm nowhere near the athlete that Selene is, her latest post entitled REHAB makes me feel so validated! She basically talks about going through withdrawal as she tries to give up cycling for a week.

But then in a later post, her trainer tells, "It's not the lack of riding that will keep you off form, it's the inability to back off when necessary."

What a timely message for me.

Dr. Jill

At the advice of one of my doctors, and in preparation for my upcoming surgery, I've met with an LCSW / Behavioral Therapist for a few sessions.

We talk for a bit ... about the accident ... about what I've overcome ... and about things to come.

We discovered, acknowledged, and learned a few things:

...I minimized the trauma in my own mind in an effort to feel in control, and because I feel like I should just be grateful to have survived such a horrific accident.
...Though to me it seemed like the most logical thing to do, completing my cycling events is something not everyone would have been been able to attempt, and that alone has aided in my healing.
...The truth is - it was a traumatic event, the effects of which (with the loss of my teeth) I'm still having to deal with today.
...I have a resilient spirit and determination - traits that I don't celebrate enough.
...I have apprehension over the upcoming surgery. (Just when I'm feeling like I've made progress and am feeling back to normal, I'll undergo the knife and face more recovery time.)
...I have guilt over having put my riding buddy in such a stressful situation, post-crash, and want to make sure he's okay.
...I still dismiss how I'm really feeling for how I SHOULD BE feeling. For example, I SHOULD BE glad for this next phase, as it brings me closer to not having to wear these dentures. I SHOULDN'T be talking about my frustrations when they pale in comparison to my friends' bout with more life debilitating illnesses.

At first, it was a little awkward, as I really didn't know what to talk about, ask, or say. I just knew I was stuck. Talking with Jill (who asked lots of questions) helped to sort things out. She often gave me "homework" to help me work through or clarify things. Though I have been talking with lots of people who've been a huge support system for me in my recovery, Jill helped to fill some gaps in my progress, so that I can move forward with more clarity and more tools for what's to come.

010709

I haven't blogged in awhile ... mostly because I've been having trouble untangling some of my thoughts and feelings ... withdrawals from not riding ... apprehension about upcoming surgery ... concern regarding the cost of said surgery, among other things.

Here's what I've got coming up : Block Bone Graft from Right Hip to Anterior Upper Jaw. This is the notation on the consent forms I received at my pre-op appointment yesterday. This is what I found out ..

Nothing to eat 6 hours before surgery, which will take 2.5 to 3 hours.

A 3 inch x 2 inch block of bone from my hip will be cut into "struts" and placed in my upper jaw.

Liquid/blended diet for 1-2 weeks.

No dentures for 1-2 weeks to allow gum tissue to heal.

Limited walking for 2 weeks to allow hip bone to heal.

Limited physical activity for 6-8 weeks.

3-6 months before bones heal to normal strength.

Laundry Time

(Picture taken before SVC Pumpkin Fest, 2008)

I'm not fond of chores. But I'd rather do the laundry than the bathroom. Sorting the clothes into appropriate piles is easy to handle. Actually, that's kind of how my mind works anyway. Dark colors, light colors, whites, permanent press, delicates, towels - everything gets "classified," and we handle each pile of clothes differently. Length of cycle time varies, type or amount of detergent changes depending on the size of the load or type of fabric. To each, the process may be slightly different, but the desired result is the same - a clean set of clothes.

Alot of times, we don't want to do the laundry or don't have the time, so we let it just sit for awhile - longer than usual. Instead of dealing with the stench, we'll go out and buy or try something new. Eventually that gets soiled as well, and there it goes - on top of that pile that continues to grow ... more soiled clothes on top of the others as time goes by.

Isn't that how we handle life sometimes? We classify events and situations into categories and handle each one a little bit differently, according to the special needs surrounding that circumstance. There are times, however, we don't want to deal with a certain "pile" though, and it continues to sit there, more soiled events on top of the others.

What's in this pile of dirty laundry we sometimes neglect? Rejection from a loved one, bitterness about overbearing relationships, pain from the death of a child or the death of dream, a sanctimonious attitude toward a draining friend, hatred for an offensive brother, denial about our behaviors that feel out of control, anger about a spouse's extra marital affair, or maybe the fear from the thoughts of possibly having one? You add to the list ...

Left unattended - the piles of clothes just get bigger and bigger, and it takes longer and longer to sort through. Let's face it ... we've all got some proverbial laundry to do.  So why do we ignore it, bury it, and think it's best left unattended?  It only makes for a more difficult task in the long run. So before the "un-aired" pile of emotional laundry turns in to emotional baggage, we've got to block out some time ... some laundry time ... with the only One who can help us sort through all of our stuff and help us come clean.  

Cast your cares upon Him for he cares for you.  1 Peter 5:7