One week to go

I hate last minute details. Since I am driving to Colorado, I decided that I should take a look at the tires on my car yesterday. There really is something to the saying, ignorance is bliss. Yep, you guessed it . . need new tires. So, I did the call around to all of the local tire stores to find out what they had in the right size and spent way too much time listening to lectures about what I should do. Just answer my questions please . .. I am not stupid. I settled on Goodyears but no one had them in stock so i have to wait until Monday to actually get them put on.

Probably the worst part of yesterday was going to Walmart. I realized that I will need prescriptions refilled before I get back to Indy. The only way to get it done was to register them with a national chain with a location close to where I am staying in Edwards. My most hated store -- Walmart -- has a location 10 miles away from me . . on my daily drive to and from Vail. I swear the people at Walmart are worse than those who hang out at the BMV. The pharmacist, however, was awesome and extremely helpful so the almost 2 hours that I had to spend there was worthwhile.

Today, I will continue to pile things in my bedroom that need to go with me and then next Saturday will decide what actually goes. One week from right now I will be driving out of my garage for the long drive west. Wow. It's sunday morning, I have really good coffee and am cooking so, for a change, I am calm and rational.

I even watched some video on youtube of the actual surgery and was fascinated by what they really can do. In fact, for those of you who aren't sqeamish, here are a couple of links that actually show an arthroscopic labrum debridement and repair. If you can get past the dislocated hip, it's pretty cool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVBmxqNqEqY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25L8249gsr4&feature=related

The pain level in my left hip is up a bit today and my lower back is killing me which appears to be providing the proper motivation to look forward to this surgery rather than dread it. As I prepare for my conversation with Dr. Philippon, I have been thinking about all of the different pains and problems I have had in the past year. Most of the time, when I walk, it clicks or snaps but that has stopped happening recently. I still have to hesitate for a minute when I first stand up to make sure it's going to snap back into place and allow me to walk forward without falling down. There was a time last summer that my hip simply would give out without notice followed by me hitting the ground. That seems to have stopped also.

Bottom line . . . I am looking forward to working with the physical therapists at Howard Head Sport Medicine and working my way back to being in great shape again!