Thursday, July 30, 2009

It's been a long time...really long!

Wow!!!!It has been over 7 months since I last posted something and so much has happened. I finally had my wrist surgery, it sucked. It was suppose to be a simple surgery to take about 6mm off my ulna and add a temporary plate. It was suppose to be an hour surgery and the recovery should only be about 4-6 weeks. When I woke up from the surgery they laid on the bad news...While they were checking my carpals, they found that I had completely ripped a tendon in my wrist and they were pretty much floating around. They cut some tendon from my forearm to rebuild the one missing in my wrist, and then they added a pin to keep me from moving my wrist. I would have to be in a cast for 10 to 12 weeks...ugh! I tried to stay positive and take advantage of the time off, doing a lot of one arm climbing, but then things got worst again. I found it very difficult to straighten my arm and open my hand, I almost lost my mind and I was worried that I may never be able to get things working right again. The doctor said that it was probably happened because the tourniquet was on too long...somewhere around 12omins. They gave me about 18 months to gain everything back, so I started physical therapy right away. It took about two months to straighten my arm, and three to open my hand. After about 11 weeks, I finally got the cast off and the pin remove. I ended up doing 4 more months of physical therapy to get my thumb working and to get my range-of-motion back. In the end I still have very little range of motion and my thumb is pretty weak. I still have time to get things back and I will be getting my plate removed in December.

May came around and we were off to Yosemite California to attend our good friends, Cody and Beth's wedding. On the way, we stop in El Dorado to see Hannah's dad, then back on the windy and pretty back roads of California. We weaved through cool little towns and wine vineyards. We finally pulled into the Valley and we were speechless. The place is so majestic and intimidating, it was hard to take in. We met up with Beth, Cody, and other friends and got a little tour of Camp 4. We ended up staying at a camp site that was reserved for us that night. We would be screwed for a spot the next night, so Hannah, Steph, and Jesse got in line for a spot in Camp 4 at 6:30am. We luckily got a spot at $10 a night and it would be our home away from home for the next 4 days.
Camp 4 was a pretty crazy place, lots of weird characters there. IT was like being in a different country, there were people from all around the world there. Yosemite itself was a happening place, there was probably 1500 people in the valley. It was nice to be staying in Camp 4 because we were 10 seconds form the best greasy bouldering in the world. We bouldered almost everyday and got a lot done. Hannah discovered what is was like to use horrible polished nubbins for feet, but it gave her more confidence. She climbed everything she could up to v3 and I got what I could with my bum wrist (here come the excuses). We felt a little out of place coming all the way out to Yosemite do climb on little boulders. We did however get some easy routes done on the Swan slabs, great fun. Love to get back and do some longer routes.
One day we hike up to El Cap to check out the Alcove Swing. This thing is sick, you are about 100 or so feet up, attached to this 80m rope with a GriGri. Then you just run down this slab and swing out over the trees, one of the funnest rest day things I have ever done. Hannah had a blast and she probably could have done it all day. Love to set up something like that around Wyo somewhere.
Wedding finally came around and was held at the beautiful Ahwahnee Hotel. The ceremony was great and Beth and Cody were awesome. They are a great couple and I wish them the best! For more on the wedding check out bethandcodylivethedream.blogspot.com. Hannah and I hung out a bit at the reception and headed back up through Placerville to say hi to her dad again, then a long drive back to Wyoming.