I don’t blog about it as much as I used to (you’re welcome), but two years ago today I got hit by a car and I’ve been dealing with it ever since.
On the evening of Feb. 3, 2010, I was trying to cross the street at 22nd and M here in DC, inside the crosswalk and with the Walk signal. As I was crossing, a State Department security SUV made an illegal left turn and hit me, shattering my left tibial plateau. The surgeons put my knee back together and held it together with a bunch of hardware, but it didn’t heal correctly. So after 10 months of pain and infirmity, I had a second surgery called an osteochondral allograft. Now, 14 months later, that one seems to be working. My surgeon says I’ve still got a ways to go, and I’ll probably never be 100%, but it’s healing up as well as we could’ve hoped. (For more info on the whole thing, see here, here, here, and here. And if you need pictures, see here.)
Two years later, I’m able to walk unassisted. I’ve still got some screws and stuff in there, and I walk with a limp and it never doesn’t hurt, but with Aspercreme and Advil and a knee brace and as much positive thinking as I can muster, most days it’s tolerable. I haven’t needed opiates in quite a while, and good riddance. Going up and down stairs still sucks, physically. Crossing the street really sucks, emotionally. But hey. What are you gonna do.
Just wanted to make a note of today’s date. Thanks to everybody who has encouraged me as I get through this. I’ll keep you posted on any further developments I’m allowed to keep you posted about.
