The cast is off!

I finally got my gnarly and stinky cast off this morning and above is what my thumb looks like nearly 6 weeks post surgery. The doc said it looks good but was a bit concerned with the extreme stiffness. I'm supposed to wear a splint when I'm in situations where I could be hazardous to myself (which really means full time) then wash dishes with hot water for the next four weeks. Hopefully getting the area warm and soft with hot water will help it loosen up and re-gain mobility.

Reading from left to right then top to bottom, you'll see the various hand apparel I've gone through since the crash on Aug 2. From the $16 Safeway splint, a post surgery bandage, a colorful and waterproof cast, and now a fancy mold-able splint, my right hand has seen it all. Some day I'll be back to normal!

Yes, we are okay!

Before I go into the details of the floods, I have to share a gorgeous pic of Melanie and James' newborn, Emery Mai Huang. She joined us on September 5th and is the cutest little thing. We brought them some homemade chili for dinner tonight and got to hear all about the first week at home. We're so happy for them and can't wait to watch Emery grow up :)

And onto the floods. We are safe and VERY fortunate. Although we had some flooding in our basement, it could have been way worse. The Torrance boys came over to help us dig some ditches to divert the standing water filling the window wells.

Bryce used old dryer vents and bicycle tubes to re-direct the gutter and sump pump drainage away too.

This is a street (or was a street) less than a mile directly north of our home. It's been a long week and seeing the damage in person is simply devastating. We have been told that the rain needs to subside in order to assess the true damage but estimated figures, timelines, and missing people are astonishing. The whole situation seems surreal right now but I'm sure it will set in this coming week. Check out this gallery of pics to see more of the situation - http://photos.denverpost.com/2013/09/12/photos-massive-flash-flooding-along-front-range-of-colorado/#1

Updating

 

Last week was a bit on the rough side as I found out that I have the Epstein Barr Virus for a fourth consecutive year :( It explains why I've been feeling extra crappy and although I'm slightly glad to know it's not fully due to the concussion, I'm still really bummed out. I'm working with specialists and immunologists and will hopefully have more info soon. On the brighter side, I did get my hard cast put on and molded to my bike handlebars. Hopefully I'll be able to start riding it sometime soon. 
 

Bryce's sister, Brittany, was in town from Cali for the long weekend so we headed to Vail to see her and his parents. While Bryce was out riding his new dirt bike, I tried to get caught up on work and rest as much as possible.

Brittany used to work at the Beaver Creek stables so she thought it would be fun to grab a few horses and go on a trail ride. It's been probably 10+ years since I've ridden but it was really fun.

It's 3 days later and my inner thighs are still sore, but well worth it!