It’s been a little over 90 days since I fell out of the sky and landed at the bottom of a drained swimming pool while paragliding near Crucita, Ecuador. I recall knowing that I was going to crash but the details are still a bit fuzzy. It happened quickly – wind speed increased and changed direction and next thing I know I was strapped to a stretcher en route to a hospital in Portoviejo. The accident happened on the afternoon of December 23rd and it was a couple of days before I understood the extent of my injuries. Although I took a blow to my upper back, fortunately, the extent of spinal injury was a couple of minor compression fractures that have now fully healed but my left foot, right wrist, and right elbow didn’t fare so well. My left heel (Calcaneus) was broken into 3 pieces, a compound fracture left my right wrist in fragments, and my right arm was broken just below the elbow.

Being hospitalized in a foreign country with a language barrier was yet another experience. While the care was ultimately good (and free), patience was necessary and communication was difficult. The hospital did not have MRI or tomography capabilities and the X-ray equipment was not working so I was transported to multiple facilities for diagnostic services. If I remember correctly, I was carted to 3 different clinics before finally hearing my verdict – two surgeries would be required – one for the wrist and arm and a second for the foot but “parts” had to be ordered from Quito before the foot surgery could be performed. Given the language barrier, I never really understood what “parts” were needed but I eventually determined that it must have been something needed to fix the X-ray equipment in the OR as no special “parts” were installed in my body – just some stainless steel wire and “pins” that were carefully handcrafted and set by the orthopedic surgeon nearly 2 weeks after the accident.

For the first week in the hospital, I was almost entirely immobile. About 3 days after the accident I managed to get myself out of bed and “hop” to the restroom but even that proved challenging with hard splints on opposite extremities. It was a humbling experience. For the first time in my life, I was entirely dependent on others to meet basic human needs like going to the bathroom and taking a shower and, “others” were complete strangers including family members of other patients in the hospital ward. Obviously, I was a bit relieved when Brenda came to retrieve me and get me back to familiar surroundings.

While I know many people have had similar injuries or may suffer from crippling diseases, I’d managed to make it through 49 years without a broken bone and wasn’t sure exactly what “recovery” would look like. The doctor in Ecuador told me that the bones would take 6-8 weeks to mend but failed to mention that that would really just be the beginning of the recovery period.

When I returned to Colorado, I met with the same orthopedic surgeon that kept both my dad and mom mobile in spite of their accidents and disabilities. He examined my injuries, took some new X-rays and said three things: First, he said “that’s the way we used to do it” then he said “the doctor in Ecuador did a pretty good job – everything appears to be in alignment and the bones will heal” then he followed up with “you’ll feel this for the rest of your life but you’re as stubborn and strong as your dad and mom so this won’t keep you down for long”.

Three weeks in a wheel chair followed by three weeks on a knee scooter then three weeks on crutches, and I’m now walking again. My pace is “old man” and each step still hurts but each step is one step closer to regaining full mobility. Range of motion in the wrist and elbow is still pretty limited. I can type but auto correct is going crazy given that I’m retraining my fingers and hand to move again. It’s probably a good thing that I’m not working right now as physical therapy has become a full time job consisting of 4-6 hours a day swimming, pedaling, using various elliptical trainers, walking, climbing stairs, and light weight training followed by rest, ice, heat, compression, and elevation to get the swelling down so I could use the foot and arm some more and do it all over again. Thanks to some exceptional early Spring weather, I’ve even been able to do some “mountain therapy” – i.e.. easy trail hiking. Massage & Chiropractic have also been a huge help!

I feel very fortunate. The crash was bad but things could have been much worse and Brenda and I are excited to be on a plane heading back to South America to continue the “mountain therapy”. We arrive in Cuzco, Peru tomorrow where we’ll meet up with friends Pat & Kathi and will travel by bus into the Sacred Valley on Monday. On Tuesday, our plan is to follow in the footsteps of the ancient Incas by hiking the last two segments of the Salkantay Trek into Aguas Callientes and early Wednesday morning, we plan to hike the last segment of the Inca Trail into Machu Picchu to witness the sunrise over the citadel.

While we’re excited to progress with our travel plans, we’ve also appreciated our time back in Colorado! We spent some time with my parents in Colorado Springs, some time with Brenda’s mom in Iowa, and quite a bit of time in NOCO with our friends Lisa, Bob, and Vohn. We made the best of the situation. We discovered several great bakeries and eateries in the Loveland/Fort Collins area including “Me oh My Coffee & Pie” in LaPorte, “Snooze” in Ft. Collins, and Mary’s Mountain Cookies in both Loveland & Ft. Collins. We sampled microbrews at O’Dells, Coopersmiths, New Belgium, Ft. Collins Brewing, Big Thompson Brewing, Grimm Brothers, Snowbank brewing, Loveland Aleworks, and Spring 44 Distillery. We walked along the Big Thompson River (me on Crutches), hiked up Horsetooth Mountain (very slowly), and discovered the beautiful views along the Devils Backbone trail. I relived some college memories from my days in Fort Collins by “hobbling” around the CSU campus, “studying” at C.B. & Potts, and having a beer at the “Drunken Monkey”. We experienced a “Rocky Mountain Traffic Jam” in Estes Park and spent a night at the historic Stanley Hotel while watching the Shining. We binge-watched all seven seasons of the West Wing and spent a whole weekend playing Settlers of Catan with friends Eric, Dylan, and Vohn. We went to the Chilson Rec Center in Loveland almost daily (sometimes twice a day) for exercise, therapy, and yoga. Brenda studied a bit of French and I studied a bit more Spanish and we both did a few minor projects helping our friends get their house ready for market and sale. We caught the Chocolate Exhibit at the Denver Museum of Natural History, went to the Fire & Ice Valentines Day Festival in Loveland, and we attended “Frozen Dead Guy Days” in Nederland – check out www.frozendeadguydays.org for the story on the history and shenanigans of this world famous event!

So while we’re a bit sad to have missed our planned 2-month stay in Cuenca, Ecuador and, while I hope not to break any more body parts, the past few months have been part of the grand adventure and a bit of a learning experience. We’ve enjoyed spending time with friends and family, making new friends, discovering new places, and re-discovering ourselves. Looking forward to see what the next year brings.