Thursday I rented a 2018 black Nissan Rogue in Bishop - plenty of room for the Dream Machine and gear in the back - and I had a pretty sweet 28 mpg ride home. The shortest open route across the Sierra Nevada was over Hwy 108 across Sonora Pass, so I took it. Lots of snow up top, but the road is in great shape.
Yesterday I jumped (stepped cautiously) through all the hoops to see a doctor at the San Juan Bautista Clinic and I got my ribs x-rayed at the hospital in Hollister. The examination was quick and efficient and so was the hospital procedure. The whole thing took far less time than I imagined and I had the results by the end of the work day.
The damage: left side rib #4 is fractured with no displacement; left side rib #6 is fractured with slight displacement. Both ribs should heal on their own in 6-8 weeks. I am taking ibuprofen for pain as well as applying a heat sock (partially fill a sock with rice, tie it off so nothing spills, microwave it for 4 minutes, and use as a heat pad - awesome). I need to pay careful attention to my breathing. Even if it hurts (and it does), I'm supposed to take ten deep breaths every hour or so to keep my lungs clear. Otherwise, pneumonia is possible. I like doing that anyway, and the Vitamin I buffers the pain, so it's no problem. I really cannot see myself sitting around for 6-8 weeks, so I will have to invent some workarounds to exercise creatively/safely.
All in all, not so bad. I saw some great scenery in the Eastern Sierra and met some more interesting travelers on the road. I wonder, though, if I will ever be able to walk this way again. The stuff of dreams.
Peace, Love, and Self-Hypnosis,
Jim
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