Driving Home For Christmas

Well, I went back to the doctor's yesterday to get the results of my MRI scan and am told that I have a small medial meniscal tear in my left knee and that I will require surgery on the same. I have been referred to see a consultant orthopaedic surgeon. However, it is likely to be a month or so before I get to see the surgeon. I have no idea how long it is likely to be before I will have an operation, assuming surgeon thinks it is needed. I asked the relevant questions of the doctor, such as how long after an operation will it be before I can start cycling again- 6 weeks apparently. I failed to ask how long before I will be back at work again though. Clearly I have my priorities right.

I emailed my line manager last night at work to give him the news and spoke to him today. I must say that I appreciate the sympathetic response from him. Its nice to know that work are not pressurising me to get back to work. I even had a phone call from the big boss

I am now starting to worry as to whether I will be able to complete the bike ride in May in the US. Even if I had the operation by the end of February, I wouldn't be able to start cycling until middle of April, which leaves me no time at all to get in the necessary mileage to do the 400 miles in 4 days in May. I'm going to have to reassess my position and decide what to do. See if I can get a year off and do it in 2011?

Well that's the cycling report or lack of it done. Tomorrow, I'm heading back up North to my parents for Christmas. It will be the first Christmas I've spent at my parents without Tom being there since he was born. It will be strange! How life changes in 12 months.

This time last year, I was contemplating Christmas with my son, my partner and my parents and looking forward to starting training for a Lands End to John o' Groats ride. The future was exciting. This time, its a Christmas without my son, no cycling to look forward to, lengthy time off work etc.

Its ironic that I have all this time off work, but can't actually do anything. I'd love to go away for a few days abroad, but its not going to do me much good is it? I'm not sure that I could justify being off work and flying abroad somewhere.

Still, this time gives me the chance to take stock of where I am going and to re plan my priorities and plan another cycling trip for 2010 later in the year or 2011.

In the meantime, tomorrow I will be travelling up to my parent's home for Christmas, so merry Christmas one and all.