Helmet Head

Well, first and foremost -- I think I found the perfect helmet -- thanks REI!

It's even been approved by the neurosurgeon! Of course, you'll notice that it's completely blank -- no stickers yet. More on that in a moment.

Status Update: I'm doing pretty well. I'm not in any pain, just dealing with fatigue and the daily grind. I have medical appointments at either the National Institutes of Health or the National Naval Medical Center almost every day, with visits and deliveries from the home healthcare folks at CORAM at least once or twice a week. I also get daily IV antibiotics, and Pooh is a pro now -- we've got the whole IV thing down to an easy routine. The side effects of the Invanz antibiotics aren't too pleasant, but I won't bore you with the details.

Today was supposed to be a fairly big day...the day I get my stitches removed! We took the hour trip up to NNMC, waited for the neurosurgeon, and upon examination found that about half the incision had not yet healed adequately for the stitches to be removed. So, they took about half of them out...well, it's a start anyway! Back next week to get the other half out. Here's how it looked:

As you can see, I haven't been able to cut my hair for a few weeks. I think this is the longest it's been since high school! In any case, I'm doing well, feeling fine, and resting as much as I can. I'm off the roads and off the bike for at least four more weeks, but I'm still hoping to keep my race schedule intact. I might not meet my goal of breaking 1:30 in the half this year, but it's still on the books...it just might take a bit longer.

Finally, about the helmet. THANK YOU so much for all the stickers and support! Here's the current tally:

1 Ohio State Seal (thanks Jen)

1 Ladybug (thanks Jen)

1 Kentucky Wildcat (thanks Aunt Barb...tough one to use for a Duke fan, but I used it!)

1 "No Brainer" logo (thanks Pooh!)

1 "Good as New" logo (thanks Pooh!)

1 Band-Aid (thanks Brian)

2 Stars (thanks mom)

1 Mickey Mouse (thanks mom)

1 bunch of grapes (thanks La Toscana Winery)

1 Major rank, soon to be upgraded to Lt Col (thanks Don!)

2 American flags (thanks Brian)

1 "Custom Cruiser" (thanks Brian)

3 words: "Conviction," "Hope," and "Commitment" (thanks Sharon)

We're up to 17 stickers, with LOTS of room left. Keep them coming!

And, if I haven't told you before, all you bloggers are wonderful people...as are those who read and comment, but don't blog. The support (and stickers) you all provide is tremendous. Keep running and keep fighting!