My Comeback Story: Howard D.

I was riding home on a local dirt road after spending the day with my adult sons. On the way in, I had passed through a stretch of loose sand without any trouble. But on the way back, the sand on the opposite side of the road was much deeper than I expected. I tried to stay toward the center, but the weight of my 700-plus-pound motorcycle kept pulling me into the softest part. The steering became uncontrollable, and within moments the bike went over.

The momentum threw me across the road, and the motorcycle came down hard on my right ankle, pinning my foot to the ground. When I managed to stand, I realized I couldn’t put any weight on that foot without sharp, severe pain. There was even a faint clicking inside the ankle that made me stop in my tracks. For the record, I was fully geared up.

My sons came to my rescue and got me to the ER. X-rays were taken, my foot was placed in a splint, and I was told to contact Orthopedic Associates first thing Monday morning. This all happened on a Friday afternoon. On Monday, I called at 8:00 a.m. and was given a 10:15 appointment. Dr. Tenholder examined me and recommended surgery, which was scheduled for the following week on September 23. The entire surgical experience was handled professionally and respectfully.

I returned on October 3 to have my stitches removed and new X-rays taken. The plan was for me to gradually increase weight-bearing as my flexibility improved, doing the exercises at home on my own. Those flexibility exercises made a real difference—every morning, I could feel noticeable improvement compared to the day before.

At my follow-up appointment on October 27, Dr. Tenholder confirmed that everything was healing well. I should add that I had misunderstood part of the post-surgery instructions; I thought I could do whatever I could tolerate as long as I rested afterward. I’ve since learned that recovery is a marathon, not a sprint.