After the fall

I wish I had a more exciting story to tell about my injury, like this fellow:

  

But my accident was quite lame.  I'm on a drug to control my brain tumor, and among other side-effects it causes postural hypo-tension, similar to standing up too quickly and feeling dizzy, but worse.  So a few weeks ago I woke up in the middle of the night and got up to go to the bathroom.  The stairs are adjacent to the bathroom door, and I apparently blacked-out and plummeted down the stairs (15 in all).  I came-to lying on the ground floor, with a loud ringing sound in my head.  Marilyn was woken by the clatter and helped me back to bed.  The next morning I was sore all over, with bruises, knots and lumps everywhere.  The worst was my mid-left back which was very sore.  I took it easy, hobbling around stiffly and felt a little better after a couple of weeks, though sadly unable to ride on those cool, clear October days.  One day I took an easy flat bike ride to Maniago and Vajont, which went well, and took the dogs on some long walks around the local pista ciclabile.  They are great physical therapy aides.

Finally today I felt fit enough to try a bit of climbing.  I decided to try the longish gradient up Val d'Artugna, which starts easy and very gradually steepens to 8%, then 10% and more, before slacking a bit past the barrier above Il Chalet restaurant.  Pavement ends around 560 meters.  I did not push myself at all, nor did I stand on the steeper bits because I wanted to avoid pulling upward with my left side.  No problems noted.  

I'll be trying to commute to class in Pordenone (14 miles) when the weather cooperates.  I put street-shoe pedals on the old Trek, and may even add a rack and fenders if I get inspired (it has mounting eyelets).  It's a slightly upgrade ride home and should help strengthen my weakened back muscles.