WHEN YOU CAN'T DO WHAT YOU'VE ALWAYS DONE

WE THINK WE'LL ALWAYS BE ABLE TO DO WHAT WE LOVE.  I remember specifically thinking after one particularly surprising race result...

... I could do this forever.

How does the saying go?

If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans.

He must have been dying on Monday.

There I was...

• in a beautiful part of the country
• hero dirt from the recent rain
• expansive, gorgeous views

... and I was battling double-vision.

For whatever reason, I took a huge step backwards in my recovery from my brain injury.

I couldn't dive bomb the downhills.

I couldn't do what I've always done.

Did it suck?
Yeah, totally.

Did I quit?
Not even.

I slowed down, and did what I could do.

Which turned out to be an echo from an elderly spiritual leader who was assessing his final year or two of life, who said those exact words.

Doing what he could do.

Am I freaked out?
Not yet.

First off, I called my friend Rick the behavioral ophthalmologist (think PT for you eyes).  

We talked about how I'd laid off doing the exercises he'd given me when I was first injured.

In fact, I did the most basic one right away, because I only have the most basic tool on me, and almost immediately noticed an improvement.

Next, I called my surgeon's office.  The NP called me back and suggested I go on a steroid for 5 days to ease any post-surgery swelling that can occur, even months later.

Tomorrow, I'll get back to the more vigorous eye exercises.

Doing what I can do, and hopefully...

... back to what I've always done.