The cast

My Mom and I look pretty tough! :)

I really can't type much now which puts a damper on my blog. However, now is the time to work on my photography skills.

This morning I saw Dr. Del Signori, a hand surgeon, about my finger. Apparently the finger was pushed so far to the right on the right hand that it fractured the outside portion of the bottom of the pinky. The fracture isn't as bad as the second degree sprain that will take longer to heal but it's a good thing that I went to a great doctor who is experienced with treating athletes.

I definitely connected with the doc when she told me the story of how she became a hand surgeon. She was playing in a big game at Holy Cross when she fractured her middle finger. Instead of leaving the game, she decided to tape her hand to the lacrosse stick. When the game was over (they lost) she went to the hospital with the stick still taped to her hand. The rest is history.

So I am in this cast for the next two weeks. Until February 1st at 8:15am to be exact.

The journey continues....

The hand bone is connected to the fractured pinky

It's official, there is a fracture at the base of the pinky finger on my right hand. My doc just called with the x-ray results and I have to go in to see the hand specialist tomorrow morning. I can't believe that someone hit me hard enough directly on my finger to fracture it. I think it gives everyone an idea of how tough this sport really is.

I also can't believe I continued to fence in the gold medal round without feeling much of anything. Thank goodness for adrenaline.

Step one, take second at the second national tournament, step two, break pinky finger--hmmm..that wasn't in the plans. This is a lesson that the journey will always have bumps in the road because as John Lennon once said, "Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans".

So this is life and it's happening.

More information on the recovery tomorrow when I see my doctor and the specialist. I guess I'm going to have to focus on floating like a butterfly and hold off on the sting like a bee part. Hopefully this stinger will heal before my next tournament in Austria on February 17th.

California dreaming

My car in my driveway. P.S. that is my Dad in the background with the snowblower.

I think today is the day that I miss California most. My poor car also misses California as it has never seen the likes of snow since it was built in Mexico and shipped to California.

When I left for Ohio it was 50 degrees in Rochester and when I got back yesterday it was 18 degrees. I had to turn on the defroster and wait ten minutes before I could chip through the inch thick sheet of ice that had accumulated on my car.

What does this have to do with fencing? Well, nothing really but it's been a while since I've lived through a Rochester (lake effect snow) winter. I just want to list this under one of the things that I sacrificed in order to train for the Olympics. My car and I miss California.