Been quite awhile since I posted anything from the Big Island and there's a reason for that. Back in early June, I went out for a training run. I need to run or hike quite a bit to stay in good enough shape to hunt the rough terrain on the Big Island. At 60 years old, I need to do more of this conditioning now than ever before. Anyway, I stepped on some uneven ground and down I went with a badly sprained ankle. I iced it and elevated it and took really good care of it for a month and then started walking again. I got up to 3 miles walking and then 1 minute running and 2 minutes walking, repeating this 5 times. Then 2 minutes running and 2 minutes walking 5 times. Then 3 and 3. Last week I felt really good and planned to go after pigs on Thursday afternoon, right after work. Pigs are everywhere this time of year and I have no pork in the freezer.
On Wednesday afternoon, I decided to go on a short conditioning run, the day before my pig hunt. I parked the truck out in the middle of nowhere and started off along a gravel trail. I got about 500 yards from the truck and BAM!!!. I end up lying on my face. I never even felt myself fall. One second I'm running along and the next second I'm face first in the dirt and lava. My ankle felt as if a swarm of bees had all stung it at once.
I laid there for a minute or so, knowing full well that I had done some major damage to my ankle. When I looked down, the outside of the ankle was blue and the size of a tennis ball. I about puked. I reached into my pocket for my cell phone, the plan being to call my wife who could then call the cavalry, but my pocket was empty. I forgot that I had left my cell phone in the truck.
So there I am, 500 yards from the truck, with a ruined ankle. I waited a few minutes and the pain subsided a bit and my foot was completely numb. I tried to crawl back but only got a dozen yards before the lava tore me up. I tried to stand but went down fast. I tried to hobble and made it 50 yards in about 5 minutes, but had to sit down because the pain came back. I kept doing the hobble---sit down---fall down---hobble again for about 30 minutes and made it back to the truck, exhausted. My foot wouldn't work at all so I had to drive to the hospital with my left foot, sticking my right foot in the passenger side. It took 45 minutes to get to the hospital and by then my ankle looked like the prize pumpkin at the county fair.
The orthopedic surgeon surmised that the original injury had not healed completely and that my ankle was then far more susceptible to new injury. The new injury consisted of two ligaments torn completely, others damaged, broken bone, and the capsule enclosing the ankle ruptured. Now I've got a cast on and will have it for a month, then an ankle brace for another month, and then an ankle brace and boots whenever I go hunting on uneven terrain.
That comes out to about 5 months with no hunting at all. I'm working on a way to wear my cast inside tall hiking boots and use a pair of walking sticks. If it works out, I think I can get back out in the field in about 3 weeks without doing any further damage, as long as I stay on gentle terrain, which I can do if I restrict my hunting to a couple of grassland areas that I know about.
Pig alarm went off last night at 11 PM and I hobbled out with my walking stick and spotlight. A 100-pounder was standing broadside at 10 yards and didn't move. Easy shot, but I didn't have my crossbow because I'm in no condition to deal with a pig and then drag the butchered carcass 300 yards beyond stink range.
That's it from the Big Island for now. Hope to post some more hunting stories within a couple of months
Aloha.
On Wednesday afternoon, I decided to go on a short conditioning run, the day before my pig hunt. I parked the truck out in the middle of nowhere and started off along a gravel trail. I got about 500 yards from the truck and BAM!!!. I end up lying on my face. I never even felt myself fall. One second I'm running along and the next second I'm face first in the dirt and lava. My ankle felt as if a swarm of bees had all stung it at once.
I laid there for a minute or so, knowing full well that I had done some major damage to my ankle. When I looked down, the outside of the ankle was blue and the size of a tennis ball. I about puked. I reached into my pocket for my cell phone, the plan being to call my wife who could then call the cavalry, but my pocket was empty. I forgot that I had left my cell phone in the truck.
So there I am, 500 yards from the truck, with a ruined ankle. I waited a few minutes and the pain subsided a bit and my foot was completely numb. I tried to crawl back but only got a dozen yards before the lava tore me up. I tried to stand but went down fast. I tried to hobble and made it 50 yards in about 5 minutes, but had to sit down because the pain came back. I kept doing the hobble---sit down---fall down---hobble again for about 30 minutes and made it back to the truck, exhausted. My foot wouldn't work at all so I had to drive to the hospital with my left foot, sticking my right foot in the passenger side. It took 45 minutes to get to the hospital and by then my ankle looked like the prize pumpkin at the county fair.
The orthopedic surgeon surmised that the original injury had not healed completely and that my ankle was then far more susceptible to new injury. The new injury consisted of two ligaments torn completely, others damaged, broken bone, and the capsule enclosing the ankle ruptured. Now I've got a cast on and will have it for a month, then an ankle brace for another month, and then an ankle brace and boots whenever I go hunting on uneven terrain.
That comes out to about 5 months with no hunting at all. I'm working on a way to wear my cast inside tall hiking boots and use a pair of walking sticks. If it works out, I think I can get back out in the field in about 3 weeks without doing any further damage, as long as I stay on gentle terrain, which I can do if I restrict my hunting to a couple of grassland areas that I know about.
Pig alarm went off last night at 11 PM and I hobbled out with my walking stick and spotlight. A 100-pounder was standing broadside at 10 yards and didn't move. Easy shot, but I didn't have my crossbow because I'm in no condition to deal with a pig and then drag the butchered carcass 300 yards beyond stink range.
That's it from the Big Island for now. Hope to post some more hunting stories within a couple of months
Aloha.
