Winter and Surgery

It's been a while since I posted mostly because I haven't been too active. After the Wolf Rock adventure, winter came to Portland and ended the dry climbing season. Shortly after Wolf Rock, I discovered an umbilical hernia. I kept climbing indoors and playing soccer though. I didn't experience any pain. I just had to push the tissue back in every once in a while

For Christmas, my family went to Colorado to ski/snowboard. We had great conditions (cold and snowy) but unfortunately only got four days on the mountain. The front end of our trip was interrupted when we discovered a bad leak on the inlet of the water heater. We spent the first night and day going to Denver to buy a new water heater, then installing it. In the process, we discovered the old water heater had been hooked up backwards. We now have great hot water at the cabin.

After Colorado, I headed home to KY with my family. It was the first time I'd spent at home in a year. After discovering my hernia, I decided to have surgery while I was at home so that my dad could set it up and I'd have someone to drive me to and from the hospital. December 31st was the only option, so I had surgery on New Years Eve. Everything went very smoothly and I now have sutures holding the small hole behind my belly button closed. The actual surgery only took 20 minutes and I was only in the hospital for a few hours.

The worst part of the surgery was the recovery. I didn't actually have any pain or weakness, but the surgeon ordered me not to do any physical activity for six weeks. He didn't even want me to run. So I went to the gym every day and did the stair master to stay in shape. That and the weather are the primary reasons I haven't been very active lately. I just started climbing and playing indoor soccer again a few weeks ago.

The days are getting longer now and I'm hoping to start getting some climbing in. Maybe some winter climbs or new routes on Hood.