SuzyBlue goes east 2019: knee recovery back home: 23.07 - 04.10.

well.... here I am after almost exactly 3 months of my trip - what means +/- halftime - sitting in a plane from Osh via Bishkek and Istanbul back home. That was defenitely not the plan. Although I'm happy that my boyfriend incedentally was visiting me at exactly that time and we are traveling back now together I laso have very mixed feelings like: " it's not bad" .... and ... "what a sh..., why did that had to happen to me"....
Nevertheless I enjoy the luxury back home like having hot water as much as I want, sleeping in my own bed, eating fresh bred, no nightlong barking of dozends of streetdogs and much more. And all that in wonderful togetherness is sort of just perfect.
Without knowing exactly what's wrong with my knee I'm aware that the recovery will take some time. Fortunately I could organise an appointment at the doctor beforhand for Tuesday. The whole examination goes quite quick: doctor, Xray, MRI, doctor. Already Thursday I know whats up: partly torn inner ligament and meniskus of the left knee. Fortunately no surgery necessary, we can treat it conservative with physiotherapy and lots of exercises. 4-6 weeks is the doctor's foreseek, wearing a splint all the time - 24 hours! We can terminate the appointments for the physiotherapy until beginning of September and start with it right away.

 

Ok, THAT doesn't sound too bad. In secret I already try to figure out when and how I can ride on. No matter how optimistic, Tadschikistan as well as the China crossing into Pakistan will not be possible anymore, that's clear. Means that I can start involving the insurnaces into that whole thing. There's not much they pay but whatever will be nice. What to do with SuzyBlue I cannot decide yet. I have to know more about my future plans before. But standing at Muztoo's she's well looked after and in good company with all the other adventure bikes standing around there ;-)

I need to be patient as I'm not allowed to put any weight on my left leg for the first days. Well; as I love to read I make myself comfortable on our terrace - with perfect view to the beautiful Stanserhorn - and attend the physiotherapy twice a week in Lucerne. Soon I´m allowed/have to start with light exercises to rebuild the already lost musculature. Incredible how fast you loose strenght while at the same time gain wight. Phhhhh.... that will be hard work - on both ;-)

As a nice change during my regeneration process I visit the Horizons Unlimited Travelers Meeting Switzerland in Meierskappel. But of course this time without my bike and not sleeping in a tent but in the hay at the farmer's barn - quite a funny experience. These 3 days among like-minded people is doing good and lifts my mood defenitely. As every year I chat with lots of really interesting people and to meet famous travelers like Elsbeth Beard is an absolut highlight. I even get the chance to have a short presentation from my recent journey. Of course that wakens my desire to get back on the bike and some ideas pop up for the near future ;-)

I can even spend a weekend with my collegues on the bike. Of course not driving on my own but as a pillion. Phhh.... I guess it must have been years since I last rode as a pillion. In the beginning it is quite a struggle to get onto the bike still wearing the splint. But Ivan who I can ride with is a steady guy and after a couple of tries it works  quite good. What a nice feeling to race through the bends of the Swiss and Italian alps ;-)

After 3-4 weeks of physiotherapy I ask the very likeable physiotherapist - whose name is by chance the same as mine, a really rare name and we're not even related - what she thinks about my recovery. Whether it might be already ok beginning of September? She just laughs and says:"no, no. We can just book another set of appointements now. What in detail means at least until the beginning of October. Oooohhhhh...... that's not what I had hoped to hear. Although to be honest the prediction of 4-6 weeks was really too euphoric and actually the doctor had just meant the time wearing the splint when he said that.
Ok, I have to re-think the continuation of my trip. To just start at the point where I had to stop is unthinkable; to drive over mountainpasses with some over 5000m would be too risky that time of the year. Of course I could just return into my "old life", look for a new job and live as I lived before. But next to the fact that I don't have any idea what sort of job I'm looking for it just does not feel right at all. I just cannot stop my trip like that.
So I decide to do sort of at least the "Nepal-part"as I was already in contact with the charity project of ROPKA in Kathmandu. After consultation of my doctor and my physiotherapist they give the ok for that trip. But to do that with as far as possible no risk for my knee and a good feeling I am training now really hard: physiotherapy twice a week, taking the bycicle for tours up to 80km a day, some easy hikes around the mountains.and doing the given exercises back home.

I book a flight for the beginning of October and hope that I will be fit enough to participate a guided motorcycle tour as well as an easy trekking up to Langtang Valley. Means that I will be back home middle of November.
Meanwhile I organised the returning of SuzyBlue as well; she will be transported back to Switzerland - together with 11 other bikes from Muztoo - with a truck in a nice wooden box.
Means once I'm back my project "SuzyBlue goes east 2019" will come to and end for both of us.

But until then I guess I will experience a lot and of course will update you here on my blog... stay tuned my friends ;-)