In September 2010, I suffered a severe compound tib/fib fracture, so severe in fact that I nearly lost my foot. The injury was caused when a rock broke lose while I was climbing Vesper Peak in the North Cascades of Washington. The "recovery trip report" on the following page is my day-to-day recovery notes for the year following the climbing accident. All except the first few days (when I was in the hospital and too drugged to think) was written as it occurred. Fraught with frustrating setbacks and dangerous complications, my injury and the resulting recovery posed the biggest challenges that I have experienced in life so far. It was also a whirlwind education on the US medical system, insurance and financial negotiations, and living life with a disability. For awhile I struggled to maintain my PhD work at the University of Washington, but I eventually decided to forgo my studies to focus on healing and dealing. But through it all, I was spurred onwards by the endless support of family and friends (thanks!), as well as my uninjured love for the mountains and outdoor adventure. Amazingly, over the course of a couple of years, I achieved a nearly complete recovery. Although I'd never say I am glad for the climbing accident and injury, I am grateful for the experience and the stronger and wiser person it allowed me to become.

Disclaimer #1: When I started this "recovery trip report" I had no idea it would go on so long. So this page might take awhile to fully load, and might also occupy a few hours of your time if you read it all.

Disclaimer #2: Some of the photos on this page might be considered graphic. But I wanted to share the reality of a serious climbing injury.

Disclaimer #3: I apologize if some of my daily entries are somewhat negative, overly candid, long-winded, kind of whiny, or just plain wacky. Now several years after the accident and looking back on some of my entries, I am a tad embarrassed for my 27-year-old self, but haven't changed anything I had written. Throughout the recovery, I underwent a lot of psychological turmoil as I struggled to accept the situation and setbacks. As an exercise and adventure junkie, the forced inactivity and separation from the outdoors was at times overwhelmingly oppressive and definitely the most difficult aspect of the recovery. And as a brutally independent person, the crutched life and dependence on others was also very difficult to accept. Sharing my thoughts and experiences became a way of coping with the injury.