I met with my orthopedist earlier this week and got the updated x-rays done. Basically, it boiled down to this: since the antibiotics are keeping the infection suppressed, and the x-rays look good, we can schedule the hardware removal around my schedule, no rush. If the x-rays looked like the infection was affecting the bone or healing at all, then that would be another matter. But, it doesn't appear that was the case, so I scheduled hardware removal for late September.
One of my main questions to him was how long I'd be looking at being laid up - his answer was a couple weeks, and that's mostly for the incision. He didn't seem too worried about the swiss cheese my leg would end up as, apparently fairly confident in my ability to heal that up in that timeframe.
So, I picked a date that worked with my jobs and race schedule, giving me 3 1/2 weeks to heal after surgery between a couple race rounds. Won't even miss a trackday if all goes with the current plan.
Obviously, I still have to very aware of infection possibles, and there's still a chance I won't kick it after the hardware is out. Or, it can resurface even 20+ years from now for no apparent reason. It's a concern the rest of my life. Guess if I didn't consider my long term health a concern before, this is a damn good reason to consider that now (I've always believed in living a healthier lifestyle, this just gives an even stronger reason).
For now I'm going to start working on getting my fitness back. Pretty sure I could handle an elliptical at this point, and I should head out hiking. I'm starting to settle into my "new" routine since I moved, and am hoping adding some more activity back will help not only with the physical rehab, but the mental as well.
My body will never be what it was...but, hopefully, I can find my new normal, accept it, and hit my goals still, even if not on the timeframe I'm still fighting for.
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