I don't knee-d this.

Time certainly flies. We certainly flew.

On Wednesday we arrived back home in Holland. Back home to mist and cold. Brrrr. Back home to our own bed and our dog. YAY! Back home to starting up the new year and getting going. Back home to huge smiles as I catch myself thinking about our holiday and the wonderful time we spent with family and family and in law family and their family. Chaotic, fun, happy, feeling of belonging...To sum it up, in my mind it was a huge success!

The best laid plans of mice and men.... After a good nights rest on the Sunday of the World Championship Body Surfing the routine continued. Up in the morning at sparrows and off to the beach for a swim or body surf just because thats what we do. Later that morning I unpacked my malibu board that I had left in my brothers garage last year on our mini sabattical and went to the surf shop to purchase some soft top roof racks. These are basically foam strips that you lay on your car roof and wrap a strap under the roof on the inside of the car and tie it down. Simple, crude, but effective, and cost effective. Doubly effective as it were. For the short 2km trip to main beach and back this would do the job.

World Champion brother and I each took a Malibu board (kind of a long surfboard type thing) to Main beach to catch some wave. Last wave of the day and I had waited for a big one! With surfing position on the board is crucial when catching a wave. If you are too far forward, the front (Nose) of the board bores into the wave and you get shot off the front of the board (A nose dive).  I saw that at take off I was going straight down (nose diving) and slid myself back on the Malibu and hoped for the best. I had visions of boring so deep into the wave that I might come out in Australia, but the nose of Red (Still to get a concrete name) clawed its way up and I was shot out infront of the the wave like I had done this all of my life.

Next thing is that the wave breaks behind you and it is hold on for dear life when it catches up with you as you are flung about a bit before emerging again infront of the white water. During one of these flingy flungy bits whilst lying on my stomach and taming the beast, I put my left leg out almost like a kids bike 3rd wheel to stablise myself and my foot hit the water as speed and I felt a tick in my left hip, but that was all.  Back on the beach I picked up my board and walked to the car park, no problems. Still no problems that whole evening and whilst lying on my left side that night I thought hmmm that is a little irritated, but nothing to worry about. I also felt a bit of something on the outer aspect (lateral) of my left knee. 

The next day I was hobbling about a bit, more due to restriction of motion of the knee than pain. Come that evening, bring on the HURT! Somehow  although I had not felt anything at all in the knee it was the subject of a malicious attack by the kabouters (kind of gnome things- sort of gremlin/gnome mix). Red, swollen, and very SORE! I could not sleep at all that night and ended up sitting on the toilet quite a bit through the night as that was the most comfortable 'chair' in the house. I may even have prayed that night! I was trying to 'diagnose' or diagnknees the problem and felt definate point tenderness on the lateral aspect of the knee.  Other than that it was moerse (fucking) sore. The next morning we got ice from the shops and I started on the anti inflammatory pills.

It has been a strange one as the whole clinical picture of the problem has literally changed every day. That 1st night was a bit of the hip and a bit in the knee. The 2nd night the hip irritation had left the building and the knee demons had been aroused, but the point tenderness as stated was on the lateral aspect of the joint. The 3rd night there was a little less swelling and the point tenderness on the lateral side had disappeared, but the the point tenderness was now on the medial (inside) aspect of the knee joint. That 2nd night I could not find any position that was not painfull to sleep, but the 3rd night I had 1 position in which I could catch a few ZZZs. 4th night again slightly less swelling and the medial point tenderness had disappeared and now the tenderness was on the front side under the patella (kneecap) and on the tendon. 2 positions in which I could sleep. By now we had crutches for the old man. 

Long story short, every single day I have felt functional differences returing to the knee and my mobility. Pretty much from the 5th day I have had little pain. It is still slightly swollen but as of yesterday (12 days in) I am able to walk short distances without crutches and I can work (thankfully my colleague could take over my schedule for wednesday and thursday. (Thank you Rhys!) On Thursday I went to the Doctor and we are planning to have an MRI taken within the next 2 weeks or so. I did not feel the need to go into Pot Elizabeth last week to have one done as it is about an hour trip each way and I am not sure that that would have done me any good. I do not feel as if anything is broken or damaged beyone repair, but the MRI will show what there is to see. I can then plan my recovery and future (sport) according to the results.

The big question is what is this trying to teach me? Your HEALTH is your GREATEST asset? Totally true, but there is perhaps more to this unfortunate injury. I will let the clock run and in the future I will have my answer.

Being injured put pay to many plans that Ingrid and I had had for our vacation. Long walks, visiting friends, day trips etc. Still I can not complain. As previously stated I still have a huge smile and my heart fills with joy when I remember a moment or a joke with my family. Our daughter Bo said it out loud... That is one crazy family, but I love them to bits! We are all different, but we are family, a close one at that (even though we live probably at 3 of the 4 corners of the earth). Being together and spending time with each other has been, for me, priceless! THANK YOU all!

Here is hoping that we can do this once or perhaps a few times again in the future, albiet not in December as that is the height of tourist season and it is BUSY in St Francis and surrounds.

Many, many, many THANKS must go to the International World Body Surfing Champion, Bradley, his super wife Jackie and their son Ben for hosting us (and the rest) and making our holiday special! Also thank you to the couzins who made the effort to join! This one will last long in the memory of both Ingrid and I and our two lovely daughters, Bo and Fleur.

HAPPY FAMILY! :)