When it rains it pours.

I am sure you have heard the saying "when it rains it pours".   Well I can tell you this is true.  Yesterday I took a day off training due to a back injury.   Well the back felt better today

Now it "rains"...

I woke up with tendonitis in my left foot.   I have become familiar with this type of injury over the years and have learned that quick intervention can limit the length and level of pain.  I have no clue what I might have done and it might be the result of wearing boots yesterday that are old and worn out.

I use alternating ice and heat on the injury.  Additionally a steroid helps to reduce any swelling and normally knocks the pain out in a day or two.  The downside is that I develop a voracious appetite like I was back in college for a few days.  So this is a second unscheduled day off from training.  The pain tonight is a bit less and I am hopeful I caught it quickly.  I will not be doing my first test climb with full gear and air pack tomorrow.

I took the day off and visited my brother Tom today at his home.  Tom agreed weeks ago to travel with Brian and I to Seattle for the Fire Fighters Stair Climb.  He will be our air bottle changer on the 40th floor of the Columbia Center.   The bottle changer is responsible to change the air bottle on our Air Pack quickly and safely.  This change over is done without removing our air packs or equipment.  Done correctly the switch can be completed in less than a minute.  Done incorrectly and you have multiple possible issues to deal with; the worst is you have no air.   Tom has been in the fire service over 40 years and is currently the Assistant Chief in Sayre Pa.  He was also a State Fire Instructor for many years.  He is well qualified to change our air bottles.   

And now the "pours" part...

Well it turns our that Tom has suffered a stress fracture of his heel.  He said he woke up Sunday with tremendous pain with no recall of doing anything that might have caused the injury.(sound familiar?)  The Dr told him today it might be simple aging.  I don't believe that for a minute.  In any case he will be wearing a boot for four weeks and then get reevaluated.  His spirits were good and it is likely he will be 100% for the March 9th trip to Seattle.  Just in case it was clear he had a plan.  I could tell he had already thought about practicing changing a bottle while standing with his crutches.  That is just how we Yonkins' are... always thinking of plan B.  I don't think anything will keep Tom from helping Brian and I with our climb in Seattle.  Tom will be there on the 40th floor even if he is changing our air bottles from a wheelchair!

See you at the Top!