September 2018 Island Trip – Day One

The day got off to an embarrassing start as I managed to kill my battery in the ferry line (a first). The ferry staff is used to car mishaps of all description, this one being the most common. Suffice to say I was the last one on the boat. The truck agreed to start at the Island end, but I drove straight to the auto parts store where it was revealed the battery needed replacing.

Once out at the house, and after unloading, I enjoyed lunch and distracted myself from the next task at hand: Installing the vapor barrier.

Basically this involves wresting two 45×16 foot sheets of six-mil plastic under pipes and electrical wiring, and around footings (that add strength to the floor of the house). At best I able to sit up without hitting my head, at worst I had to commando wrestle my way around, for three hours. I took a break half way through the project. While climbing out from under the house I noticed my left foot was wobbly, and that the work was seriously kicking my butt. When I was done, and after hauling everything out, I realized my left foot was very unhappy. It wouldn’t bear my weight and ‘dropped.” After a well deserved shower, I actually sat down This is when I noticed the top of my foot was tingling! Further investigation revealed that the top of my toes, foot and front six inches of my leg were either numb or felt fuzzy. I called my daughter when I discovered my left foot wouldn’t obey simple orders, like flexing toward my knee. Nothing, Nada.

After a description of what was, or wasn’t, going on, my daughter told me to go to the ER. She convinced me with words like “blood clot, and TIA.”  I was in no pain, and was pretty sure these were not stroke symptoms. All this having come on after being under the house, dragging myself around by my arms with assists from my legs, kept me calm in the face of her worry. Off to the ER I went. On the way there she texted that damage to the peroneal  nerve fit my symptoms very closely.

I annoyed my peroneal nerve at my knee, most likely because the tall boot I was wearing under the house dug into either side of my knee. It could be that being on my knees for large parts three hours on an uneven, and occasionally rocky surface did not help the situation. I was given a spiffy short air-cast to protect my foot until its ready to wake up, and sent home.

I’ve been told by my family to take it easy tomorrow. I think painting qualifies. Painting that does not require ladders. Maybe some cleaning. But not the floors (requires being on one’s knees).