Confession time, at 57 I should know better. Back on July 1 while taking an easy ride home from the beach, just flip-flops, board shorts, hat and sunglasses, on my cheap ass mountain bike, my nephew and I took a detour through a local park that has some trails. One trail is more of a elevated deck/walk way, short but few nice zig zags and it starts at the bottom of a short “hill”, so you can come into it fast, zip through and then hit some dirt. Always fun, but on this certain day, with me leading, we went into it faster than we ever had. I get to the last quick turn and the bike completely loses traction. In less than a second I am riding fast, then I am banging my head on ground and sliding. In all the years of riding bikes and doing other fun things, I was the most violent crash I have ever experienced, and I have broken bones from bike accidents.

I had landed full speed on my shoulder, hip, head. When I came to a stop I knew I had fucked myself up. I could not move my shoulder and I was really not sure what else was damaged. I gave myself a 5 count then rolled on my back, and start taking stock of what is not working. My shoulder hurt so bad that I really didn’t feel the hip (more on that later). I realize I am road rash all down my one side, head is bleeding a bit but a big chunk of flesh is missing from the top of my shoulder and bleeding nicely. But, other than an arm that is now just about useless, it does move, I have all my teeth and my vision is good. I go to stand up, but the world is moving a bit fast so I sit back down on the ground for a bit longer (in 90 degree heat, in the sun, I don’t even feel it). Nephew is worried and wants to go get help or at least go back to the house and get the truck to bring me home. I refuse, stating , “if you are going to be stupid, you better be tough…” Finally my head clears, I fix the handle bars on the bike (well he does) and I ride the final 3 miles home, slowly. Walk in the front door, tell the wife I am going to take a quick shower, then we should go to the ER, with that she turns around and see the “total package”. Pretty much a mess from head to toe (literally, my toes were bleeding too). Worse part, we were leaving on an “adventure” vacation to Utah in 3 days.

ER x-rays the shoulder, nothing broken, but doctor is not an ortho guy, so that is the best I get. Next day I go to work like “nothing happened” but by late afternoon my hip is now hurting so bad I am sweating and just about make it home, get out of my truck and go to the ground, pull my self up by the door, hip is almost 3 sizes bigger. Make it to the bed, with ice, and just lay there, wife sees me, and it is back to the ER to x-ray the hip. Again, nothing broken, but they do give me 400 mg of Motrin (wanted to give me something stronger but I refused)

Point of all this, I really scared myself this time. I have had at least 5 truly “near death” experiences, but this was by and far the most violent and eye-opening. 2 feet further and I would have collided with a steel/concrete poll and would more than likely be dead or seriously fucked up, and that is what really shook me. 17 days later, my left leg/hip is still swollen, and I am black/green/blue from the hip from the knee, still have a slight bump on the head, most of the scabs are clearing up down my side and I have about 40% function of my arm. But the good news, the Ortho specialist says my shoulder damage was “just” a separation, currently on a 3 scale and a very good chance that in 6 more weeks I should be “good as new”. He also looked at the hip, the colors even shocked him a bit.

I guess the other point is, “it will happen to you” sooner or later. Luckily, vacation was pretty much a success, other than not being able to mountain bike in one of the best mountain bike areas in the freaking world……we had fun, Utah is freaking amazing.

Interesting result in all this, I have had a bad back for years, and have always been a stomach sleeper. I have had to sleep on my back or right side since the accident, back issues have completely resolved!!! My back has not felt this good in 20 years!

About those pains, the Old Rancher used to say, “all things are relative, some more so.”

Happy recovery!

See? Exercise is dangerous!!

The Heartbeats Theory: when you are born, your heartbeats are written in The Book. Use them wisely....

Last time I took a spill like that I got to visit the ortho too. Torn ACL and meniscus. I had to ride home 7-8 miles too, not the smartest move I could have made. Nor was it too intelligent to go speeding through the woods taking jumps by myself. Next time I am calling for a ride.

Hope it all heals up soon.

A man's got to know his limitations.

Not too long ago, we had a mountain bike fatality. While most here wear helmets, I confess that the wearing of Spandex mystifies me.
And I often see mountain bikers riding on US 41. Amongst the mine and logging trucks.
Hope you feel better soon!

Southflorida-law, I hope you feel better soon.

I'm glad the damage was controlled...and hope you heal fully and quickly. Please wear a helmet...my brother got away without harm only because I bought him one and wouldn't ride with him again until I did.

He got pissy about it, and I reminded him he was a medic and knew better.

The very next day we were riding in the woods, came out next to a highway bridge and tore down the spillway for stormwater next to it.

Then he lost control, and cracked the brand new $75 helmet I had bought him less than 18 hours prior on a bridge abutment.

Would have easily killed him.

Never again without a helmet for either of us.

Ughh. A hip pointer. Painful. I was road cycling on a particularly fast downhill curve whe I noticed the fine gravel had spilled from a dump truck right in the apex. The bike started to slide for a couple of inches when it bit again throwing me over landing on my shoulder and hip. The blood was on my shoulder and arm so I didn’t notice my hip. The next day I couldn’t put any weight in it.
It got a little better after a few days but I thought it was dislocated or broken the next day.

I recently had a bout with the orthopedic surgeon, a trimallleolar fracture and dislocation of my right ankle. Simple slip on ice wearing a weighted backpack and that was that, happened so fast there wasn’t even any lead up or time to think...just walking along and boom, severe injury.


I’m now recovering pretty well but it was a huge setback that hurt me financially (even with good insurance) professionally (missed 3 weeks of work which may or may. It have led to my dismissal, that’s all good though, ended up with a better job in a better location).

It can happen. I guess if you play hard enough in the outdoors then it catches up with you eventually.

I came zipping around the corner and hit the top flight of the stairs headed down to the basement. My wife had just placed a dirty dish rag on the top step, intending to take it down to the laundry shortly. Banana peel city, and I went flying ass-over-tea kettle all the way down the stairs.

Her: "Are you all right?"
Me, upside down at the bottom of the stairs: "Don't know yet"
Her: "Well. did you break anything?
Me: "Don't know yet"
Her:" Well, watch where you're going."

I was beat up, bloody and bruised, and I felt it for almost a month, but with only a single broken metatarsal, I was very lucky. The upshot was at 58, I need to be a little more careful.

quote:

Originally posted by jigray3:....
Her: "Are you all right?"
Me, upside down at the bottom of the stairs: "Don't know yet"
Her: "Well. did you break anything?
Me: "Don't know yet"
.....

I love that!