Body Carnage
Broken right thumb
July 29th, 2008
|
To the right you will see an X-ray scan of my broken right thumb. I've got a temporary splint for now, until the swelling goes down, then on Tuesday I'll get the real cast. Wish you all were here to sign it....maybe next time.
So, here is how it went down. I decided to take a ride on Tuesday, after work to keep my legs in shape before the upcoming WeBe Harescramble in Espanola. Well, as I started out on the trail, I could tell my groove was a bit off, I could just feel how something just wasn't right. I wasn't wheeling off the line, and I wasn't flying across the tops of the whoops as I normally do. This day I decided to mount a camera to the top of my helmet, it could have been this extra few ounces that threw my balance out of whack, either way, I was not on my game. So, about 6 minutes into my ride I was taking a long sweeping left turn, and I overshot the berm. As the front tire went over the berm, I was still leaning into the turn. This caused the front tire to wash out, and I went down on my left side. As is the standard when I go down (not that it's that often), I usually slide on my left shoulder and helmet. This time, I went down pretty hard, so hard that my helmet didn't do its usual bounce, but actually performed a hard slap and grind through the rocks on the trail. Somehow, my right hand thumb got jammed into something (I still have no idea what) with enough force to break my thumb bone. Now.., I've wrecked in the past like this, and actually ripped a transponder from my chest protector right off. It was zip tied into place with TWO zip ties, and I still ripped it off with my thumb in a wreck. This previous incident may have caused a hair-line fracture, and Tuesday's event pretty much sealed the deal for the full breakage. So, who knows when the break started, but I certainly know now that its broken all the way through. At any rate, its kinda bizarre how my right hand thumb got messed up when I went down on my left side.....strange. Anyway, I hit hard enough that my "bell was rung". Anybody who has had their head hit hard enough to have their bell rung knows what I'm talking about. I didn't black out or see stars, but I sure FELT it. I got back up, gathered my scattered wits, and re-started the bike. My camel-back also tore the shoulder strap from the back of the pack, which left it chocking me as I was trying to get it off. Yeah, my thumb was hurting, but I also knew I needed to get off the trail before I was not able to fully grasp the throttle and ride out, basically before the swelling was too much. So, after getting the bike started I rode back to the truck in 1st and 2nd gear and loaded the bike into my truck, and then iced my thumb down. I carry with me emergency supplies in case stuff like this happens. I broke out a small pop-able ice bag and applied it to my thumb. This really helped me a lot and allowed me to control the wheel as I drove home.....ice packs sure are nice.
Ok, so I went home....yeah, I was feeling a little sick, and figured I had a slight concussion, but nothing too bad. I decided to wait it out (the typical wait period when I was growing up was about 2 weeks before medical attention was given) and see if I would feel better the next day. Wednesday morning comes along, and I'm feeling worse, like dry-heaves over the porcelain bowl.....yeah, that was fun. So, I decided to go ahead and go to the hospital for some anti-nausea drugs, and while I was there, we decided to get my hand x-rayed as well. So, after a CT scan (which turned out just fine), and the hand x-rays, the doc let me know I'll be donning a cast for the next six weeks. Needless to say, I'm disappointed that I won't be out there riding, but oh-well, life goes on. In fact, this darned splint is hampering my ability to control the PS3 game-pad........not good at all.
Yeah, I've got a headache, but the doc game me some really cool pain killers (nice).......
and life goes on.
August 16, 2008
Made a visit to the Orthopedic's office and came out wearing a Spica Cast. I have to wear this cast for three weeks then it will be cut off, take a few x-rays, and the Doc will determine if another cast is needed.
Here you can see some fancy art-work my wife has put on.
Broken Ribs
April 19th, 2009
I decided to participate in the Farmington, NM WeBe HareScramble. I've ridden here before and the sand hills can be pretty difficult, 
as they can create bottle-necks very quickly. But, overall its a great place to ride.
Just a couple of weeks before this event, I decided to get a Leatt GPX Club Neck Brace. I've seen quite a view videos and the result of a bad wreck and not having a neck brace. As it turned out, this was a very wise decision.
On Saturday before the race, I ran the course during a practice lap and knew that it was going to be a fun ride. I run in the Novice Vet+30 class, so I'm just there to have some fun. Saturday's practice race went off without any issues and I met quite a few others who were there to have a good time.
Sunday was race day and I was pretty stoked to get out there and see what I could do. I started off great, getting into the pack and enjoying the ride. On a particular narrow section I ended up behind a slower rider. The opportunity to pass the rider in an open wash came up and I took it. Unfortunately, as I was passing the rider and while trying to give this rider plenty of room, I hit a very large rock. Let me recount the situation. I have clearly passed the slower rider, as I'm pinning 3rd gear, and I see the large rock coming up fast, I decide to hit the gas a little harder to get the front tire over the rock. Unfortunately, the rock was much larger than I had anticipated. The rear tire hit the rock and pogo-ed me over the handle bars at a high rate of speed. It happened so fast the only thing I remember seeing was the blue front fender, then hearing my helmet slide across the sand wash. I do recall skipping across the ground until I came to a stop, and then I realized I couldn't breath. This the moment I realized that something wasn't quite right. hmmm......Thats not how the pass was supposed to happen...... I did a quick check of my external limbs to make sure they were still functioning, then laid there until the medics came to help me. It took about a half hour before I was able to stand up and gain some stability. I looked back at the bike-stopping rock and noted it was at least 75 feet from where I was now standing; pretty rough landing
So, I unload my gear and drive to the Farmington hospital for a review of what is causing the sever pain in my left side chest. After an MRI and some x-rays, the doc reported to me that my internal organs are ok, but I broke the 4th and 5th rib on my left side. So, they gave me some pain killers and sent me away.
The first week of broken ribs is definitely the worst. After the first week, it gets much easier to deal with.
Unfortunately, the x-rays that I received from the hospital were horrible, so no pics.....
Disclaimer: What you see on these pages are my own experiences and what changes I have performed on my vehicle. Should you choose to attempt these type of changes to your vehicle, I am not responsible for any consequential damages that may result from these type of modifications. I do not encourage any readers to copy these modifications to their own vehicle. Modifying your vehicle can be dangerous to you and anybody else on the roadway. Please take care in what you do with your vehicle.