[befree]

Well, it finally happened. After 10 on-an-off years of riding I got seriously hurt. Guess I was due, according to the old adage “there are riders who’ve gone down and rider who haven’t – yet.” I was MXing Thursday night and my rear wheel was apparently collected by another rider, pitching me hard to the dirt in a third-gear fast-sweeping corner.

I attribute the fact that I am not hurt much much worse to my guardian angels and my EVS neck brace. I took the full force of the blow on the point of my left shoulder. I can remember the dirt coming up to greet my face thinking this one’s gonna hurt bad. I immediately sat up and grabbed my shoulder and told the corner worker I was certain I broke my collar bone bad. I passed out trying to walk back to the pits, so they carted me off on the stretcher and called the ambulance.

So it turns out my collar bone is NOT BROKE! I had massive pain even tho the ambulance guys gave me 4 hits of pain drugs on the way. Once at the hospital, they discovered my shoulder was dislocated, causing most of my agonizing pain. Also, the top of my humurus wash split into 4 major pieces which will be getting pinned and plated on Monday. They put me out enough to get my shoulder back in which relieved a lot of the pain, and admitted me to have a crappy night’s sleep in the hospital.

I can’t believe the force of the crash broke that bone so bad and dislocated the shoulder without breaking my collarbone. My plastic chest protector was shattered into several pieces and the neck brace had a ding in the plastic frame from where my helmet rim bashed it hard. The helmet has damage there also. If I hadn’t had the brace, that would have ben my collarbone. I had knee and elbow pads on too, and the left elbow was scarfed so hard it bled from the contusion.

So I’m stiff and sore all over and have my left arm in a sling waiting for surgery. The bike is packed with dirt into all kinds of nooks and crannies and the bar is bent from hitting the dirt and my thigh. I have 90 little happy pills callimg my name and am headed out to lala land for now. I’ll see if I can post a pic or two later.

Protection up, everybody!! It really works!! Guardian angels don't hurt either.

[Asmith]

Damn Barb!!!

You really did it up...Glad it wasn't worse. Good luck with the surgery.

Tell them you want the good "Grade 8" hardware...not the cheap Korean galvanized stuff...

[krisrtch]

heal up quick!!! Tell them you want the titanium!!!! Good stuff.

[JAWS]

OMG Barb. You are one tough cookie. 3rd gear sweeper and slammed. I would still be laying there. I separated my shoulder, which hurt like hell, but dislocating is supposed to be much worse. Take good care, do your rehab and get more gear!
Joe

[acjjkamp]

Damn, best wishes to a speedy recovery

[taylorrep]

Barb,
Get to feeling better soon, sounds like a cool scar for show and tell !


Daniel

[RiDiNGCRF]

Yikes! Get well soon!!!!

[124]

Get well soon! Keep us updated...

[mikey526]

I hope you get well soon as well! But are you sure your glad it wasn't a collar bone? It sounds like that would have been a lot quicker!

But I understand your point on the protective gear, I feel naked if I ride without my Leatt (wait, I haven't done that as long as I've owned the thing... ). I think it is silly to ride with out some neck protection unless you feel your ability to walk is worth less than $375 or $175 for the Leatt/ EVS respectably.

Go get a neck brace everyone if you don't already have one!

[befree]

Home for a 2nd time. Damn, the surgery hurt as bad as the dislocation. End result is I have 1 Swiss Steel plate, 7 screws and some mesh holding things together. Doc said steel was stronger than titanium for a big bone like this. Rotator cuff was not torn it stayed attached to the piece of bone that broke, so healing up and getting range of motion back should go faster.

I understand what your saying Mikey, but with the force of the impact, I'm pretty certain it would have been a collarbone, the ribs underneath it and a bleeding lung. So healing up from the humorus surgery I think is maybe better at least thats what i'm telling myself. The doc had xrays to give me but I forgot to get them before i left the hospital. I'll see if i can post them without getting sqeamish, ugh
thanks everyone,
barb

[mikey526]

Oh yeah, I see what your saying.. I didn't think of that. Well you should be riding again in no time.

[nminus1]

I heard a rumor that pain pills and beer speed healing. Synergy they say.....

[befree]

Mmmm, a cold one... I'm so loopy all the time right now they locked up the fridge on me, ha!

My one piece of good news: at therapy today, we actually got my bicep to fire for the first time. It's been paralyzed up to now, so getting it to work, even just a little bit, was a big relief. The therapist has been really gentle so far, but I get the impression that she will be pushing harder once the stiches are healed. But I've been doing what they told me, and I got 10 more degrees range of motion in the shoulder than last visit, so I'm earning a Bunch of cold ones when the time is right!

[Asmith]

I heard a rumor that pain pills and beer speed healing. Synergy they say.....

No doubt a rumor started by Turner...

[bocephus450x]

Has Turner steered us wrong before???

of course not....bring on the synergy!!!