Gutted!!

[coombest]

:cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

I have just returned from my Hospital out-patients appointment.
They went through my x-rays with me, so I actually saw how bad things were, they explained what the consequences would be and how long things would take to heal.

The ankle was badly fractured on the inside, just by the joint. No damage visible to the outside of the ankle.

The toe (big toe on the right foot) was seriously broken (pretty much shattered to be fair!), again just on the joint, also leaving a nice big chunk of broken bone to sit over the joint.

The right collar bone was quite spectacular. The nurse even went to get another nurse to have a look as it was possibly the worst she'd seen for quite some time! It was snapped completely in half and was about an inch away from the other piece of bone. This was right by the join to the 'wing bone' as the Doctor put it!

The right wrist was broken in several places and had been plated - quite spectacular as well. Several breaks to joints as well. I am going to be left with a 5" scar on the inside of my wrist - it will be visible no matter what clothes I am wearing!

The left wrist (which was not noticed as being a problem in the first instance and was only noticed when I went and sat in A&E for 5 hours) is probably the most serious. There are a couple of breaks and the worst one is the issue here... It has had a "waist" fracture, where it is almost broken clean in two and it is in an awkward position. The problem is the blood supply to it - it may lose t's blood supply when the bone scars over & therefore will die. This will leave it weaker & probably painful too.


They then took the right wrist out of plaster & put a splint on it after checking the post-op wound and put the left wrist in plaster! They also reinforced the plaster on my foot which had started to collapse a little.




They also told me the following...

I will be in plaster for at least another 6 weeks.

It will take at least 6 months before I can contemplate doing anything much again.

They think that I will never ride a bike again due in the most part to the break in my left wrist.

As most of my breaks are on joints, as I get older, I wil most likely be riddled with Arthritis.

They may have to operate on my left wrist and my collar bone if they do not heal sufficiently.

I will probably have some degree of pain from the injuries for the rest of my life.



All in all I'm a bit fed up. It still hasn't sunk in properly yet but I'm sure it will.

[mysteryjimbo]

Awww man..... that sucks.

Best of luck with the recovery, but never give up hope. Doctors give you a possible worst scenario. You'll be on a bike again next year!!

[BaggaZee]

:(
Gutted for you, that's quite a list!
You never know though, people have made suprisingly good recoveries before now.
Hope you join them in surprising the doctors.

Good luck mate.

[Iansv]

Gutted for you mate like I said,

I'd go along with the worst scenario stuff, they usually try to pain the worst possible picture for you so maybe it won't be quite as bad for you.

on a positive note, Chicks dig scars

[Twit]

That is gutting but hang in there! Doc's do give the worst case scenario, been there!!!

A few years back I mashed my ankle playing rugby, sounds similar. I was told by docs to never play again; 4 years later I was playing for combined Australian Universities V N.Zealand Uni's, in front of 10,000 and as a warm up match for a full on super 12 game in Canberra. My ankle hurts a bit but that is it...

Don't give up!!!!

[chutz]

**** mate. I reckon you'll ride again though. Work hard on the physio and prove them wrong. Maybe you should investigate how they missed the worst break in the first place and then didn't plaster it but simply gave you a splint too dude. Personal injury claim now must be huge to compensate for these life changing injuries. :?

[fizzwheel]

gutted

Dont give hope of not riding again you never know..

Lance Armstrong was told he had something like a 2% chance of living after he was diagnosed with cancer and even at best he would never ride a bike again and he's won the Tour de France 6 times ( I think ) since recovering from his cancer

I know it seems hard but try and stay positive and you'll get there

If you want a positive read about dealing with being poorly go and buy his book "its not about the bike" really good read

All the best, hope you recover and get back out on the bike

[Mr Toad]

Chin up Tim

Doc's usually go for the worse case scenario, so you don't sue 'em :wink:

A lot of it is in the mind - a positive mental attitude will carry you through, with a bit of support from your friends, and from a look at the threads on here you won't have much of a problem with that :D

Remember Barry Sheen - how many bones, etc. did he break, yet he got up and carried on

[PoRk ChOp]

coombest - I know it's easy for me to say sitting here, but to be honest I wouldnt worry too much about it mate. I bet your back on a bike quicker than you think. The body is a wonderfull thing and can recover from the most serious of injurys, it just takes a bit of time, let the breaks heal and then concentrate on exercising and moving those joints to try and get as much movement back as possible. I play ice hockey and have lost count of the ammount of broken bits I have had, my wrist and 2 fingers on my right hand have been broken 3 times through fighting on the ice :oops: (I will grow up one day), it WILL heal, just give it time dude 8)

[K]

Yeah, chin up mate. Cos hey, even if that does all come to pass you can still bike - even if your left wrist means your grip won't pull in a clutch comfortably. Mods can be made to allow for it.

From my experience the worst thing that will suffer in the relatively short term is your confidence. Trusting that bad ankle with the weight of a bike for starters - so start back with something short and light that gives you no second thoughts about weight.

Keep on in there and build your confidence back up. As Baggazee says, defy the doctors - I speak from experience here.

6 months into biking and a had a shunt from the side - wrote the bike off and nearly had me paralysed. I know it sounds daft by I vaugely remember jumping from the bike - so he impacted with my leg rather than hip.
All down the left side - Multiple compound fractures to both Tib & Fib (lower leg bones), hairline fractures to my pelvis and upper arm, broke about three ribs. Bones were sticking out of my leg and x-ray's showed large chunks of bone floating about inside.

I was told that I'd be unlikely to walk any great distance unaided, could forget doing any active sports and I'd be crippled with arthritis by the time I was 40.

My surgeon was a genius however, reset my leg five times within the first three weeks (my foot kept twisting in all directions!), no plates or bolts, just a couple of operations to reposition the largest of the floating bits of bone. Plaster up to my hip for 6 months, then another 3 months with a plaster upto my knee with a supporting hinge strapped to my thigh. 18 months in total on crutches - passed my test within 6 months, skiing within 12.

Five years later and the damage to my knee ligaments that went undetected at the time became aparent and I snapped my Anterior Cruciate Ligament. Told that I'd never regain full movement and unlikely that my leg would ever be strong enough to support the weight of a bike. Also cost me my army career.

Same surgeon = ligament replacement, 12 months on crutches and I regained full mobility. Still biking.

OK, so they were right about a couple of things - I sit in the cinema and then leave at the end walking like a cripple for five minutes because my knee is so stiff. Same for biking in the cold, leg stiff and aching, but it wears off in the warm.
Yes it's a bit weaker, but a couple of years on an NC30 built my confidence back up and Iwas throwing it back round left hand bends like the old days.

Moral of the story, Doctors are doomsayers, but it's only a warning of the worst. Keep confident, be bloody minded and don't be beaten.

And remember, chicks dig scars! :lol:

[BillyC]

Mate,

relax, don't dwell on it, he's not a fortune teller. Concentrate on healing, and taking little steps to getting your limbs back and working again. One step at a time.

When you know what level you can attain, then you can see what work needs to be done to get to the next level, and so on.

Eat and drink healthily and constructively, and think positively.

I'm sure that we will all be here to encourage you and help you progress. You and Ian did the same for me when I was squashed, it's not going to be a problem doing the same in return.

[jonboy]

Jesus, Tim that's just awful. I'm so really sorry and wish I could do something to help (but obviously not).

If you want to ride a bike again and have sufficient will power (or foolishness like the rest of us :lol: ) then I'm sure you can do it.

May the god of healing smile on you.


.

[lynw]

damn not good news but dont give up hope....

as the others have said they usually give the worse case scenario....

and there are lots of inspirational people out there... the ones I think of are the guys NABD have helped... amazingly motivating stuff.... guys whove lost limbs rigging up bikes so they can do track days....

if the doctors dont ride they dont know if you'll ever ride again... the others are right its down to your attitude... if you want it enough you'll do it...

you may find you have to change the bike you ride to avoid stressing the injury and avoiding the pain (ie go to a harley riding position rather than a sports one) but being on a bikes better than not IMHO.

[Cloggsy]

Chin up mate... Don't dwell on it & see how you feel when you're right again :wink: :thumbsup:

[Ed]

Aw Tim, you must be so p*ssed off. But as peeps say, they give you the worst case. Easy for me - and everyone else - to sit here and say, I know. There were times when I wondered if I'd run again - but I can. You mustn't think 'I can't, or 'I won't' - never but never accept defeat. It's amazing what a good physio can do to strengthen and improve movement. Don't give up now, Tim. I know that you have the guts and determination to see this through.

[Amanda M]

Gutted for you :(

[rictus01]

Tim, par for the course mate, I've been told six times "you'll never ride again" by the quack’s,and even told "you may not walk again", but hey, I don't do to bad these days.

If you want to ride, very little will stop you, and to be honest, the pains from injuries are more along the lines of annoyance rather than anything else after a few years.

Cheers Mark.

[MavUK]

Sorry about the news, but as others have said keep positive and fingers crossed you'll get back onto a bike (if you want).

All the best

Stu

[Anonymous]

sorry to hear that tim, but hey look on the bright side your ****e on a bike anyway :lol:







only joking hun, just keep exercising that wrist, you'll be back in no time.

[embee]

Hey Tim,
who knows best then, one tired overworked doc or 45 been-there-done-that-wear-the-T-shirt SVers? Listen to the masses, we'll get you there! :lol:

....and yes, the Lance Armstrong books are very uplifting (not really literary masterpieces, but give them a read and it'll pick you up).
One very amusing bit where Lance an George Hincapie (I think) are sharing a room, George is in the bathroom having a shave and shouts out "Goddam, I've done it again!"
Lance runs in and asks what he's done.
"Just made myself look beautiful!" :lol:

The other saying that Lance has, when everything's going just right, is "no chain" (as in that's what pedalling the bike feels like).

No chain, Tim, no chain! :wink:

[ArtyLady]

Tim - everybody else is so right the doctors always give the worse case scenario - its mind over matter - I was paralysed after a brain haemmorhage - I couldnt walk, couldnt paint (my living), couldnt wash myself, let alone ride a bike thought my world had ended, - 4 months later I was completely recovered and back on the bike! The ability of the human body to heal itself is amazing and the brain is even more amazing if you are positive and determined! (well mine was after having completely let me down!! :roll: :wink:)

ps I luv scars :wink: :lol:

[coombest]

Thanks for all the support guys & gals.

I'm not as disheartened as I sounded really - at least not any more!
It was just a bit of a shock and very disappointing, that's all.

It doesn't help when the last few weeks haven't exactly been great any way... I've been dumped twice (by the same girl!), not been paid by work on time (incurring loads of charges & probably bad credit) and my main TV's broken too! When you add that little lot to everything else, I think understandably I felt a bit low!

I am not normally the type to lay down & take what I'm told!
as pretty much anyone who's met me will realise, I'm a stubborn git & I'm a fighter...

Hell, it was only a year and a bit ago that I was in hospital for 4 1/2 weeks with suspected Multiple Sclerosis. I lost the use of all four limbs and had to learn to walk again. I was told it would take me well over a month to be able to even walk in any sense again... I was up & about in about a week and a half. It bloody well hurt & was flippin' hard work but I did it - in a quarter of what they reckoned it would take.
Now my Neurologist thinks it's not MS & has at last taken some positive steps & has recently sent my records to a professor at Guy's hospital in London (he's the UK's top MS Neurologist, aparrently) for his opinion. I am still waiting for the results! :evil:


I have always been fit & healthy before this and had never even broken a bone, had an operation or been involved in a serious accident... I haven't even had a filling!! :shock:
It would appear that I don't do things by halves!! :?

I just hope nothing else goes wrong with me or anything crappy happens in my life - I don't know how I'd deal with that right now! :(

[ArtyLady]

I am not normally the type to lay down & take what I'm told!
as pretty much anyone who's met me will realise, I'm a stubborn git & I'm a fighter...

:(

Thats the spirit Tim :D :wink:

[splke]

I am sickened for you Tim :( :( :(

Nothing we say is gonna make you feel better but i am thinking of you mate :(

[lynw]

I just hope nothing else goes wrong with me or anything crappy happens in my life - I don't know how I'd deal with that right now! :(

just post on here - everyone will do what they can to help even if its just a message of support... sometimes it helps just to know you got people wishing you the best x

[Scoobs]

What they all said. :(

Prove all those Docs wrong though fella!

Good luck

Scoobs

[bluebell]

Sorry to hear this, wishing you all the best in your recovery.

[BURNER]

Positive thought and good grub is what you need mate. Bloody medicos are always making sure you never see a silver lining.
I bust my collarbone a few years back, in 2 places plated twice and eventually got a bone graft from the hip to sort it. Broke it once after that crashing my old GS425 hardtail chop.... You'll be back :wink:

[Vicky]

Tim - not signed on for a very long time and first thing I saw was the pics of your bike - couldn't quite believe my eyes - you loved it and the pipe so much - and last time I saw you was in my mirror on the way back from Wales :lol: Just want to wish you a speedy recovery, you're obviously a fighter but remember to take it easy at times!

[454697819]

Hey mate,

Really sorry bout the quacks news,
well done for being a fighter and stick a prop under your chin!

The only advice i can possibly offer, is to drink milk! yep, Milk, and lots of it, were always told as children drink milk as it will help ur bones, and im a strong believer that it was a key factor in healing my nastily busted thumb after a martial arts injury (ok ok, i was play fighting with my brother).

But it healed in 50% of the normal time aparently.

All the best and keep dreaming of ur daytona, u will get it one day.

Alex

[huge]

Commiserations mate and positive healing vibes

Reckon you are a toughie...

Hope to see you on a ride out soon

[northwind]

Won't ride again because of the wrist? Mate, there are people with missing arms riding bikes... There was a great article in one of the magazines last month on the subject, a one armed racer and one-legged commuter. It takes real skill and work, and obviously a modified bike, but it's been done.

I sometimes think doctors like to do what they call "underpromising and overdelivering"- you say "We'll have that to you in 10 days" even though you know it should be 4, because that way the customer thinks you've done really well to get it there in 4. If you tell them 4 days, they'll be getting bad-tempered on the 3rd.

Likewise, if they tell you you'll never ride again then you do, you'll feel much better! Of course, it might also make you so down that you don't ever try, and that'd be a real tragedy.

The doctor that fixed my right hand up told me I'd be lucky to get any use of 2 of my fingers, literally a month later they were almost fine and I could play guitar again. Still terrible at it, but now I have an excuse!

[Anonymous]

Hello my children

Bertie hates to see a young man so unhappy so I have some good news for you. The spirits have told Bertie that you will indeed ride again, and hard and sweaty riding it will be too. Before Bertie forgets though a question of you is required. Do you have any close male friends my child ? Bertie forsees a beautiful coming together for you young Tim and Bertie is never wrong !!!

Bertie!!!

[coombest]

Hello my children

Bertie hates to see a young man so unhappy so I have some good news for you. The spirits have told Bertie that you will indeed ride again, and hard and sweaty riding it will be too. Before Bertie forgets though a question of you is required. Do you have any close male friends my child ? Bertie forsees a beautiful coming together for you young Tim and Bertie is never wrong !!!

Bertie!!!

Errr....

Well, I suppose yes, I do... Ian (chutz).

But I really hope you don't mean what I think you mean!!

He's far too shiny up top for my liking!!!

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Anonymous]

No Tim, I know of Chutz and he prefers to spanks the female flesh...someone else perhaps...someone you're not telling us of yet ?

Bertie

[coombest]

No Tim, I know of Chutz and he prefers to spanks the female flesh...someone else perhaps...someone you're not telling us of yet ?

Bertie

No no no...

I also drink solely from the furry cup, so to speak.

Perhaps it is one of my many lady friends you are seeing in the spirits, Berite?
I do have some lady friends who do look a little like men from a distance.
The odd one or two also like indulge in the pleasures of that same furry cup!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Iansv]

do you have any pictures of these women you speak of ? :lol: :?

[chutz]

do you have any pictures of these women you speak of ? :lol: :?

I was thinking the same thing.

And whilst we're on , Bertie, how do you know what I like ? Oh, mystic right ?

Well at least you got that one right dude. I need a few more spirits myself now.

Tim, pictures....I've seen a few of your furry friends but always have time for more :lol:

[coombest]

do you have any pictures of these women you speak of ? :lol: :?

:evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:


No, unfortunately not - well they aren't the most easy on the eye dykes!!

[Sudoxe]

Tim, pictures....I've seen a few of your furry friends but always have time for more :lol:

I think we've all seen the pictures of tims "furry friends" and would rather not see more.

[coombest]

Tim, pictures....I've seen a few of your furry friends but always have time for more :lol:

I think we've all seen the pictures of tims "furry friends" and would rather not see more.

:oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Iansv]

I for one never looked at the picture and never will

[Mike1234]

They think that I will never ride a bike again due in the most part to the break in my left wrist.

What do they know? Absolutely nothing about motorbikes and probably only slightly more about medicine in some cases! I've known more about some of my injuries than some of the medical staff I have seen over the years.

Since I started racing back in 2001 I've managed to do the following to myself:

Shattered right wrist (large plate and 8 screws)
Broken collar bone (3 times)
Broken tibia (1 very long screw and other fixator pins)
Broken fibula
Fractured L5 vertebra (twice)
Fractured scaphoid (twice)
Broken big toe
Broken ribs (assorted)
Broken metatarsal (right hand)

Plus assorted nerve and ligaments damage, including destroying my Posterior Cruciate Ligament.

There are some very good doctors out there. Try and find them by word of mouth. The woman that did my wrist and the guy that did my tibia were fantastic. The guy who initially dealt with my back was appalling. They aren't all the same.

Even better is to go and see someone who has seen it all before and usually a lot worse than you have it. Not being unkind about your injuries (which I wouldn't wish on anyone) but have a chat with Brian Simpson. He's a physiotherapist in Ipswich and is known as the 'Bone Welder' to the bike racing community.

Brian has probably done more to get me back on a bike after all my injuries than anyone else. His treatment is superb and he knows exactly what works and what doesn't as he's seen it all before. He does a combination of laser and electromagnet treatment which has astounded the doctors that have been treating me with the speed of recovery.

You can get hold of him on 01473 - 215 905 or go to see him at Saunders Business Centre, 110A Victoria Street, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP1 2JX. It's quite a journey but the last time I was there I met John Hopkins (MotoGP rider in the waiting room) and he has treated Niall Mackenzie, Neil Hodgson, John Reynolds and lots of other famous names.

Good luck and don't give up.

Mike

[Anonymous]

hello my children
Bertie always finds that there is nothing more effective at knitting mended bones than to watch some ladies drinking from the cup...all that glorious wetness helps to make things bond and stick together in a most surprising way indeed. Bertie likes to watch ladies very much indeed....Bertie!!!

[gman]

Stick with it and you'll get though. I'm nearly recovered from an accident in the begining of October and I walking and have just started to think about the bike again. Those first few weeks are a fecker but loads of DVDs will get you through.

Good luck!

G