Another one to bin it after binning it....

[Ping]

I've got a mate, he'd been riding since we were at secondary school (I'm 33 now), I've ridden pillion with him on many occasions and out as a fellow biker with him after taking my test. I got a txt from his x girlfriend about 3 days after his accident telling me he'd been in an accident on his bike and was in hospital. This was a couple of weeks ago now but I didn't feel posting about it would get much more than the holier than thou crew asking what went wrong.

I phoned her up and found out what hospital and what ward and went to visit him. Around 4 -6 cracked vertebrae, a broken rib, a slash from one side of his left knee, round to the opposite side which couldn't initially be operated on due to the swelling on his brain. He had only just come off the oxygen on the morning I had visited him.

He remembers nothing about the accident or about any of the events leading up to it. He's awaiting the police report on what happened to find out... This has spooked him so much (he's also had previous big accidents) that he's giving up biking. :(

It's a great loss as he was a confident ride leader and although I know he's still around to chat to, it's a different kettle of fish if we can't go out together. I can't blame him for his choice, but he was the most patient bloke I've ever gone out with.

I'll miss you on the road dude. I so want to show you how much I've improved. I kinda feel like if we'd gone out as planned the day before your accident, maybe you wouldn't have been out at the time your accident happened...

Shoulda, coulda, woulda...

Although, as the silver lining, he's back with his x girlfriend now. His accident made them both see what was important. :D

[Peter Henry]

Hope all works out for your pal Ping. :? 8)

[Fizzy Fish]

sorry to hear about your mate, hope he makes a good recovery

[keithd]

he may have made a snap decision and one day change his mind, he may stick to his choice. but you never know ping, he may be back someday.

good luck to him, hope he makes a speedy and full recovery.

keith

[Viney]

Now that sounds painful.

Hope he heels fast.

[K]

If the not knowing is what has spooked him more than the actual injuries - I can truely sympathise.

Give it time.

To this day I cannot recall my 'big bad', only the calm approach to the junction - then laying in the road, looking at my rucksack and answering questions as to whether that was all my stuff.
Nothing in between - and yet I've been told that I had no head trauma and never blacked out. Yet I start to get queasy if I concentrate too much on trying to remember the chain of events.

Some people (including medical professionals) have suggested hypnotheraphy to try to recover lost memories - I've declined. In my heart I would like to know - it's scary having a hole like that in your life, but I quickly realised that I think my head simply knows best and is overrulling my heart.
It doesn't want me to deal with that pain, I can manage well enough without it, so it's simply taken it away for me.

In the long run, I thank my head. Fear may keep me alive, but ignorance is what keeps me riding. :?

I guess what I'm trying to say, well, what I did say, give it time. If such a thing alters his perspectives on what is important in his life, all well and good, but don't be afraid of not knowing something.
Sometimes ignorance really is bliss, and if he can become comfortable with that, maybe he'll find his way back onto a bike.

He sounds too good to lose, so from someone else with a similar hole in thier lives, here's hoping all the best for him - both now and in the future.

[fizzwheel]

Ouch that sounds nasty. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

[jonboy]

Sorry to hear this Ping, I think most bikers "quit" after a big off, I know BigApe did (he told me from the hospital bed) but look at him now*. I also suspect Rictus had iffy thoughts when his toe went walkies. I certainly considered it after my very modest throwing the bike down the road incident 14 months ago.

But after injuries start to heal and the sun comes out thoughts about biking will always return, and a fair proportion of the given-uppers get back on their bike again to ride another day.

Wish him well from us though ;).



* Not completely advisable :lol:.


.

[rictus01]

Been there, three cracked cervical vertebrae, punctured lung, cracked ribs, it'll take sometime until he's back on his feet, not nice. hope he makes a speedy recovery.

I was just thinking, I've had mates go through the "I'm giving up" bit and it's true a lot of them do turn it around, but the ones that don't, well the sadness is, no matter the good intentions they just seem to fade from your life, still friends, but just don't see them as often, until you don't see them at all :oops: , a reflextion more on me perhaps? (think I'll make a couple of phone calls this evening).

Oh and Greg, no matter what, I've never felt like giving up biking, I've had to face the prospect of not being able to ride on a few occasions, the realist in me understands the day will come either through injury or age, but I don't think I'll ever stop wanting to, mind you when the day does come, I can always get a Harley or Beemer :wink:

Cheers Mark.

[GSXR Carlos]

The main thing is he gets better, riding is a luxury, he shouldn't worry about it just yet

Hope he heals well :)

[Stig]

I don't recall mine either. Guess it's just the brain saying "you really don't want to know about this" and shuts off.

To this day I still have no recollection of the incident itself. I remember the split second it started to go wrong and that's about it. Fine by me. With the injuries that I received, I'm rather glad that I don't remember.

It's also true that I gave up biking. At least I gave up until I was physically able to ride again. Have to say though, it was circumstance that got me back on the bike rather than a want. Had a broken bike and a broken car. The bike was cheaper to fix. :roll: :roll:

Happy that I didn't give up though. :D

All the best for your friend. He'll recover soon enough and then he can think about if he is or is not going to continue riding.

[medwaysv]

all the best to your mate for a speedy recovery

[pegasus]

good luck