Rider down!

[Wildkat]

Wash most of myself.

That's a heck of a way to get a...
nevermind...

And even type two handed as I write this.

Pretty good considering you were only using two fingers before... Can you play the piano now too?
lol


SOOOOOO glad you are back!!!

[DGXSER]

First of all, THANK YOU!!!!!! can not be said enough for all the great wishes and thoughts, prayers, vibes, and all. They mean more to me than you can know. Doug brought a copy of the thread to me while in hospital and it was AWESOME and Motivating to read all the great thoughts from all the wonderful people here!!!

Now to the story, well, it was bright warm day, and I was cruising down the road, Now, to make this even more ominous and interesting, I had just stopped at MC parts and bone yard to buy some fuel tank emblems for Banshee, when I left I forgot to put my side stand up and this was one of those times it did not simply spring up when it hit the road, so it threw me a little and I got my foot down to put it up in time not to run off the right side of the road. So I was driving a little slow anyway after that heart stopper, the road started getting crappy as in lots of black top patches and the road was wavy so slowed a bit, Came up on the corner and saw the gravel so I stood it up and tried to stop enough to slowly turn. Well, the bike ran out of blacktop first. I saw the drop off coming from the blacktop to the gravel of about 10" with the guardrail about 1' from the blacktop and thought " this is going to end badly". Then I recall feeling the wheels drop off the blacktop and the bike wiggling and thinking " This is going to hurt". Well , Turns out I was right on both accounts.

Next thing I recall, I was laying in a dirt grass area below a fallen tree section. Did not feel any pain except in the middle of my right half back which was killing me. Took my helmet off, got my cell phone out of my pocket and tried to call 911, and Doug was on the line. (WTF...) Talked to Doug, hung up, called 911, someone came down the hill and took the phone and talked to 911 for me. Told me to lay still. He was saying I had a compound fracture of the tib-and fib. Mentioned multiple ribs and a Flail chest, and a busted collarbone. So, after a few minutes the party started and I heard chainsaws cutting crap down so they could get me out, put me on a backboard, loaded me into the basket and 6-8 guys carried me out. The entire time, all I could do was breath and moan when I breathed out. I apologized for moaning so much but they all said they understood. They also took out the scissors and cut off everything I was wearing, my nice jeans and everything. Guess that is what I get for moaning like a baby. BTW, not a scratch on any clothing or my helmet, save the face shield, which has a scratch or crack in it.

Next was the helicopter ride to the hospital, they warned me it would be loud, but all I knew was that I was hurting and they would soon make it stop. So I did not get to see the sky or anything, I recall landing at the hospital. Then they ran me through one test after another, and I just kept telling them it was cool cause I knew when they were done testing they were going to operate and that meant I got to go under and no more pain. Turns out I had the compound breaks of the tib and fib on the right leg, broken right collar bone (multiple pieces), fractures ribs 2-10 in the posterior right side, and 2-8 of the front right side.

Sooo, I recall waking up in the ICU and my family there with me. I have a SWMBO, a 16 yo Daughter and a 13 yo Son. They all were there along with my mom and sister. It was nice to see them, nut they kept me on happy juice so it was more sleep than anything.

Stayed in the ICU due to the Flail Chest, Hemo-thorax ( which I learned means there was blood between the lining of my lungs an the lungs), and the bruising on my lungs until Sunday I think. Doug popped in on me while in ICU IIRC, and I had the happy button working. Nothing hurt much except to roll on my side, that was like someone took multiple knives into my right back. Soo, lots of fun was had through the days. All I will say it is an awakening experience when you finally can look down find you have black and blue and swollen EVERYTHING” down below!!! Soooooo….. Released from hospital on St Patties day to go to a rehab center. The rehab center found a MUCH better way to control the pain. So, I have been able to work and move around well. So as of today, I can get up out of bed and stand on one leg, pivot to a potty chair, or wheel chair or other chair. So I can, with the help of some simple but cool devices, dress myself except getting pant leg over the “BOOT” on my right leg. Wash most of myself. And even type two handed as I write this. I am about to be transferred to a nursing unit floor instead of rehab and will go home most likely Saturday!!!! It is astounding the things you have to relearn to do when you cannot bear weight on your right leg or right arm!!! That will be about 5-6 weeks till I can, and then I have to learn how to walk on that leg again.

As to the bike, Well, I still have the bolt on the frame of Banshee to get welded and sell that one. Then I will evaluate Thunderstruck. From the pics Doug posted and printed for me, I created a list of parts, we will look at cost of them and see if it is worth fixing or just parting it out. I hate the thought of parting it though. I prefer to fix it up.

While I plan to remain an active member here and to remain good friends with all the amazing people I have met and got to know, my riding days are definitely done for a while. Nothing quite so sobering as discussing with your kids how they thought you had died, or seeing the x-ray of your leg with more metal than man in it. That and I will not even be walking good for about 6 months is the current guess.

So hopefully I can reassemble Thunderstruck and not take to bad of a loss selling her to a member here hopefully, or other as the case may be. I am deeply thankful for all the offers on parts and everything else. Again, it is uplifting and very appreciated to be thought of by all the great folks here!!!

With deepest appreciation and thanks,
Don…aka DGXSER.

[BigDick]

Hi DGXSER,
get well soon. FWIW my best wishes are with you. Hopefully the bike gets fixed soon too.
Other posts hint that the bike's frame could be warped to the extent that the handling is compromised.
If the frame is FUBAR and if a titled replacement frame cannot be found, there is another option:-
Hang a sidecar on it. Sidecars don't care about warped frames, they handle funny anyway.
And as you don't have to put your feet down when you stop,
you can ride with your leg in a cast and carry your crutches in the sidecar. And part up front at the supermarket.

Hey Fred, Maybe we should get the mods to change your title from xs-xj super guru to Official XS-XJ Sidecar Scholar. I think it may be a bit more appropriate.

[DenyP]

Exhaust

Hardest part about the rebuild will be an exhaust..


Tod

I have a 4 into 1 header I just bought off ebay I will donate if wanted/needed. It's not platted but seems solid enough. I planned to sand it down and paint it. I bought it for the Timemachine, but my pipes are fine.

Deny

[fredintoon]

Back on theme. With a commercial.

Hi DGXSER,
get well soon. FWIW my best wishes are with you. Hopefully the bike gets fixed soon too.
Other posts hint that the bike's frame could be warped to the extent that the handling is compromised.
If the frame is FUBAR and if a titled replacement frame cannot be found, there is another option:-
Hang a sidecar on it. Sidecars don't care about warped frames, they handle funny anyway.
And as you don't have to put your feet down when you stop,
you can ride with your leg in a cast and carry your crutches in the sidecar. And part up front at the supermarket.

[fredintoon]

Well, you could be right. While I was down with broken hips and back, I got to do bicep curls with a 3 ounce weight. Wouldn't want to start to fast on that. I wanted to do the swimming pool, but they were afraid if I did I might drown. I guess they didn't realize fat guys float face up?

Hi Ivan,
a 3 ounce weight? The cruel bastards. When you coulda handled an 8 ounce can?
Being a fat guy myself, I know they float equally well face down. They'd have had to bring in a porpoise handler to turn you over.

[Ivan]

Well, you could be right. While I was down with broken hips and back, I got to do bicep curls with a 3 ounce weight. Wouldn't want to start to fast on that. I wanted to do the swimming pool, but they were afraid if I did I might drown. I guess they didn't realize fat guys float face up?

[fredintoon]

- - - Rehab is a flat bi**h too. I wanted to move around and do something, but had to be constrained to doing exercizes that frail old ladies did, since it was "Group Therapy". - - -

Hi Ivan,
will the auto-censor strike out "bitch"? Let's see.
If so, "right swine" would work there.
However, the average frail old lady is tougher than boot leather. Perhaps those highly trained physiotherapists firstly knew better than you how quickly it was safe for you to rehab and secondly were holding the old ladies back to your level?

[Ivan]

the day they took the button away was the start of a very long and painful day. I hate to say it, but that is not the best time of recovery. One thing I learned real quick was to ask for pain killers every time you see someone in scrubs. They will get complacent to you and not bring them in time and its good to have a stache of them just incase you have to go 15 hours with out them.

Rehab is a flat bi**h too. I wanted to move around and do something, but had to be constrained to doing exercizes that frail old ladies did, since it was "Group Therapy".

I wish you the best bud, and I am there with you, for sure.

[egleaves]

Don, sorry to hear about your mishap. I'm especially sorry it took so long for me to find out about it.

I've been off of the board for awhile and just checked in today, only to find out that you went down and so did Carl's house!

Terrible news, just terrible.

I'm glad you're still with us, I want to hear the whole story from you sometime.

Get well soon.

[dbeardslee]

Update

I talked to Don yesterday. He said they're moving him out of the hospital, and over to a rehab facility. He must be feeling better 'cause they took his magic button away.

[trbig]

Hardest part about the rebuild will be an exhaust..


Tod

[Cobia]

Lucky guy!!

WTF!! you may be thinking.....
It looks as if he hit one of the solid metal guardrails, and lucky he is for that. Had he impacted one of those stretched cable types, we may be mourning him instead.
I wrote the AMA with my concerns about these human-size cheese slicers and their PR dept. just said they were escalating it to their lobby group for a reply. Never heard back from them.

[oseaghdha]

That's nasty

Pictures look like he tumbled that thing pretty hard, not just a slider.
It will need a thorough going over, frame wise.
Probably make more sen$e to strip it and build another one. Either way, you'll need a donorcycle.

[jwhughes3]

Don sorry to hear about your mishap...

But glad you are around to share the tale.

Thanks Doug for the updates and pics. Sobering thoughts...


John in San Antonio