Down I go

[Wilkinson4]

Well, 30 years of riding and a few crashes but no broke bones till now. Riding on a path, lady has a couple dogs. she is on the left side of the trail, cant see any dogs until I see a riding partner hit the leashes that are 3 feet high across the path. oh crap... Dogs to the right, he goes through and leashes, ripped out of her hand and they snap back. I react, choose wrong and go over.

Broke collar bone, concussed, cervical sprain, back sprain. Helmet cracked... Hit head on top right, then crashed on top of right shoulder and snap. I rolled on my back. Feel really beat up right now. The break looks clean but at least an 1" apart. So, I have never broke a bone and never had surgery. I know I was real lucky here.

What can I expect? Can I ride a trainer at least in the next week or so?

mIKE

[jr59]

This has been a tough week here for some of us on the paceline.

Heal quickly and well!

[biker72]

I've only had a separated shoulder with no surgery required. I was on a trainer the day after the accident. It took me a while before I could lift much weight however.

The "being run over by a train" feeling will last a few days....:)

[gemship]

So sorry to hear of this. Every time I read about a broken collar bones and cycling it really makes me cringe. Like you I have never officially broken a bone in my body and never need the related surgery. So I really have no good advice.

However slightly OT I gave myself a umbilical hernia lifting a lawnmower in and out of my truck. I think I used bad form when I lifted it out but never felt any instant pain, just a bad stomach ache the next day with a little lump at my belly button and the stomach ache lasted with cramps for a couple weeks after that eventful day. So fast forward to last Wed. I had surgery and now I am in recovery. Really shouldn't cycle for at least a few more days maybe a week because oddly enough the road vibes and posture are just enough to aggravate it. Something you may be interested in though... the Surgeon prescribed to me painkillers that in my case I really don't need. Vicodin to be exact.

So I see surgery, taking it easy and a whole lot of painkillers in your future. I personally thing the 600mg of Ibuprfen do the job better than the 5/325 of Vicodine which is a narcotic that some people seem to enjoy recreationally do to it's side effects and it can be addictive. Sorry for all that OT stuff but I do find this subject of painkillers of new found interest. I now understand why there is a black market for the stuff. Dealing with pain is a funny subjective thing, personally I guess I am kind of used to it or my tolerance is high as I no real use for the painkillers prescribed to me.

My best advice is to take it easy and listen to the doctor for timetables as to when to begin any physical activity. No need to mess up the healing process but it does suck to have to give up a cycling season for a nuisance injury especially when the weather is really great.

[eddief]

and I hope you mend as quickly as possible. and i really have ZERO respect or caring for the people who walk their dogs and endanger us...and the dogs. is there a legal aspect to this story or are you just lovin your brother? maybe if you and your friend don't seek recourse, maybe the dogs will sue the owner for negligence.

[rodcad]

Major bummer Mike. Which bike were you on and how'd it fare?

[Wilkinson4]

and I hope you mend as quickly as possible. and i really have ZERO respect or caring for the people who walk their dogs and endanger us...and the dogs. is their a legal aspect to this story or are you just lovin your brother?

she was gone. hung around a bit but honestly I never thought about it or if my bike was ok. just pain.

Ended up riding 16 or so miles back to car. wasn't really evident until later that I probably fractured it.

mIKE

[Louis]

Bummer Mike - heal fast.

As I've said before, multi-use bike paths can be just as dangerous as the road, if not more so. You're probably less likely to have a super-serious accident, but per mile, I bet the number of incidents is higher.

Stay active if you can.

Louis

[FlashUNC]

Have the docs said surgery is in the cards?

I'd say take it easy for a bit and follow doc's orders. I was back on my trainer within a month of breaking my elbow, and back on the road in six weeks. But it took several months before I was anywhere back close to normal.

Body's definitely going to need time to heal.

[fuzzalow]

I had my first serious wreck approx. 7 weeks ago - broken scapula. I managed a bit more height and air time so I rotated far enough to miss the shoulder area and took the entire hit on the shoulder blade. So I just went through a version of what you have now.

Can you ride very soon afterwards? Well it depends.

You will now find out how and where you use your arms and upper body in powering or stabilizing your pedal stroke. I am not sure how much you should stress or weight the shoulder joint if the movement or load tweaks a clavicle bone while it is healing. Of course you can sit on a trainer bolt upright and pedal but that will be for your sanity and not for your FTP. Trying to ride too early & too soon when the shoulder is still tender will have you protecting the shoulder which will mess with your stroke and your setup.

For me, it was a mistake to rush back too soon, it just wasn't anywhere near a normal balance and stroke. It made me feel better that I was "back in the saddle" but it was more psychic balm than saving my form/fitness and the feel on the bike was hobbled and graceless.

[Bruce K]

Wow

Not a good weekend

Heal quickly and follow the MD's instructions

BK

[AngryScientist]

the only real bike wrech i've ever been in was on a MUP, out in cape cod, on a rented bike. sucked.

heal up quick, we're pulling for you.

i would avoid bike until the doc says it's OK, even the trainer if you had a concussion, dont take any chances at this stage IMO.

[chuckred]

and I hope you mend as quickly as possible. and i really have ZERO respect or caring for the people who walk their dogs and endanger us...and the dogs. is there a legal aspect to this story or are you just lovin your brother? maybe if you and your friend don't seek recourse, maybe the dogs will sue the owner for negligence.


First, best wishes to Wilkinson for a speedy recovery!

But, Eddie, come on... Be realistic here.

Unless it was a bike only path, you have to expect people to be out walking their dogs.... And sorry to say, but you have to ride at a speed that you can safely react without disaster. She probably could have sued the cyclists if she or the dogs had been injured?

Just 'cause we're cyclists doesn't make us holier than everybody else.

[jpw]

get an MRI

[verticaldoug]

and I hope you mend as quickly as possible. and i really have ZERO respect or caring for the people who walk their dogs and endanger us...and the dogs. is there a legal aspect to this story or are you just lovin your brother? maybe if you and your friend don't seek recourse, maybe the dogs will sue the owner for negligence.


Wilk, sorry for your crash and hope you mend.

EddieF, I think you are wrong here. The cyclist were over taking the woman walking. The dogs were on leash. (Although, letting leash across the trail is very stupid) The cyclist should call out to let her know they are over taking her. It may have prevented the accident. (I know, a lot of people wear earphones and are oblivious) It really takes two to tango and a moment of inattentiveness can be painful. I've been in both camps- downed by dog on my bike, run over by cyclist. Sometimes, cyclist need to slow down and share the road/path too.

[gomango]

Sorry to hear about this accident, as well as the stressful situation at Bruce's home.

I ended up with two cracked ribs and a laundry list of additional issues when I went down on the bike last year.

Took me six weeks to ride again and never regained condition last year.

This year though, things are back to normal.

I hope you have a very speedy and complete recovery.

Hang in there guys!

[Wilkinson4]

It was one of those things, paths can be dangerous and I hate when people put their dogs at risk.

We were going under and overpass, she was on the left side chasing a couple of kids up the embankment. Did see the leashes across the path until we were right on them. About 3' high.

If I could change it I would have jus kept riding.

mIKE

[eddief]

multi use path means all need to be careful. and more often than not it is my experience that owners with dog on long or retractable leashes are in their own world. i do not think i should have to slow to a near stop each time i see the potential for hammering a dog with a stupid owner. our closest multi path has a posted bike limit of 15 mph. that can turn a lot of dogs and riders into sausage. i have very decent control of my bike most of the time. i do not think i could say that about owners and leashed dogs. but good luck to you and your philosophy.

First, best wishes to Wilkinson for a speedy recovery!

But, Eddie, come on... Be realistic here.

Unless it was a bike only path, you have to expect people to be out walking their dogs.... And sorry to say, but you have to ride at a speed that you can safely react without disaster. She probably could have sued the cyclists if she or the dogs had been injured?

Just 'cause we're cyclists doesn't make us holier than everybody else.

[Wilkinson4]

Wilk, sorry for your crash and hope you mend.

EddieF, I think you are wrong here. The cyclist were over taking the woman walking. The dogs were on leash. (Although, letting leash across the trail is very stupid) The cyclist should call out to let her know they are over taking her. It may have prevented the accident. (I know, a lot of people wear earphones and are oblivious) It really takes two to tango and a moment of inattentiveness can be painful. I've been in both camps- downed by dog on my bike, run over by cyclist. Sometimes, cyclist need to slow down and share the road/path too.

not quite. She was literally 2-3 feet off the trail to the left. All i saw was her and her kids and then a pair of those freedom leashes across the path. I have almost no road rash.

mIKE

[fuzzalow]

Not to derail this to a MUT debate, but IMO riders have ride with their own self interest & safety as paramount. Which sometimes mean a rider has to dumb it down to accommodate the self absorbed users of a MUT who are not looking after anyone else but themselves. Not fair and also the way it is. Too bad.

Common phrase used by motorcyclists to counter the right-of-way argument used against cars after an accident - "Even if you were right, you were wrong".

[chuckred]

mult use path means all need to be careful. and more often than not it is my experience that owners with dog on long or retractable leashes are in their own world. i do not think i should have to slow to a near stop each time i see the potential for hammering a dog with a stupid owner. our closest multi path has a posted bike limit of 15 mph. that can turn a lot of dogs and riders into sausage. i have very decent control of my bike most of the time. i do not think i could say that about owners and leashed dogs. but good luck to you and your philosophy.

My "philosophy" has kept me out of the hospital....

Thanks for the good wishes.

IVe ridden on many of the Denver area paths and you can cruise on most of them, if you have to slow down every now and then, so what?

[shovelhd]

I'll stay out of the fault debate. Was the fracture a compound fracture? If so, then surgery may be an option. They didn't do surgery for collarbones when I broke mine years ago, it healed up just fine on its own. I was off the bike for 4-5 days and then started riding it on the trainer. Don't obsess about losing fitness. Base fitness will stick with you for a long time, it's peak fitness that is fleeting. Resign yourself to losing peak fitness. Get healthy first, then get back to work on the bike. You're probably looking at 2-4 weeks before you can ride on the road. Don't do what some guys have done and go back too early. One guy I know had surgery, screws and a plate, went back too early, and now some of the screws are loose. Don't be that guy.

[Wilkinson4]

I think if i was riding by myself, it may have turned out different... i am usually more trail aware by myself. I was following a wheel here, saw the lady and the kids and since they were off trail it seemed ok.

Meh, ouch. Not much to do but this sucks. Was off the bike for 2 weeks due to work travel, am on vacation this week and all i could think about was the rides I was going to do.

mIKE

[Wilkinson4]

I'll stay out of the fault debate. Was the fracture a compound fracture? If so, then surgery may be an option. They didn't do surgery for collarbones when I broke mine years ago, it healed up just fine on its own. I was off the bike for 4-5 days and then started riding it on the trainer. Don't obsess about losing fitness. Base fitness will stick with you for a long time, it's peak fitness that is fleeting. Resign yourself to losing peak fitness. Get healthy first, then get back to work on the bike. You're probably looking at 2-4 weeks before you can ride on the road. Don't do what some guys have done and go back too early. One guy I know had surgery, screws and a plate, went back too early, and now some of the screws are loose. Don't be that guy.


it is displaced an inch or so. Ya, wont be that guy. I see walking and hiking in my future. trainer maybe in 3-4 weeks.

mIKE

[eddief]

and of course, unless we have a death wish, we all do what we can to get along. it is just my experience that many dog walkers are self absorbed and if at fault and they caused the accident, i would probably seek legal recourse. simple as that.


My "philosophy" has kept me out of the hospital....

Thanks for the good wishes.

IVe ridden on many of the Denver area paths and you can cruise on most of them, if you have to slow down every now and then, so what?

[zap]

Wilkonson-heal well and listen to the doc.

wrt muts.........I believe everyone is in their own world and I ride accordingly.....even come to a complete stop if needed. MUTS are most dangerous for cyclists and I have no interest in setting STRAVA records on a MUT....just want to get to the next road safely.

Legal recourse :butt:

[soulspinner]

Heal quickly. I am always wary on paths with dogs, runners and roller bladers. Most of the people are listening to music and cant hear you as you approach.

[1centaur]

I was on the trainer a week after collarbone surgery, but it was painful/not fun. That said, it was glorious after days on the sofa. My biggest takeaway from recovery was that the pain was worse than the reality - I could have pushed myself more but worried about doing damage. I think I was on the road a month out from surgery (late August), hampered by not being able to signal with that arm too well and not being able to turn to look over my left shoulder too well. I had pain on that side riding for some months (which took me into winter and time off the road) but it was gone in the spring.

Good PT provider will help you know your limits better than I did (no PT for me). If you have the time and the plan, PT will get you better range of motion faster, I suspect.

[Wilkinson4]

ya, this is not going to be fun. i'll take it easy but if i am on the bike in 6 weeks just spinning around i will be stoked.

might find me a stairmaster used or something.

mike

[John Price]

So, Mike, our friends Mary and Chad, and I were on the ride.

Chad's a close friend of mine but I will say he doesn't always have the best regard for riding on MUTs. He's fast and sometimes self absorbed. He rarely gives those he's approaching a heads up.

While I missed seeing the accident happen (Mary and I were back farther on the trail at the time), Mike was following Chad's wheel and this was probably his - literal - downfall.

Denver's trails are actually pretty nice for getting around - you USUALLY have good sightlines and the ped traffic is usually sparse (other than the downtown areas).

Mike's a good friend of mine I HATED seeing him there on his back in the middle of the trail. I also know from her reaction that the woman with the kids and dogs was mortified about what happened. Mary calmed the kids down (they were freaked a bit by it all). And we got Mike up and off the trail. I got his bike working again and checked for damage (not too bad from what I saw).

And after a bit Mike was able to continue. It was obvious he was shook up and a bit woozy but no other damage was all that apparent.

Hearing from him later about the extent of his injuries I have to say I was IMPRESSED that he finished the ride (with appx 30 minutes of it on gravel).

Mike, again I'm sorry you wrecked. I hope we can get you on the bike again soon enough. Go for breakfast somewhere else next time - doubt you'll want to ride that MUT again.

John

[shovelhd]

Definitely listen to the doctor and go for PT if offered. You can let pain be your guide, to a point. The early stages of healing are the most important. You could probably be on the trainer in a week as long as you support the arm. Good luck.

[67-59]

First, best wishes to Wilkinson for a speedy recovery!

But, Eddie, come on... Be realistic here.

Unless it was a bike only path, you have to expect people to be out walking their dogs.... And sorry to say, but you have to ride at a speed that you can safely react without disaster. She probably could have sued the cyclists if she or the dogs had been injured?

Just 'cause we're cyclists doesn't make us holier than everybody else.

Re-read the OP. Woman on the left, dogs across the path on the right. Irresponsible pet owner.

[verticaldoug]

Safety is no accident, Courtesy is Contagious.

http://www.cctrail.org/CCT_Safety.htm

[Vientomas]

I hope you recover well from your injuries and are back riding soon.

The discussion about leashes as piqued my curiosity. I did a bit of looking on line and found that my city of residence permits a maximum leash length of 10 feet. Other cities have different length limitations. The near-by city of Spokane has an 8 foot maximum allowable length.

I quick search on-line reveals that many retractable leashes are well in excess of 10 feet in length, in fact, 16 feet appears to be quite standard and 26 feet is not unheard of. This confirms what I have observed, namely people walking dogs who at first blush do not appear to be walking a dog because their dog is 16 to 26 feet away from them.

Perhaps there may some liability on the dog owner. Is there a maximum leash law? Was it exceeded?

[Wilkinson4]

dunno about that, she is long gone. i have one of those but i am very aware when walking my dog. these are the kind where the cord is about 1/8 diameter. I would say it was fully extended across the trail, dogs were sat least 3 feet on the right side. a total clothesline scenario at 3' high.

Almost impossible to see unless you are right up on it...

mike

[Don49]

When I went down and broke my collarbone the ends were slightly separated and never rejoined. First doctor wanted surgery but I waited and ended up with an "asymptomatic non-union", meaning the bones never knitted but I have no pain or symptoms from the break and tissue bridged the gap. Even tried one of those ultrasonic bone growth stimulators to no effect. A later opinion from another doctor was that no surgery was the correct option for an asymptomatic break.

I would recommend waiting on surgery if that is an option in your case. Glad I did.

[rwsaunders]

I thought that it was just me, but I encountered 3-4 people yesterday on the side roads, walking their dogs off the leash. One encounter almost cost me a tire, but not my collarbone. Heal well.

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . I assume EVERY dog is on one of those retractable leashes and act accordingly. At least with dog owners (most of them) when you call out to them they hear you. I've come up behind runners and skaters with ear buds and followed them for hundreds of yards, gradually increasing the volume of my repeated "Behind you" warnings until they hear me. Sometimes it literally takes screaming in their ear--and then they jump 3 feet high and act like YOU are the problem.

Calling out to give warning is the key--and I've been passed by God only knows how many cyclists who almost brush my shoulder and never say a word. You just have to be as careful as on the street and realize cyclists, walkers, skaters--everybody can act like an oblivious jerk at times.

Quick healing, Wilkinson!

BBD

I hope you recover well from your injuries and are back riding soon.

The discussion about leashes as piqued my curiosity. I did a bit of looking on line and found that my city of residence permits a maximum leash length of 10 feet. Other cities have different length limitations. The near-by city of Spokane has an 8 foot maximum allowable length.

I quick search on-line reveals that many retractable leashes are well in excess of 10 feet in length, in fact, 16 feet appears to be quite standard and 26 feet is not unheard of. This confirms what I have observed, namely people walking dogs who at first blush do not appear to be walking a dog because their dog is 16 to 26 feet away from them.

Perhaps there may some liability on the dog owner. Is there a maximum leash law? Was it exceeded?

[pbarry]

Mike, have a speedy recovery. If you know anyone with a recumbent style stationary trainer, that might be a good way to keep your fitness. They were popular a decade ago, and pop up on CL and at local thrift shops. Take Care.

[slidey]

Shoot, another one bites the dust!

Here's wishing you a speedy recovery, Mike.

[bigreen505]

First, best wishes to Wilkinson for a speedy recovery!

But, Eddie, come on... Be realistic here.

Unless it was a bike only path, you have to expect people to be out walking their dogs.... And sorry to say, but you have to ride at a speed that you can safely react without disaster. She probably could have sued the cyclists if she or the dogs had been injured?

Just 'cause we're cyclists doesn't make us holier than everybody else.

I don't want to make this into a who's right/who's at fault, but I have a couple flexi-leashes that if strung across a bike path would be virtually invisible to a cyclist until s/he hit the leash and went down. Clueless people are what makes bike paths so dangerous. Whether it is a clueless person on a bike, on rollerblades, walking dogs that are not under their control, it is a danger to everyone. A friend of mine went down hard when one of three kids on bikes that a guy was herding along a popular bike path decided to make a U-turn and go back the other way. The little kid turned into her just as she was passing them and she could either run over the kid or crash trying to avoid him. She chose the latter and the damage to her shoulder, along with facial and dental reconstruction kept her off the bike for a year. I should mention that the dad/kids didn't even stop to help her, they just kept on going. I saw them earlier in the day while I was running with the dog and thought to myself "those kids are going to hurt someone." I didn't expect it to be my friend a couple miles down the path.

I will occasionally take my kid on the bike path in a stroller. I will occasionally take my dog on the path (though usually to get somewhere else), but never both at the same time. It's just too much to control.

As far as the comments above about dogs off leash, truth be told, I've never had a problem with a dog off leash on a bike path, only dogs on leash. Generally the people who run on bike paths with their dogs off leash have extremely well trained, well behaved dogs and know it. My dog is well trained and well behaved, but she also has the IQ of a ping pong ball. If we are on a bike path she is on a very short leash and I use myself as a buffer between her and passing bikes. Seems like common sense.

[Wilkinson4]

Finally got my base layer off from the ride. New clean shirt on! i have very little rash, which means i stuck. Would rather have road rash!!! that was painful but i don't smell as bad now:) Going back in my mind how fast it happened. Visiting the orthopedic guy tomorrow am.

I always tell people to keep their dogs on leash, but in this case if they were i wouldn't be in this pickle. on a path like that, a 6' leash tops and train your dog to walk on your right. my dog agrees.

mike

[fuzzalow]

I always tell people to keep their dogs on leash, but in this case if they were i wouldn't be in this pickle. on a path like that, a 6' leash tops and train your dog to walk on your right. my dog agrees.

mike

I completely empathize and commiserate with you about your crash and wish for a speedy recovery. I am not posting this to be argumentative or insensitive. But as this is also an open discussion read by others, I differ with your apparent conclusion on the causality and take-away for what was learned from this incident.

Does this quote really reflect what you have learned from your crash?

If the view is that it was the fault of others and you are blameless in what happened, then in my opinion it is a shame that you paid a price in injury, medical bills and pain & discomfort to come away empty-handed. Better to learn something about riding smarter and better so your odds are improved for next time in not having the end result be a crash. Everybody makes mistakes, just don't make the same ones over and over.

Dog walkers on the MUT are not going to wake up one day and magically walk their dogs on the right on 6' leashes. And you seem to think you can ride on the MUT the same way as before. How come this reads like deja vu all over again?

[Wilkinson4]

Not sure what you thought I meant. I was literal. If the dogs were off leash, the leashes would not have been 3' high across the path almost invisible to me. I never even saw the dogs. the woman was off the path to the left, she had the dogs on leash but off path to the right at least 16' away from her. That is all I meant. If they were off leash, no clothesline. That said, dogs should always been on leash.

I accept some fault but as I replay this in my mind there was really not much I could do. She had to dogs on retractable leashes fully extended across the path at least 3' high and they are very difficult to see.

mike

[sitzmark]

Mike - sorry to hear of your injury. Quick healing!

Haven't read through the responses, but appears to be some debate over sharing multi-use paths. I pretty much gave them up ... for this very reason. Too many people perceive MUPs as "recreation areas" (which in reality they are) and I like to ride for fitness. The two don't mix well for me.

Hope you're back on the bike soon!

[VPI]

Good luck with the recovery. Dogs in my path always make me tense up as I have had too many close calls.

[Wilkinson4]

Fuzz wants to know what I learned. I have been riding 30 years and I have had 3 real accidents. I'm a very careful, low risk rider most of the time. On MUP's I usually ride alone and always announce from behind or ahead, I even have a few bikes with bells. I am a very observant and aware rider on those paths. I also know I'm extremely lucky. I hit my head 1st, and my helmet has a crack as well as road rash front to back. Then I rolled, hit the top of my right shoulder and that caused that collar bone to snap and displace.

What I learned:


Broken bones really hurt alot. My first break and yow!
Not having use of my right hand really sucks.
When riding with a group on a path, I need to use the same concepts that have kept me safe all these years. Here, I was following a wheel. I still think the outcome may have been the same. Wrong place wrong time.
I think I am going to be more proactive on my local trail and have some rules of the path flyers printed. There are a lot of self absorbed folks on the path, but a lot of folks just don't know.
I can't wait to ride again but will listen to you guys and be smart about it.
No, I did't ask or really care about my bike afterwards! It has about as much rash as i do, very little but I would trade a trashed bike for an unbroken body any day:)


Here, this accident. When following a wheel sometimes you just get comfortable and that can be an issue on these paths. But, it was still a no win situation. I remember seeing her to the left side of the path, looking away from the path at her kids. There was no indication of leashes or dogs until it was too late. Just a crappy outcome.

mIKE

[Wilkinson4]

Mike, have a speedy recovery. If you know anyone with a recumbent style stationary trainer, that might be a good way to keep your fitness. They were popular a decade ago, and pop up on CL and at local thrift shops. Take Care.


Anybody have experience with these? Or even a stair master. short of walking i don't have any plans for a few weeks. Have to wait till tomorrow but if I can get my legs moving for 30 min day that would be great.

mIKE

[rpm]

Mike--

I'm in the same boat as you, recovering from a nasty injury. Walking is really as good as anything you can do, because it gets you outside and moving. Don't underestimate the healthful effects of fresh air. And physical therapists are your friends. They really are my favorite medical professionals. It's easy to get all kinds of aches that aren't a direct result of your injuries but come from being in funny positions and disuse. PT can help.

Good luck!

[mike p]

mIKE get well soon!
I don't get the whole MUT thing. If there's people with dogs, kids, skateboards, and god knows what else.....why would anyone want to bike there? No good roads where you live?

Mike

[fuzzalow]

Not sure what you thought I meant. I was literal. If the dogs were off leash, the leashes would not have been 3' high across the path almost invisible to me. I never even saw the dogs. the woman was off the path to the left, she had the dogs on leash but off path to the right at least 16' away from her. That is all I meant. If they were off leash, no clothesline. That said, dogs should always been on leash.

I accept some fault but as I replay this in my mind there was really not much I could do. She had to dogs on retractable leashes fully extended across the path at least 3' high and they are very difficult to see.

mike

OK. I guess the takeaway from all this, distilled to its simplest form, is stay the heck away from the MUTS! On the road, there is a semblance of rules of the road, laid down by the local DOT and DMV authorities - which means finite discernible risk.

But man alive, on the MUT it is the chaos of random multiple threats.

FWIW, I had my wreck on the road due to my mistake made by an error of timing and sequence in prioritizing a potential threat. There is always something that can be done because IMO nothing is ever completely unavoidable, its just a matter of timing and on which side the split seconds fall. Try to make those split seconds fall in your favor.

Everybody, be careful out there.

[rpm]

Your injuries are similar to mine after going over the bars, except that I fractured my c2 vertebra as well as my collarbone. You want too make sure you don't have a cervical fracture, too. I'm in a neck collar for three months. I am almost one month in. I'm walking a lot. Except for a blister it is very nice. Were you on that gorgeous Toei went down?

[Wilkinson4]

oh man!!! c2 too! hell, i may have gotten off easy. no, ct's of neck and head clear. No on the toei, on my carl strong. a little rash on left lever and left rear q/r, left hood. but, i really haven't given it a good look ever.

mike

[Wilkinson4]

So, i went in today and I am freaking out a bit. they have to confer to see if surgery is even an option due to the way it broke. She said risk, heart, etc.

I started to get hot and feel woozy as she was explaining that there was risk because the break was forced down to the organ areas...

Friday I'll know more..

mike

[alessandro]

Stay cool, and ask questions--don't be afraid to ask providers to repeat things. As many times as you need. Ask them to explain the risks if you don't understand the options.

Just keep breathing. You will heal in time. You're still here, and you've still got a couple of awesome bikes, so things are looking good, right? :)

Good luck, and keep posting in here.

[John Price]

I'm with Alessandro on this one. Don't be afraid to ask questions and breathe...

I'd especially ask for more info about this, "forced down to the organ areas..." - just what does that mean ? What was injured as a result ?...

And Mike, if you need, you know where to find me. I'll help out in any way I can.

John

[Wilkinson4]

Basically, I landed on the top of my shoulder which caused my right collar bone to snap in the middle and the part closest the AC joint to point down toward my heart. So, it is just hanging out down there. I didn't talk to the surgeon, someone on his staff but she was qualified to look at x-rays, etc...

Anyway, it won't be a typical fix since it is in an area that is very busy so she was talking about having a vascular surgeon on board. I have never had surgery or broken a bone so I was a bit wigged out!

i need to breath and deal with the known knowns right now;)

To everyone, thanks for the support and story sharing. I was hoping we had a plan already... I'll have to wait a few more days.

mIKE

[alessandro]

Thanks for the additional info. I agree that not having a plan is the hard part. Just maintain, ask your doctors to be clear, and try to avoid horseback riding and wingsuits. For now.

Who explained this to you? Was it a nurse, physician assistant, resident, fellow? They may indeed be qualified, and relaying information from the surgeon while looking at an x-ray is not that hard. But if you want a more detailed explanation, or feel like you're not getting the complete picture, don't hesitate to ask to speak to the surgeon. The attending physician should make themselves available to you, even if it's just for 5 minutes.

You also said you'll know more tomorrow, so maybe they're still deciding on the plan. And there's nothing wrong with having vascular there for another opinion or additional expertise.

All this means is that your case is a bit out of the ordinary, which is a good thing--it makes you more interesting for your surgeons. Don't get me wrong, doctors take very good care of people with common fractures, appendectomies, etc., but having an atypical presentation means they have to think a little more about how to take care of you... consider yourself a Toei in a field of Treks and Specializeds... :)

[Wilkinson4]

Ow that made me laugh:P

mIKE

[67-59]

You also said you'll know more tomorrow, so maybe they're still deciding on the plan. And there's nothing wrong with having vascular there for another opinion or additional expertise.

All this means is that your case is a bit out of the ordinary, which is a good thing--it makes you more interesting for your surgeons. Don't get me wrong, doctors take very good care of people with common fractures, appendectomies, etc., but having an atypical presentation means they have to think a little more about how to take care of you... consider yourself a Toei in a field of Treks and Specializeds... :)

Agree completely. Doctors do lots of "routine" (for them) stuff, so they get a little more interested when they see an "unusual" case. Having docs who are a bit more interested isn't such a bad thing. Sounds like they're taking great care to have the right people in the room to be ready for lots of options.

[chromopromo]

I have had both a snapped collar bone and a concussion. The collar bone takes awhile to settle down and re-attach. Also, hurts like hell when you laugh, sneeze or move the wrong way. Surgery is usually unnecessary. You should be able to sit on the trainer in a few weeks but check with your Doc.

Concussion are hugely variable. No need for a MRI as it is unlikely to show anything and will not help you recover. For bad concussions the best thing to do is rest in a dark room. No bright lights, no loud noises, no working on the computer (semms like you are already past this one), even watching TV can give you headaches. Let your symptoms be your guide. I definitely made the mistake of trying to do too much after my accident. PM if your have questions. I am symptom free but it took me 15 months and I did a lot of reading on the subject.

[1centaur]

So, i went in today and I am freaking out a bit. they have to confer to see if surgery is even an option due to the way it broke. She said risk, heart, etc.

I started to get hot and feel woozy as she was explaining that there was risk because the break was forced down to the organ areas..
mike

As I was lying on the prep table for my collarbone surgery, the anesthesiologist came in to take my vitals, snapped up the X-ray and said, cheerfully, "hey, you were lucky, a little bit further and you could have died." First I'd heard about it! So I guess it's a bit more common concern than we imagine from never hearing about that with all the collarbone breaks in the Tour de France. But the fact they let you out the door for several days tells me something about their opinion of immediate risk. I am guessing they just need to plan the right way to do it and who should be there.

[Wilkinson4]

that is crazy. You think ahhh - common cycling injury. A little farther and it could pierce something. Sure makes you think. I realize how lucky I was.

mIKE

[Fiertetimestwo]

I had a surgical repair on my collarbone nearly eight years ago- it was snapped in a couple of places and wasn't going to fix itself. Titanium plate and screws went in and are still there.

My experience was, I must say, really good. Almost from the time of waking up after the operation I had a pretty full range of movement back, and it hasn't caused me a moment's problem in all the time since.

Best of luck to you.

[coelacant]

Sorry to hear Mike. MUP's are fun aren't they? I was in a similar sit. once, was able to escape unscathed by going off and down the ditch in the dirt and basically used the bushes to stop. These days my bikes have bells and I stay in the dirt as much as possible on these paths...Glad it wasn't 'our' Toei. :)

Heal well,

Tom

[Wilkinson4]

Thanks Tom, our Toei is safe! Ya, more cowbell!!!

mIKE

[Wayne77]

Somehow I missed this thread... I'm so sorry to hear about this but so glad to hear it wasn't any worse. Going down is such a scary thing. We are fragile beings. All the best for your recovery!

[Wilkinson4]

Somehow I missed this thread... I'm so sorry to hear about this but so glad to hear it wasn't any worse. Going down is such a scary thing. We are fragile beings. All the best for your recovery!

Thinking of you too Wayne, scary stuff you went through and I am glad you are ok. Well, after talking to the surgeon we are deciding against surgery at this point and keeping it as an option. We are taking the conservative approach… The risk of the surgery since there are nerves and arteries running under the collarbone is that an artery or nerve could be damaged during the surgery. The bone is pointed down near the chest wall so he recommends waiting and seeing if we can get a union. I told him it seemed like the gap was the size of the Grand Canyon… He chuckled.

He thinks it will heal. I don't have any shortening of the area and I should have shoulder function, stability and range of motion once it heals fully so he says. He basically said, if it was me I would let it heal and if it doesn't then we can explore surgery. 5% of the time it won't heal. He thinks I'll probably get a bone union which is ideal. He did say it was a unique break.

So, based on that I'll see how it goes. I bought a recumbent step thru trainer that I can ride now. Did 15min last night... Will do 20 min tonight and work up to 45-60 min. It may be 12 weeks before I can resume normal activities and I'll bet 6 months before recovered to the point of throwing a ball I guess:(

I was not jazzed about surgery. He said they would have to isolate the nerves and arteries, pull the bone back up through and remove material (muscle) to do that. Add a plate, screws and bone graft. The way I look at it is he has basically said I don't want to take your money and if it was me I would try and see if it heals.

Ugh… I have mixed feelings on it. It's a bummer but I am alive:) Concussion symptoms are pretty much gone. No more dizziness. Getting stronger and the pain is manageable. I take 2 ibuprofen at lunch and a narcotic at bed time.

mIKE