Bike crash number 6 aka: Asphalt 106            RayClone

I don't feel I've crashed a lot...
So to put this into perspective I've had 6 crashes in 40 years, and 200,000 miles of riding. This is about
8 times around the earth... Or 1 crash every 6.6 years, or every 33,333 miles.
Friday 10/05/12
Well, I'm into 3 weeks and 5 days on my road to recovery.
But first the story of what put me here...
On the 9th of September 2012 I had an unfortunate wheel cross during a 150 mi bicycle ride,
Newhall ~ Long Beach ~ Newhall.
The wheel cross happened at 11:00am about 10 miles before the half way point of the ride, a few miles
before Long Beach Harbor.
There was no damage to my bike, two small scrapes, one on the brake hood, and one on the rear wheel
skewer.
After the crash, I got back on the bike and rode to Dogz Bar & Grill, Belmont shore for rest and lunch,
the ride half way point.
Dressed the obvious, heavily bleeding, elbow wound and made my own assessments on the rest of the
injuries. (Yow, they were worse than I thought.)
12:00pm Ate lunch, rested and decided to keep riding although most were urging me to take the train
back to Newhall.
Anyway, I left riding with the crew and was well protected in the peleton.
Made it approx 15 more miles up the San Gabriel River Trail before I started feeling faint from loss of
blood, elbow was still leaking heavily, and by now the adrenalin was wearing off.
2:00pm I decided to throw in the towel and call for a ride back to Newhall.
After assuring the group that I had a ride coming, they continued their journey home.
Thank you crew for the friendship, camaraderie and the first half of a great ride, I only wish I could
have finished.
I rested more while waiting for my ride, when he got near, I got up to get in the car, for the ride back.
Yow, things were starting to tighten up and the pain was increasing, I couldn't ride the bike at all
anymore.
Ron walked to, and met me, took the bike to his vehicle, came back parked very near and helped me
into his truck.
He took me back to Newhall.
4:30pm I was back in Newhall before any of the rest of the crew were back, even the people that took
the train home.
Got into my own car and was deciding where I would go for urgent care, I knew that I needed a bunch
of stitches in the gash on my elbow.
Decided to go back to Newport Beach, to a friend of my daughter that is a emergency room physician.
8:00pm He treated the elbow wound with great professional care at his home, 14 stitches.
I was feeling very sore, but could still kind of walk.
By then it was dark, late and I was hungry, my daughter took me to her place in Newport, then went out
and got food for us.
10:30pm I ate and decided to stay at her place, till the next morning.
Woke up the several times during the night, each time it was getting increasingly harder to move, slept
till morning.
10 September 2012
After awaking, I tried to walk ... Oh s%&t, It wasn't working, decided that I needed to go to hospital.
Got to Hoag Memorial early, and got right into emergency care.
After X rays, MRI's and lots of poking and prodding, and some of the best emergency care I have ever
had,
I was back in the ER room, the ER nurse told me that they were probably planning on keeping me over
night.
I was moved to a regular room out of ER and got lunch.
After eating I saw the primary physician for my case.
He told me that my pelvis was fractured in 4 places, sacrum, ilium, superior pubic ramus, and inferior
pubic ramus.
That whoever had stitched my arm had done a great job, the hematoma on my hip and the rest of the
road rash was not too serious, and that everything internal looked good, and informed me that they were
definitely keeping me overnight for observation.
The rest of the stay at Hoag was some of the best care I have ever received, almost hated to leave... but
the comfort of being home is greater.
So here I am, back to 3 weeks and 5 days into recovery.
The wounds have healed, stitches removed, swelling down, and all internal bleeding stopped.
I started off with a walker, within a week I was on crutches, now I can walk for very short distances
unassisted.
I have been on a stationary bicycle trainer several times and can petal for about 5 minutes no load.
This was not doctor approved...
The pelvic bones still get sore, but the time it takes for them to feel better is getting shorter, The bones
are healing.
The recovery is taking too long, but they did tell me 6~8 weeks.
Gotta stay positive, and keep moving as to not get stationary myself.
I thank all my great friends, associates, for their thoughts, compassion, visitation and help.
I thank Amanda for the initial and secondary wound care to stop bleeding.
I thank Ron for picking me up where I had stopped.
I thank my daughter Sarah for the initial help getting my wounds closed and then getting me to the
hospital the next morning.
I really thank Margo, my wife, for her waiting on my every need during recovery.
YaHooie
GRRR! Ride Your Bike
Raymundy

January 2013 note:
I have recovered completly, not even a twinge of pain or detriment.
although still gaining back lost strength.