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OK, so this really starts with round 1, where my bike was not behaving correctly. It had no midrange at all. Yes, I know, I4 and all, but this was worse. Something wasn't right. Just limped through the round.
I was missing round 2 anyway, because my daughter was graduating from college that weekend.
With significant parts help from butcher bergs I managed to cobble enough carburetors together to have a running bike a couple days before practice started.
I show up too early Thursday morning, but spend some time saying hi to people and getting the bike buttoned up. Anxious to see how the bike performs, I go out for first practice with no goal other than to see if the acceleration problem is fixed. Seems that it is. Now it's just behaving like a normal I4. I'm still getting motored by some of the modern bikes, but the SV's aren't motoring me up the hill or down the straight. I also find that due to increased power, I'm not just at the top of 2nd when I hit my brake marker for 3, but much earlier, requiring an extra up and down their.
2nd session I decide that I just need to be better on the brakes. OK. I'm not sure what lap it was of the 2nd session, but I decided to really push the brakes into 3. I make a pass on the inside late on the brakes, front tire starting to squirm (but I was intentionally not on the bars, which is weird for me) rear of the bike just starting to lift, release and tip in. Wow I'm awesome!
Next opportunity for me to demonstrate my braking prowess is 11. There's plenty of room on the outside, I'll just go in get on the brakes late and get around this guy, because I'm just that cool! I'm on the brakes hard, I decide it's time to tip in... Front washes, and down I go. Pretty typical low side, right until I launch all my shit over the curbing to begin a combination superman slide and motorcycle tumble (which I only know from video).
I'm laying there face down telling myself to get up. No response from me. OK well look up then. No response from me. My body seems to be listening to the Penguin rider coaches telling me to stay down. After some time of me arguing with myself ambulance shows up. Things are a little blurry here, but eventually I get to my back. They are asking silly questions, how many numbers, day of the week, where am I... I almost decided to tell them Dave's batman story but don't as I'm in too big of a hurry. They remove my helmet. I get to a sitting poison. I'm immediately looking to get up, the medics are telling me to slow down. I'm like let's go, let's get in the ambulance, c'mon. They appease me. I do notice that as we are walking to the ambulance the entire visor is missing from from my helmet. That's weird. There's also a big scuff over the place where the visor should be. Dammit, that ruins my plans of using this as a street helmet. Fortunately the helmet is not cracked, just scuffed.
We get to the infield medical center and they sit me down.
What hurts?
My back hurts a little, other than that I'm OK.
You're neck doesn't hurt at all?
No. Fine.
Do you have a birthmark on your head?
No, I have a scar on my head.
But not a big birthmark?
No.
Does your forehead hurt?
No. Why?
You've got a good mark over your right eye.
Ohh, no, it's fine, but I keep getting dirt in my eyes.
Yeah, let us get you a wet towel, your face is covered in dirt... Here.
Ohhh, wow, that's a lot of dirt...
Yeah. So what's hurting?
Mostly just my back.
OK let's get your suit off and take a look.
OK. After some pretty significant wriggling suit and back protector come off to the waist.
Does it hurt here? Here? Here?
No, no, no. It really general. Center point is left of my spine, below my shoulder blades. Yes there, and no that doesn't hurt, but that's where it hurts.
Can I have some water? There's still dirt in my mouth.
Sure. Here's another wet towel as well.
Does anywhere else hurt?
I banged my knee, but I think it's just banged.
Should we take the rest of your suit off and look? Sure.
Yeah, there's some rash here on your knee.
Really? Ohh, yeah, that's no good.
How's your back doing?
The more I move the more it hurts. Like when I go like this... Ohhh. That really hurts. Let me try standing again...
OK you're getting really white.
Yeah, it really hurts.
Do you feel sick?
No, just pain. Give me a minute...
OK. Why don't you sit back down.
That's probably a good idea...
Do you feel sick?
No. Just pain.
Do you feel like you should go to the hospital?
Yeah, that's probably a good idea. Can I stop by my garage and get my phone?
Yes, what garage?
Center 8.
They load me on the roller bed and load me in the truck. I hear the driver talk to someone about what’s going on (this turns out to be Pete and Colin). They stop at C8 where Colin hands them my phone and watch, and we're off to Concord.
Turns out that laying down was a terrible idea. Once down I was unable to get back up. They got to use backboards to move me from bed to bed to x-ray table to bed to CT scan to bed. I also get to call Wifey and let her know that I'm at the hospital... That was a fun conversation. As the evening passes I also get like 6 servings of morphine.
As I'm getting the CT scan the tech asks me if my left shoulder area hurts at all. I say no, why? No reason.
Trauma surgeon stops by... So far they've identified 2 broken ribs in the front, near my left shoulder and one broken rib in the mid back, at least one broken vertebrae and a partially collapsed lung. Based on the damage so far, the risk on a collapsed lung and my pain level when moving they recommend I stay overnight. I concur.
I sleep a little. Next morning they want some more x-rays of my back. With the adjustable bed I'm able to get up and into the wheelchair and down for x-rays. Feeling a lot better. Still uncomfortable, but only pain when I move. My son stops by to help me not be too bored, as does Trajiks9 (thank you). After noon, school is out so my wife comes by. If I go slow I'm fine. I have sessions with both physical therapy and occupational therapy. Trauma surgeon finally shows up. Based on information from every we manage to convince her to dismiss me at about 5:00pm. Yay! Wifey heads home to set stuff up for me, while I finish paperwork. My son will give me a ride home. Finish paperwork and wait for a wheelchair. Get in my son's car and my cell phone is ringing... It's the trauma surgeon. She says that they found something else on the x-rays. There's additional vertebrae damage that wasn't seen before and I have to come back.... I make a couple laps of the parking lot and head back upstairs. The additional vertebrae fractures call for bed rest or a brace. All day that I spent up and about shouldn't have and was risking my spine. They don't know if they'll be able to get me fitted with a brace tonight but they will try. About an hour later a guy walks in with a brace, and fits me all up... Now can I leave? No, they've called for a consultation from the orthopedics guy.
While waiting for the orthopedics guy gumby is nice enough to drop by (thank you) and make sure I'm doing OK. Eventually the orthopedics guy stops by and does the orthopedics thing...
Raise this toe, press with this toe, can you feel this, can you feel that. Push up with your right leg... Ohh, is that weak?
No, it's not weak, here... Pressing up.
Oh, so you can do it, it just hurts?
Right.
Let me look at that knee. Wow, that's really swollen.
Well, yeah, there's some trauma there, I'm pretty sure I banged it pretty good.
OK well, I'd like to get a couple pictures of that, just to be sure. Have you seen PT?
Yes.
Have you seen OT?
Yes.
OK, with the brace I think you'll be good. You don't show any weakness in your extremities, so let's get that knee looked at.
Waiting again for x-ray. Now that I'm up and about, they decided to bring the mobile x-ray to me?? Whatever. The x-ray tech comes in and wants me to lay on the bed.
OK, it's going to take me a minute to get there, I have...
Ohhh yeah, I know. Your x-rays are making the rounds downstairs, take your time.
We get shots of the knee done. He says he'll get them processed as quickly as possible.
Eventually the trauma surgeon returns, and indicates my knee isn't broken, and asks if I want to go home or stay... Finally about 10:00 pm I'm discharged for the second time. Finally I'm home.
Thanks to whoever the rider coaches were. They were there incredibly fast.
Thanks to the ambulance crew. They were great. Really great.
Thank you to everyone who stopped by, texted, phoned, or faceyspaced to check on me.
Thanks to my garage mates who were nice enough to help pack up all of my crap.
Thanks especially to Colin who was also nice enough to recruit assistants to haul all of my stuff home and unload it into my garage.
And footage of the crash...