Northwest Colorado
Accident & Recovery
(new information is added at the bottom end)

We're looking north and are about 28.5 miles north of US-40 on Harpers Corner Drive, Dinosaur National Monument. I saw the scene, of which this photo does not show the grander vista, and thought - that's a nice scene. I decided to get a photo of myself riding through the area so I pulled over, removed the camera from the bike and mounted the camera on a mini-tripod. I set the camera atop one of the guard rail posts and took this photo. Time stamp on the photo 12:58 pm. Not partial to seeing the saddle bags on the bike I pulled them off and, I think, set them behind the guard rail. Details are a bit sketchy as you will learn why in a moment.

I got back on the bike and rode through the scene. Somewhere just past the top of the photo I turned around to come back. I believe I was coming down the hill and at the last corner before the camera where I went off the roadway. There was no guard rail at the point so I did not impact that type of immovable object. The scenery to the left of the camera's picture is somewhat like what's to the right of the roadway - a slope that drops down a bit.

The bike and I left the roadway and each, perhaps, started to tumble and hit the ground as we went down the slope. It seems the bike tumbled several times (by the look of how smashed it is). I'm not sure about myself as my helmeted forehead hit something (rocky ground probably) and caused a moderate brain injury resulting in my loss of short term memory. I have no recall of any upset, nor of leaving the road. My last memory is that I did a U-turn and started back towards the camera - that's it. My memory stops somewhere between the U-turn and leaving the road and would not return until the hospital in Grand Junction a day or so later (it would actually take weeks to fully regain).

What I do recall, oddly, is a verbal exchange (no visual) with someone regarding the cutting off of my riding clothes. They said they needed to and I responded "please don't" and their response was "we have to". I also remember some bumpy (ambulance) ride where every big bump would produce a pain / feeling in my right leg that was like my right knee being pulled apart. I was ambulanced from the scene to the hospital in Rangely CO 50 miles to the south. Apparently I signed a form while there as a copy was given to me. I have no recollection of signing any form - or of being anywhere - but the signature certainly looks like my signature. From the Rangely hospital I was transported to St. Mary's in Grand Junction, 90 miles farther south. My first solid memory is of being in a patient room at St. Mary's.

I believe my brother Tom was there (drove over from the Denver area). I likely had surgery on my right femur to stabilize it (external fixator). From there the ball started to roll (at least in my mind).

Here's the laundry list - injuries I know of:

In the first week or so out of the hospital I was rather listless and out of sorts. Julie thinks it may be due to my low blood count / level. I lost a fair bit from the roadside femur fracture and a little more at the femur operation. I was not given any blood transfusion (fine by me). Yes, strike that, reading through the hospital bill for the first (of four) hospitals it seems they did give me two units of blood - at least I was billed for them. It'll just take a bit for my body to regenerate to the proper blood level.

On top of the listless feeling is some tiredness. Sleep is not my ally. The aches in my legs keep me awake at night. In the hospital I tried some sleeping pills (Ambien) but they just gave me wild hallucinogenic dreams. After the second episode I said no more!

In that second instance I had a dream where I thought I was in a downtown veterinary clinic, late at night with nobody around (gee, it kinda looked just like my hospital room - LOL). I was thinking they were going to drain my blood for some weird animal ritual. I ended up pulling out my IV.

The hospital nurses, when they visited me, were NOT pleased with me. Successively I was not pleased with them as they tried and tried to get a new IV going (five tries, each nurse had two attempts). No more Ambien for me - the first drug to be listed on the "known drug allergy" form.

At home I tried a sample prescription for Lunesta. Reading the side effects & known issues of that drug I started to think that sleeplessness would be the better alternative. Giving it a try I was able to get some sleep but by the third morning I awoke with heavy, dizzy head spins (a possible side effect). Staring at the ceiling for 30 seconds, one eye closed, waiting for the spin to stop was enough for me - no more. I'll toss and turn until normal sleep returns.

As I'm writing this (Nov 7) normal sleep is returning. Each night provides a bit more restful sleep than the last. It's rather correlated with the aches that the legs give me and how well I'm able to move them about in bed. Good sleep is a great thing - ahhhhh....

So, in the first three or four weeks I've been out of the hospital I've been working with the CPM machine (People link) trying to get more range of motion in the right knee. It has increased from the initial 65 or 70 degrees to about 90 degrees and has plateaued. I also had three sessions from an in-home therapist. The goal was to maintain muscle tone in my little used right leg.

From the last ortho doc appointment, he still believes that 120 to 130 degrees is possible. He prescribed 4 to 6 weeks of "aggressive" physical therapy (2 to 3x / week). He also prescribed more pain medication - specifically for the PT sessions and the night after (great). I really would like more range of motion (ROM) than my current 90 degrees (putting on my right sock is a stretch for my arms - but one limitation noticed so far - the other limitation is when getting into / out of a vehicle. As I swing my right leg in or out my toes typically touch the door area near the hinge. A little more bend would be nice.).

He said that if PT does not produce the results - he will. He'll put me in surgery, knock me out, and manually push the leg to 120/130 degrees. Everyone says that this process is painful in its desctruction. I'm hoping that PT is able to get the job done.

When I was just out of the hospital I used a walker extensively while in the house and a wheel chair out of the house. I am now to the point (strong enough and not dizzy nor listless) where crutches are the aid of choice. I'm getting better at going up and down select, short sets of stairs. In the house, for the long stairwells (dangerous fall risk), I sit on a stair and use my arms and left leg to go up or down the flight. Standing up to crutches at the lower end of a stairwell is easy. Transitioning from sitting to standing at the top end of a stairway is not as easy but still workable.

2007-11-22: Family commented that they spoke with some of the doctors about the injuries (back when I was in the hospitals). It seems the injuries are consistent with force transmitted through the base of the foot/feet. So, I'm thinking that my legs were straight when they contacted something hard (the ground perhaps). The force placed onto the base of each foot transferred up each leg until something "gave".

The left leg gave at the top of the fibula along with damaged ligaments around the knee. The right leg gave at the heel (fracture) and the right femur & knee. Interestingly, the right ankle that had been damaged in 2001 held together!

Note to self - When flying through the air with the greatest of ease, do so only over extremely soft ground.

The last PT appointment found the knee bending to 119 degrees. Things are looking up!

2007-11-26: The knee is bending, when worked, to 128 degrees. This is great! It's progressing! The therapist (and I) will try for as much as the knee will give though he has a goal of at least 135. More is needed (the left knee bends to 149 degrees).

PT is PAINFUL (it's all about pushing the knee joint to as much as I can take). The results are desired so I work at it.

My PT days are now, and have been for the past week or so, useless after the appointment. The appointments are often early in the day (to fit Julie's schedule [my chauffeur]). I take the pain med an hour before the appointment (so it has time to take effect). At the end of the appointment I feel fine until the van moves to leave. The head gets a bit dizzy and headachy and the stomach just doesn't feel quite right. This feeling often lasts most of the day. My solution is to lay in bed. Not a great way to spend the day but since I do want as much range of motion that the PT guy can get I do want to take the pain meds - the long term payoff is preferred. One side bonus of being in bed - sleep. Pain meds or not I am drowsy / sleepy after each appointment where the leg is stressed. It seems that the body wants down time to regenerate.

2007-12-08:  Three therapy sessions left with the "first of two" companies. The knee, last measured, was 136 degrees. 135 was the therapist's desired goal so now I'm shooting for 140 - 145 deg!

2007-12-15: Two milestone days. Yesterday was the last personal therapy session with the first therapy company. The right knee attained 140 degrees of flexation! The left knee is capable of 150 degrees. I have a bit yet to shoot for! Today I can start putting weight on the right leg (30%) and I can start driving. Life returning to "normal".

This hand made card arrived and, well, it stands as unique in the cards I've received. Worth a good chuckle... Thanks M!

2007-12-28: Visits with the general practice doc's office for a blood thinner test (warfarin to resolve the clot issues). The blood's right where it needs to be. This'll continue through about early April. The other doc visit is with the ortho doc who worked on the femur & knee. Things are healing as desired. New bone growth noted. The green light for full weight bearing on the leg. I can discontinue crutches when reasonable (the right leg muscles need to regenerate a fair bit first).

2008-01-05: Now that my thumbnails have had time to grow out I can notice a hump going across each nail. Likely the body's reaction to "change" some time back. More in the "back to normal" arena - I'm able to uncross my right leg from atop my left knee w/o using my hands to lift the leg. The muscles are strengthening and are able to do the task independently. When all is well I sometimes refrain from using the cane when around the house - progress.

2008-01-20: Rarely use the cane when around the house. Aches & pains diminishing.

2008-02-05: Mass, last Saturday evening, was the first in about 4.5 months where I wasn't using a wheelchair, crutches, or the cane. Lately I've noticed more muscle control in the leg. When standing up I can start walking immediately or after just a short pause. It used to be a 10 to 20 second pause as I determined if the leg was going to do what I wanted it to do. Leg presses at the fitness club continue to increase the weight used. While the left leg can readily lift 155 pounds the right leg started out lifting 15 pounds. It is, after 3 or 4 weeks, now able to lift 55 pounds. There is more work to be done though improvements are happening.

2008-03-30: Walking to Mass I thought to myself - this is the first time walking a bit of a distance that walking seems 'normal'. I am now able to stand / balance on the right leg long enough to put my left leg into pants. Balance needs muscle strength in the calf to be able to stand with significant weight / control in the toes of the right foot. Control at the toes is needed for left / right balance. Still a ways to go - I'm not able to stand on my right toes very long - though even a little is an improvement.

2008-04-14: The aches and discomfort I have with each step are diminishing. I am _almost_ able to have a limpless stride. Some days are better than others - but improvement is happening. I went for a bicycle ride (3 to 5 miles) on the mostly flat bike trail. The right leg is noticeably weaker than the left so the goal is to work at regenerating those muscles.

I still work at flexing the right knee. The range of motion / flexation is improving. While it does not, freely, flex through its range, the point where it 'slows down' is occurring at a higher degree of flex (more free flex capable). The right knee, oddly, can have a bit more flexation than the left knee - likely due to my working at it. Perhaps I should practice some flex routines on the left knee.