My name is Dan, and I live on the East Coast of Florida. I took up riding in July of 2004, 40 pounds overweight, I was looking for an exercise that I might enjoy. Riding an 89.00 bike from Walmart, I didn't get to the end of my road and I was exhausted and sore. I thought, "this is not going to be fun". My first long ride - 5 miles one way, almost put me in an early grave. Plus, I was doing the Atkins diet, and I had no fuel for my body. A visit to my local bike shop put me in contact with Libby, my angel of mercy. First of all, she told me if I was going to ride, I needed a bike that fit me - apparently bikes come in sizes outside of Wally World! She fit me to a Trek 1000 and I began to ride with my sister every weekend. My sister who is 4 years older than me had been biking for years, and could ride 50 miles with no problem. So off we went, and she kicked my butt every ride, but we had fun.
I soon learned that money could buy speed and new 600.00 wheels, clips and pedals, and some other adjustments soon saw me kicking her but for a change. I got off the Atkins diet, and began a nutrition plan to go with my riding schedule - and although I was eating more than ever - I was losing weight. I soon found myself riding 13 miles every morning before work, and 20 - 30 miles every day after work, I was obsessed. On weekends I sometimes topped 45 miles. I loved it, it was the first time in my life that I ever found an exercise I could stick with and really enjoy.
On Sept 16th 2004 my whole world changed. I was on a short warm up ride before work, riding in a residential neighborhood, very low key - no shoulder on the road, but not a lot of cars. I was riding into a beautiful sunrise with the sun in my eyes, I really was hugging the edge of the road, as I knew whatever was behind me would have the sun in their eyes as well. I check my mirror - lots of distance between me and the approaching cars, so much so that I thought, I will be turning soon and out of the sun - and on the stretch to home. All of a sudden BAM, I was hit from behind - I hit the grass with my front tire, and I thought - wait, I can't control the bike, who pushed me? Soon I was falling, unable to unclip, I was also coming down with the bike in a heap, I actually think we did a full flip. I ended up in the sitting position, with my bike all around me - and my knew 300 rear tire, shattered and actually over my head. My leg was screaming in pain, and I was yelling call 911, call 911 to a few passing motorist. Everyone stopped and tried to comfort me, telling me not to move. The woman (35) who hit me, stayed in her car, and I heard she had said, the sun was in my eyes, I didn't even see him. I learned later, she has just entered the street I was on about 1 block back, so in between my check in the mirror, she must have come on me quickly.
My leg was shaped like a Z, the bone was sticking out, and I was in a mucky ditch - I later learned how dangerous and dirty that muck was. I was air lifted to an out of town hospital, as apparently they had a better trauma unit. I stayed there for 5 weeks - morphine was my best friend. I had to have 9 surgeries on my leg, broken tib/fib with compound fracture - complicated by severe infection (remember the muck). At one point, amputation was a very real possibility - and although scared, I thought well take it - I can always get a prothesis, and plus I would never be riding again.
Here I am 6 months, and 10 surgeries later. A wound vac, and a skin graft helped close the enormous wound in my leg, that now looks like a shark bite. With over 300,000 in hospital bills - covered mostly by my health insurance, I can tell you all about the nightmare that is called no fault insurance in the state of Florida. If any of you think that if you ever get hit - you will be rich - make sure you are hit by a very rich person, with good insurance and money in the bank. I was hit by someone who had limited insurance, as did I until now, and has no money in the bank - and already was bankrupt. In Florida taking someone's home is not an option. So far, out of 300,000 in bills - my insurance paid 10,000 and her insurance has paid none. My health insurance paid the rest.
In any case, I vowed never to ride again - promised my family I never would. For anyone who knows, once the biking is in your blood - it stays! I am the proud owner of a Trek 1200C and I started riding a month ago - with my current leg pain level I can only do small rides - but recently I did 20 miles, and I am loving it! I hope to be up to 30 soon, and getting my life back. Small steps, and with the help and advice of Libby my biking advisor and angel - I am taking back what I lost from all those months of pain - I am taking back my health and my life!