Originally Posted by mzeffex

Man, at least you're doing okay. What about the bike? Getting a new one via his insurance I hope?

Originally Posted by Kai Winters

Have the med people talked to you about your recovery? I suspect you will spend a lot of time in therapy...

Can you think about getting a dream bike? Or does BC insurance just give a pittance?

Originally Posted by BarryJo

Wow, I just read your post - good writing, I felt as if I living through the entire ordeal <shudder>.

Originally Posted by Randochap

Made it through torture session with physio this afternoon. Gonna take a while to get any amount of movement range in that ankle joint!

Originally Posted by Randochap

You may, or may not, have noticed a bit of a pause in my riveting responses here at BF. I've finally got my head around recounting my story.

What happened: On Sunday July 19, I was just out for a short (10k) toodle to get some fresh air and check some road work on part of a 600 km route I'd planned for the next weekend (July 25).

On the way home, I made a left hand turn through a T intersection. I'd completed the turn when ... WHAM! A pickup truck -- who'd run the red light -- plowed into me from behind.

I remember thinking: Must stay up. Then I'm seeing the undercarriage of the truck and a milisecond later the back wheels hit me in the right hip. I'm facing the wheels which are pushing me along the road, thinking A. Keep your frikkin' foot on the brake! and B. Those are bald tyres!

Next, after getting dragged for 30 ft, I'm sitting next to the truck and some people run over. I can hear the young driver of the truck, behind me, saying "Oh my god, o my god!

I'm pretty calm. I sit up and then see my foot. Not pretty (I'll spare the details, but to say it is barely attached). I say to my self: "You're in deep trouble."

A woman arrives on the scene. I'm saying loudly to the kid: "That was a *%&*ing red light you ran!" The woman says, "Yes, I was right behind him. He didn't even slow." I think it was she who knelt behind me to support me as I didn't want to lay down, but rather hold my leg so the foot wouldn't fold.

Soon, a guy with ERT training ran over with a bag. He had a kit from which he produced a compression bandage and tied up the foot. I screamed.

My Specialized Comp shoe lays a few metres behind; my bike, a tangled wreck, further back.

Then the fire truck arrived, followed by police and finally the ambulance and paramedics.

They put on a neck brace, loaded me on a board and after checking for usual signs of internal injuries, loaded me into the ambulance. Interesting that the constant questioning -- name, address, birth date, etc. -- gave me something to focus on. Still, I was now shaking uncontrollably. Sirens blaring, we bump and sway to the general. Agony.

Memories of hospital corridors rushing by, razors shaving (no need for legs), monitoring electrodes stuck on, oxygen masks, IVs going in. Then the long, painful sessions of scans, X-rays, probing and waiting.

That evening, I underwent a 5 hour surgery, during which a (stainless) plate attached with 8 screws was used to put the shattered tibia back together. The fibula was left to its own devices -- a surprise I got viewing last week's post-op X-ray. The tibia sheared off just above the joint. The surgeon admitted it was one of the worst of its kind he'd seen as, in his words, I'd "left a lot of bone back on the road."

A week later, I underwent a skin graft operation. Donor site was my right thigh (above short line ) It has taken well. But that (donor site) is a painful wound that is healing slowly. I'll spare you the full-colour images.

As mentioned, I'm now finally home, with a hospital bed in our small living room. I can get to nearby bathroom with walker and have started sitting briefly in my armchair with leg elevated and make short trips by wheelchair, with help from my wife () or home care nurse () up to the park and/or cafe. If the foot is down too long though, it turns purple. The wheelchair has an extension that supports the right leg.

As well, I have a wrenched back, severely bruised hip, compressed shoulder, whiplash, sprained wrist, knee, bruises everywhere and, of course, lots of road rash (mostly healed).

Things are moving forward slowly. The main irritant at this moment is the skin on the foot which has become thin from edema, looks like parchment and burns.

I have a long road of rehab ahead. Hopefully, the bone will heal as well as the external wounds.

It helps immensely to get the support of family and friends. I got a wonderful card on Wednesday signed by Woden's Wheelers and one of them just dropped by offering to take me on a wheelchair ride next week! Also seen my clubmates who just got back, having survived LEL. Boy, did they have stories!

Of course, the very hardest thing is being out of "the peleton." Just trying to stay focussed and hoping I'll end up with enough movement in joint to get back in the saddle. Those of you who know me are aware I've made it through other challenges the last few years and I'm just going to apply the same bloody-mindedness to this setback.

If you want to follow my progress in 140 characters or less, check my Twitter page.

Ride safe.
Cheers,
Randochap