Cykilist2

Recovery Help.

First time I've ever fractured anything other than my ego.
I fractured my femur 6 weeks ago (on a bike ride, of course). Ended up in the hospital for 5 days. That wasn't very fun.

I started PT... but it was incomplete. some stretches, activities... Unsure how I am supposed to get to my state back to what I was like before on the bike. (aggressive workouts, complete with intervals, and hill workouts). Watching my fitness condition go down the toilet has been frustrating.. I am doing what I can, what I think I know..

After I got comfortable enough, I got back on a trainer, and now 6 weeks since the accident, I took my first easy bike ride today. I live in somewhat a hilly area, kept the HR below 130 for the entirety of the ride (a couple of ppl advised). Another few suggested one with all flat, all the time. I was sore for a while, when a ride like that, would've been a cakewalk, previous to my accident.

I'm sure most of you have had accidents where you broke something, ribs, clavicle, femur (near the ball of the hip), etc. As "seasoned athletes", what has been your modus operendi, getting back to good condition.

Walking is harder on me than cycling. I still haven't figured that one out

I don't start PT until the middle of this month, so I'm looking for a head start... stretches, what you have done to get yourself back into shape, with the limitations of a broken bone. This is all new to me, so I am not sure how to proceed, except to keep on moving.

Cyclist0108

PT is key. You don't want someone nice. You need the ***** of Birkenau crossed with Ann Coulter screaming at you and pushing you until you cry for mercy. Range of motion is key.

Post an X-ray.

Congratulations getting back on the bike. You are now officially bad-arse.

Cykilist2

It was hard getting back on the first time.
I kind of guessed that I should shoot for a pushy PT'er, because I ain't gonna get better by babying it. I do want my full range of motion back.
First pic is the fracture, second is the jewelry. At least I can walk through an airport, and not set the alarms off.

PS: Like the way you describe a good PT'er. I'll make sure they have these tendencies.

canklecat

Yup, it's difficult, painful, frustratingly slow and all that jazz.

Be sure you can tell the difference between pain that won't aggravate the injury and pain that's a danger signal. If in doubt consult with an ortho doc and physical therapist. I did both, but I've had a lot of previous injuries and recoveries from boxing, cycle racing and other sports, plus car and motorcycle wrecks. So I'm fairly familiar with my limits for pain.

BTW, I'm 61 but reasonably fit. If you're younger and were really fit pre-injury, your recovery may be quicker than mine.

I was hit by a car in May, breaking and dislocating my shoulder. Frustrating because up until then I was in the best shape in years and had cracked a few top tens on some fairly competitive Strava segments. Set me way back.

First thing I did was a lot of walking, fast to get some aerobic benefit.

After about 4-6 weeks I could use the indoor trainer. Intervals kept the legs and lungs in shape. By the time I could do road rides again in July I was still about 85% of my pre-injury conditioning.

But I still couldn't handle longer rides on the drop bar road bike. The shoulder pain was as bad in July as it had been since May. It was too painful for PT, just light stretching and range of motion. My former health network wouldn't prescribe anything effective for pain or do anti-inflammatory injections.

I switched to my hybrid for road rides and installed albatross bars - much friendlier ergonomics, better wrist and shoulder alignment.

And I switched health networks. They gave me mild prescription pain relievers (which I don't often need), an anti-inflammatory injection and diclofenac, a more effective NSAID.

With the pain controlled I was able to do my own PT at home. I consulted with the health networks PT folks twice and they said I was doing fine on my own. But I was kicking my own butt. I've usually been my own hardest trainer, with the exception of my Marine Corps PT instructor who would holler stuff like "PAIN IS BEAUTIFUL, BUD! IF IT DOESN'T HURT YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG!"

By mid-September the shoulder was about 85% recovered. It's closer to 90% now.

I've done mostly range of motion, stretching, static, isometric and isotonic muscle work without weights. I rushed into weight training in August and it set me back weeks. I still don't even do full floor pushups. I do wall push off, etc. I'll resume floor pushups and moderate weighs in January.

Right now I'm recovering from thyroid surgery and cancer treatment, so my energy has decreased a bit. I'm still riding about 20-40 miles at a time, 3-5 days a week, but my speed is down from around 17 mph to 14. It'll come back. Just takes time.

Best of luck. Be patient and persistent. Give yourself credit for every bit of progress. Keep a log, journal, Strava, anything to keep track. You'll benefit from recording those good days to encourage yourself through the tough days.

ColonelSanders

I'd be interested in hearing details of your accident and how you got such a nasty injury.

Cykilist2

I am strava-ing everything. Persistent, I am, though, there are down days, especially when you have to walk something you were able to zoom up at 6mph before. All my trainer sessions are on my garmin. So, yes, keeping a thorough log. Thanks for the encouragement.

Cykilist2

Just don't laugh too hard. I had just begun a loop workout, had just climbed my first hill from the house, went on a street I hadn't been on before, took a right turn, no cadence, or power going, Road conditions were weathered, smooth concrete and a pool of water that spread the entirety of the street, I was making a right turn on. My back fishtailed, I overadjusted, and fell hard on my left side. In the hospital for 5 days, last 2 starting rehab.

ColonelSanders

It is crazy how someone can get such a bad injury from something so simple.


I'll bet you have had far worse crashes and literally didn't have a mark on you.

canklecat

I understand the doubts when you get back on the bike. Last week I took the road bike out to a favorite time trial route. I haven't been outdoors on the road bike enough this year and forgot that it's a little twitchy with a shorter stem -- earlier this year I replaced the original 120mm stem for a 90mm. The shorter reach is more comfortable, but demands more attention on curves and rough roads.

The route I took last weekend has a couple of fast curves with wavy ripples in the pavement in some places. I took a bad line on both curves and felt pretty sketchy for a moment, like I might go down -- at 20-25 mph. I held on, didn't overcorrect, but the experience didn't do much for my confidence. So I'm considering putting the original longer stem back on and trying a compact drop bar to get a little more comfort in the drops.

In the entertaining YouTube series "Riding Fixed, Up Mountains With Pros," in a segment featuring Floyd Landis, retired pro Dave Zabriskie admitted the mistake he made was returning to racing after some crashes and injuries had blown his confidence.

I've consciously made changes to minimize my own risk. I enjoy going fast, but it has to be at my own pace or with a compatible friend. I've tried a local fast club's 25-50 mile group rides but I never feel like I mesh with the group. I don't plan to ever race criteriums again, and I'm not willing to risk a crash. So if I do any racing again it'll be time trials only. I'll stick with casual group rides with folks I trust, and do my own solo training.

bobwysiwyg

How true! Mine was not while cycling but certainly sidelined me for quite a while.

We were on vacation in the U.P. of Michigan two years ago, had just arrived actually. Very stormy Autumn day on Lake Superior, rain, wind, high waves. My wife stayed in the car while I went down to the shoreline to take some pics.

There's been almost no beach the past few years do to high lake levels. I was about to snap a pic and tried sidestepping an incoming wave, a little step and wham, caught my foot on something, went over on my left and impacted something in the bank.

I laid in the gravel and rain some minutes, unable to move that leg at all, until my wife wondered what was taking so long. What followed was her flagging down a bird hunter who drove to the ranger station at Lake of the Clouds. They came and got me off the beach. Two ambulance rides later, found myself in a small, 17 bed hospital up in Laurium, MI up in the Keweenaw Peninsula. Great care by the way, thanks Dr. Rauh. After a week we made our way back down to home.

While in the hospital I did some research on my injury. Apparently one in 5 my age who sustain such an injury succumb within a year! I was determined to NOT be one of them.

We returned to the U.P. a year later and I did the 40 miles around the lake.. the ride I had intended to take the previous year.

ColonelSanders

What exactly was your injury? Was it a compound fracture?

bobwysiwyg

No to compound, just a complete lateral fracture. Still have all the hardware in there, rod screwed into the femur head, quite a few screws and bands. Looks like a mini erecter set.

wphamilton

I am impressed by your just getting back on the bike. Even with just a broken clavicle I felt a strong reluctance to it, and if I'd waited longer I think it would have just gotten harder.

I don't have much for tips on getting the conditioning back, especially with a broken leg, except take it as slowly as you need to and you'll regain it naturally.

Cykilist2

I fought with it a little. Kind of came to the same conclusion... I better get on now... it's not going to get any easier to deal with. Went real slow, and even walked up a hill I had zoomed up before. Didn't want any setbacks. <yes, I had envy of my previous self who likes to kick ass on hills> Looks like range of motion is the key, and I've got some routines that I'm deficient in... those are the ones I need to do. The ones that make me cry for mercy after a spell. I'm probably going to be disappointed when my PT shifts over to more of a hospital setting. Thankfully, I've got all these exercises to do, that I plan to do, whether supervised by staff or not. I can always go back to the first guy (PT), whenever I feel the need.

ColonelSanders

That is incredible to look at.


Imagine the poor buggers from a hundred years ago and longer, who copped such an injury.

bobwysiwyg

Yes, I know. We have a family member who is a trauma surgeon at U of M. He link us up with a colleague as my follow-up surgeon after returning to Ann Arbor. He said Dr. Rauh did an excellent job aligning the bones.

I'm guessing without surgery and PT, you'd be in deep weeds for the rest of your life.