Caporegime
- Joined
- 13 May 2003
- Posts
- 34,520
- Location
- Warwickshire
After a relatively short campaign, my biking days appear to be numbered, at least for the foreseeable future.
Overtaking a queue of stationary traffic at c.40mph on an A-road, a car driver got bored of waiting in traffic and u-turned in the road without checking his mirrors.
I steered enough to avoid going through his window, but my left leg hit the car's bumper.
I sustained an open fracture to the tibia and fibula, with a degloving injury to the outer left shin and the bone pushed out of the other side of my leg.
This happened in mid November and the result so far is 2 weeks in hospital, 3 operations, an intramedullary tibial nail through the marrow cavity of the tibia, two free flap muscle grafts, a hideous-looking leg that I almost lost, foot drop (how will I change gear?!), lots of time off work, and huge care-related pressures on my family.
On the bright side: I didn't die, I wasn't paralysed, my leg should substantively recover (at least physiologically, if not aesthetically), and the car's bumper somehow missed my knee and ankle.
Be careful people.
WARNING: the following pics may be gross. Do not click the spoiler button if you are squeamish...you have been warned
.
Poor bike in storage:
Hardly any damage right? Most of the damage was to my leg. The bike has since been written off by my insurers...not exactly sure why as I've not seen the report, but they paid a fair settlement figure and I'm not riding it anymore, so it's fine.
Remains of my suit trousers that they cut open in the ambulance:
After the second operation. They've mostly covered the wound with muscle from my right thigh, which helps with blood supply and infection prevention. They left two holes for irrigation, which were closed a week later once the initial swelling had reduced.
Muscle graft donor site (anterolateral thigh free flap):
This is now a long scar. Luckily they managed to close it without needing a further skin graft.
In hospital waiting for the third operation to close the wounds.
At least they leave lube at the end of the bed.
My leg as at right now:
The scar under my knee is where the nail was inserted through the medullary cavity of the tibia.
Prognosis is good, subject mainly to a) successful bony union b) avoiding bone infection and c) lots of physio effort.
The accident happened 2.5 months ago now, and I'm almost crutch-free.
Note: I won't discuss any aspects of blame, legalities, driver fault, third party insurance claims, etc.
Overtaking a queue of stationary traffic at c.40mph on an A-road, a car driver got bored of waiting in traffic and u-turned in the road without checking his mirrors.
I steered enough to avoid going through his window, but my left leg hit the car's bumper.
I sustained an open fracture to the tibia and fibula, with a degloving injury to the outer left shin and the bone pushed out of the other side of my leg.
This happened in mid November and the result so far is 2 weeks in hospital, 3 operations, an intramedullary tibial nail through the marrow cavity of the tibia, two free flap muscle grafts, a hideous-looking leg that I almost lost, foot drop (how will I change gear?!), lots of time off work, and huge care-related pressures on my family.
On the bright side: I didn't die, I wasn't paralysed, my leg should substantively recover (at least physiologically, if not aesthetically), and the car's bumper somehow missed my knee and ankle.
Be careful people.
WARNING: the following pics may be gross. Do not click the spoiler button if you are squeamish...you have been warned
.Poor bike in storage:
Hardly any damage right? Most of the damage was to my leg. The bike has since been written off by my insurers...not exactly sure why as I've not seen the report, but they paid a fair settlement figure and I'm not riding it anymore, so it's fine.
Remains of my suit trousers that they cut open in the ambulance:
After the second operation. They've mostly covered the wound with muscle from my right thigh, which helps with blood supply and infection prevention. They left two holes for irrigation, which were closed a week later once the initial swelling had reduced.
Muscle graft donor site (anterolateral thigh free flap):
This is now a long scar. Luckily they managed to close it without needing a further skin graft.
In hospital waiting for the third operation to close the wounds.
At least they leave lube at the end of the bed.
My leg as at right now:
The scar under my knee is where the nail was inserted through the medullary cavity of the tibia.
Prognosis is good, subject mainly to a) successful bony union b) avoiding bone infection and c) lots of physio effort.
The accident happened 2.5 months ago now, and I'm almost crutch-free.
Note: I won't discuss any aspects of blame, legalities, driver fault, third party insurance claims, etc.
Meh
