7/12/03 by Denis Osowski
Every member of ADCT has had a fall of one kind or another this year and now Allied Decals gets more bad news this week after I managed to take myself out of the A race and Westlake on Tuesday and effectively put myself out of the remainder of the race season.
Through turn 2 of a wet Westlake course, I tried to carry too much speed and the front wheel completely let go pounding me to the ground on my right hip. I slid about 20 feet and came to rest. It didn't look like much as I didn't even tear my shorts or jersey. The pain, however, told a different story. A story I wish I had listened to now.
Even a routine looking wreck can have serious effects and in my case, I suffered an impacted facture of the neck area between the trochanter (the ball part of the hip joint) and the femur. A 90-minute surgery, 3 titanium screws, almost 3 days in the hospital, and 12 more weeks of recovery are only the beginning of this ordeal. There's a good chance that I'll enjoy a 100% recovery but there is also a chance that the blood vessels to the trochanter were torn during the accident or by my movements afterward and that part of the bone may die. What that means to me is that I'll get to receive a hip replacement at 36 years old with at least two more to come in my lifetime.
The moral of this story is; if you wreck or are going to help someone who has wrecked, even if it looked "routine", do not move the victim right away. Stop the traffic, get volunteers to make the scene safe, but try not to move. If I had not moved after my accident I would be sleeping a lot easier right now knowing that, my chance at a 100% recovery would be all but certain. As it is, I get to worry constantly about the ramifications of my actions. After ANY fall, get yourself or the victim together slowly noticing any above expected pain. Road rash is going to hurt but it doesn't hurt in a sudden stabbing way. Move body parts slowly and methodically from the smallest ones to the larger. Don't ignore your pain. Don't just spring up and "walk it off". Be honest about how much you hurt with yourself and your rescuers. Don't take the macho route. If you experience sharp or sudden pain anywhere, call for an ambulance. Moreover, anytime you or another rider hits their head, experiences any neck or back pain, or seems disoriented then an ambulance is definitely required.
My accident looked minor. We've all seen it dozens of times. A rider simply slides out of a turn. Only this time I happened to break a hip with what could be life-altering results. I urge you all to ride safe but when your turn comes, leave your competitive macho self out of it and protect your body!