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I'm done till spring

795 views 19 replies 18 participants last post by  Evil Con-fecal 
#1 ·
I just spent 4hrs in the emergency room last night for a neck injury. Yesterday I went off a new jump that I had built, but didn't have narly enough speed. My froont wheel hit the tip of the landing ramp hard which sent me over the handlebars landing hard on my head/neck. I couldn't breathe for about 3 min and just sat there moaning on the ground until i was able to take some small breathes. I made my way back to my house thinkuing that I would feem better if i lay down for a while. I lay down and found it was still hard to breathe and it was hard to move my neck. So I told my mom and she called the doctor. It was at this time that i puller up my shirt and found my chest was sticking out farther than usual. I drove to the doctor where a nurse checked me out and then called an ambulance to take me to the hospital. They lay me down on a flat board and strapped my in so tight that i couldn't move my neck or head at all. They loaded me in and we sped down the highway with the siren on until we got to the hospital. I got some xrays and a Cat Scan and after about 4 hrs in the emergency room, they told me i was going to be okay but I had to take it easy for a couple of days. Guys, I am in so much pain that it hurts to move. I am just telling you guys, that if you are ever trying something new, but in your gut you feel like you will get hurt doing it. DONT DO IT. I felt that in my gut but didn't pay attention to it. Now I am lucky to still be able to walk. Just be carefull guys and always wear a helmet.
 
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#3 ·
I'll do drops

I am in my 30's, so dirt jumping is a bit out of my realm anymore, but I still like to do drops with my beloved Bullit! :D I know I can still get hurt, but for some reason, just going down, instead of up and then back down seems a bit more tame....
 
#5 ·
MTBSully said:
I just spent 4hrs in the emergency room last night for a neck injury. Yesterday I went off a new jump that I had built, but didn't have narly enough speed. My froont wheel hit the tip of the landing ramp hard which sent me over the handlebars landing hard on my head/neck. I couldn't breathe for about 3 min and just sat there moaning on the ground until i was able to take some small breathes. I made my way back to my house thinkuing that I would feem better if i lay down for a while. I lay down and found it was still hard to breathe and it was hard to move my neck. So I told my mom and she called the doctor. It was at this time that i puller up my shirt and found my chest was sticking out farther than usual. I drove to the doctor where a nurse checked me out and then called an ambulance to take me to the hospital. They lay me down on a flat board and strapped my in so tight that i couldn't move my neck or head at all. They loaded me in and we sped down the highway with the siren on until we got to the hospital. I got some xrays and a Cat Scan and after about 4 hrs in the emergency room, they told me i was going to be okay but I had to take it easy for a couple of days. Guys, I am in so much pain that it hurts to move. I am just telling you guys, that if you are ever trying something new, but in your gut you feel like you will get hurt doing it. DONT DO IT. I felt that in my gut but didn't pay attention to it. Now I am lucky to still be able to walk. Just be carefull guys and always wear a helmet.
Good luck!

... and even better advice, what you said about listening to your inner self...there's always another day to hit 'that' drop or jump...

not trying to patronize ya... I had a very bad head/neck injury... riding xc! it can happen to any of us at anytime...

So, healing vibes to ya man! I had to learn the hard way just like you dude.. ya gotta 'know' you're gonna 'do it'. Or skip it till another day. I tore tendons in my wrist and albow 'ignoring that voice' myself.

Also, for me, it's being too tired or too bonked... gotta know when to fold 'em. Every time I have gotten hurt significantly I have been way tired and had no food.

I feel for ya man.
 
#6 ·
MTBSully said:
My froont wheel hit the tip of the landing ramp hard which sent me over the handlebars landing hard on my head/neck. I couldn't breathe for about 3 min and just sat there moaning on the ground until i was able to take some small breathes.
Did a similar thing a month or so ago. Landed in the bottom of the tranny on the 2nd jump in a 6 pack, decided to keep going, but didn't quite make it over the next one... DUH. Nose in on the top of the jump and head/neck/chest first into the next one, no hands out. I had also broken a rib from about 2 weeks before that, that didn't fare too well, so now it sticks out a little further than the rest after that. I thought I was never going to get to breathe again after hitting the ground, I rolled around and moaned and looked like an idiot for what seemed like an eternity. :rolleyes: I was fortunate enough to not suffer any neck/back injuries though, but I did pull some muscles near the bottom of my rib cage, shoulders and pectorals that made everyday life shitty for a few weeks.

Heal up quick and pdirt said it best... "know when to fold 'em"
 
#7 ·
Yeah - it pains me to say this, but you learn as you get older that "toughing it out" when you should be resting after an injury during your earlier years (20's) can make it increasingly difficult to do the things that you want to do later. I'm 32 now and my multiple wrist / ankle fractures can make it difficult at times, I usually get up sore and find that I really have to watch how I land when I am crashing, as it now requires less trauma to leave my right ankle and wrist out of commission for a few days.

Point being, it's better to take the time to rest when you are recovering than to push it and end up burning out or quitting a sport that you love because you have destroyed your body by not allowing sufficient recovery time. There's nothing wrong with taking time off - especially when it is to insure that you'll be riding when you're older instead of sitting on you @ss watching football and talking about the good ol' days.
 
#8 ·
1st: hope you heal up quick.
2nd: I may be mistaken here, but were you alone at the time of the accident?

If you were alone, then the lesson to learn here is that if you are going to try something new, at least wait until you have a friend along in case something (like this) happens! I never try anything risky for the first time alone. That could make the difference between being injured or something much worse.

Knowing "when to fold em" is key. Whenever I'm having a great day and I find myself tired but not wanting to stop, I usually have that moment of doubt when I think "ok, call it a day, you can always jump more tomorrow ..." And I'm not even a very good jumper, all the more reason to quit while I'm ahead. My only broken bone (radius) came after jumping over and over one day when temps were in the 90sF, I knew I was fatigued but I was having so much fun I didn't care. I got sloppy and crashed. I should have known better.

One of my best friends had a serious jumping accident last year. He was hitting a sequence of gaps, 9' ... 22' ... 15', the latter being more of a 'kicker'. After HOURS of riding and jumping he crashed, so hard he actually broke his Super T and rang his bell pretty good. You would think that would have been enough to call it a day, but he had his hardtail in the truck so he just swapped bikes and continued jumping.

An hour later he took a very serious spill on the final 15' kicker. He was laid out cold and didn't come to for a few minutes. Paramedics came, took him to the ER, and a few hours later I waited with him for a helicopter to pick him up and take him to a larger hospital with a neurosurgeon on staff. Broken bone in his neck.

The happy ending here is the injury was actually 'minor' for a broken neck and he recovered fully. Now when we jump (and he does jump again) he and everyone else sort of pays more attention to fatigue or when you're just not having a good day.

Get well soon and take your PT seriously if/when it comes time for it. You will be back to 100%.
 
#10 ·
bullit71 said:
I am in my 30's, so dirt jumping is a bit out of my realm anymore, but I still like to do drops with my beloved Bullit! :D I know I can still get hurt, but for some reason, just going down, instead of up and then back down seems a bit more tame....
So true. I am 30 now and have been snowboarding for 13 years. I used to live in the park, but now I feel so much more comfortable dropping 20-30' than hitting the booters they build anymore.

The same goes for my bike. I psyche myself out on hits, but have no problem dropping 10' between trees. Strange.

Plus, turning 30 really made me realize the need for helmets. I cracked my Protec Freeride on a rock last weekend snowboarding. Scary. Would have been my head...
 
#12 ·
MTBSully said:
I just spent 4hrs in the emergency room last night for a neck injury. Yesterday I went off a new jump that I had built, but didn't have narly enough speed. My froont wheel hit the tip of the landing ramp hard which sent me over the handlebars landing hard on my head/neck. I couldn't breathe for about 3 min and just sat there moaning on the ground until i was able to take some small breathes. I made my way back to my house thinkuing that I would feem better if i lay down for a while. I lay down and found it was still hard to breathe and it was hard to move my neck. So I told my mom and she called the doctor. It was at this time that i puller up my shirt and found my chest was sticking out farther than usual. I drove to the doctor where a nurse checked me out and then called an ambulance to take me to the hospital. They lay me down on a flat board and strapped my in so tight that i couldn't move my neck or head at all. They loaded me in and we sped down the highway with the siren on until we got to the hospital. I got some xrays and a Cat Scan and after about 4 hrs in the emergency room, they told me i was going to be okay but I had to take it easy for a couple of days. Guys, I am in so much pain that it hurts to move. I am just telling you guys, that if you are ever trying something new, but in your gut you feel like you will get hurt doing it. DONT DO IT. I felt that in my gut but didn't pay attention to it. Now I am lucky to still be able to walk. Just be carefull guys and always wear a helmet.
dude that sounds bad, im srry. dotn wrry though the docs wil take good care of u, they did for me i was out building a ramp in the woods and i stepped on a screw it went into my heel and in the bone, got infected and it was bad. they had to put a picc line in, (look up on google if u wana c what it is) had to get a iv done everday and stuff but im almost done with it after 6 weeks. good luck man
 
#13 ·
that really sucks dude, that just got me to thinking. About a week ago we made the jumps alot steeper and added some height onto em. So i gohit the first jump, tweak it but dont pull it back all the way taking away some of my speed, so i hit the second jump (its about 3-4' with a verticle lip and a 8-9' gap) and suddenly find myself about to nose case it. I pull up on my bars and push down on my pedals as hard as possible and manage to 50-50 case it instead of nose casing it. I went over the bars and rolled down the rest of the landing. i stood up, gave a good laugh, dusted myself off and went for it again. I now realize how lucky i was...

After that Scottl came by and we build the first jump up to 4+' and straight up. (scott was the one to post those huge 20+ foot road gap pics a while ago) So scott didnt bring his cowan so i was the only one there who could hit it. So for the first time in a really long time i decided to follow the feeling in my gut and not hit it yet. ( i have gone back and hit it now and you get atleast 8' high- crazy shiznit! ) so i am thankful for not doing it now that i think about it.

Get well soon!
 
#14 ·
Thanks for the kind words guys.. I was right in my backyard during the accident so i didn't think i really needed anyone there with me. I will rest up this winter and go easy with snowboarding so as i am ready for spring. Maybe then i won't be stupid.
 
#15 ·
if i would have followed my gut feeling, i would have saved myself the trouble of breaking 2 collar bones, 2 wrists, and a knee injury during last season...for me though, its wasnt really the feeling i had before the stunts...iv hit them before a couple of times and landed safely--its the fact that during the roll-ins to the drops/jumps, i lost my focus for a split second, causing me to fall. by that i mean that during the rolling, i took my thought off the jump and though about somthing else, like how to style up while im in the air, or having second thoughts about the jump. all those times, i should of stoped, got off the line, and hit another day. you guys are right. if your not feelin it, dont go through with it. i now follow a rule, if i dont go through with it on the second try, i aint gonna hit it at all. all 5 time's iv fallen hard, i would do many run ups and think to much of it. as long as i have a clear mind, ima hit it.
 
#18 ·
El Chingon said:
As you get older and start having kids, you will learn to trust that voice explicitly.
Kids aren't even required; just getting "old" does it. At least for me (37). :D

MTBSully, heal fast! Hard lessons are often the best learned. I definitely listen to my "little voice" more and more as I get older.

Like all the animals that bugged out before the tsunami hit, I do think - sometimes - we have a sixth sense about things... Unless beer is part of the equation, then it's down to two senses...one?....alright, zero. :rolleyes: :D
 
#19 ·
i am sorry to hear that man.....

last wednesday a co-worker, me and a friend were out riding and i found this 5 footish drop to flat that you can gap out as far as you want into the street. i rolled up to it and it looked ok. (the whole day the wind had been gusting over 40mph). the drop launches u perpendicular to the wind so it hits your side. anyways i get a ton of speed and huck off this thing fine. nice and straight. when i was in the air the wind caught my wheels and made my bike tilt in the air and i took my right foot off in the air to counter balance.....i ended up landing on one wheel and my foot... my foot to the brunt of the impact. i ate Sh!t hard. i couldnt put weight amd still cant a week later (now) on my right heel. i still have a purple and yellow bruise from the wreck. what makes this story worse is the next day the shop i work for was closing down and leaving to go to jackson hole to go snowboarding. i was pissed off. and my foot still hurts, ontop of that i need a new rear derailler as well it got rocked since i landed on the drive side....

in august there is a similiar story. my friend and i were all packed up to go to tahoe for four days. needless to say i went riding the night before we were supposed to leave and i ate it. this time i landed on my chest and left elbow and bounced. i bruised my elbow really bad. I couldnt move the joint for like two weeks. it sucked. i am gonna stop riding the night before i go on trips and when the wind is blowing like hell...

get well soon man and rip it up in the summer but take it easy for now so you can heal 100%.
 
#20 ·
Amen

El Chingon said:
As you get older and start having kids, you will learn to trust that voice explicitly.
If I feel sketchy on anything, even if I have done it dozens of times before, I skip it. Injuries suck, and lingering injuries suck harder. Having injured my neck, I feel for you MTBSully. Heeling vibes your way, listen to your Doc, and really do your physical therapy when the time comes. Good Luck!
 
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