One Month Later

Today marks one month ago from the incident we don't speak of...a little "The Village" pun for you. I'm still battle pain in my pelvic region each time I walk. But I would rather face the pain than just sit at home everyday. My exercise today included almost 4 hours of walking. Almost 2 this morning and another 2 this afternoon. Went to West Portal this morning after a long walk through the Forest Hill neighborhood of the city. If you live in the city, I highly recommend checking this area out. I am continually blown away by all the cool spots in this city that I am sure most people have never seen before. Then I stopped and got some coffee at Noah's Bagels in West Portal. Its been my little coffee stop recently on the way to SF State. They have free refills which is awesome. I got totally amped to the point where I was getting the jitters. Probably only eating a banana all morning didn't help either. But I was saving myself for brunch with Wendy in Mill Valley at Dipsea. It was super delicious. Went with a greek omelette, red potatoes and homemade biscuit. Wendy went for the salmon-avocado omelette but didn't feel too good. so I ate it for her =) I was feeling a little gluttonous this morning but it did count for two meals(breakfast and lunch) and I had walked a lot so stop judging! =) It was great catching up with her. We hadn't seen each other since May so lots of news to share between us. Lots of cyclists out in marin today. Definitely missed it, but I will be back shortly.

So Diana went for a 15min ride on her stationary bike at home. I'm super happy for her. So now she has 10 more minutes of riding than I do in the last month =) But I walked 4 hours today so that has to count for something right? I head back east to visit her this Wed. Very much looking forward to it. This will be my 4th trip in the last month. Pretty crazy stuff. We have big plans for 2008, so keep watching the blog as details will be unravelled in the coming weeks.

Time to eat now, so I bid you adieu and a safe and happy week ahead.

Adieu,
matthew

The Comeback Begins...

Yesterday, while visiting family in TN, I met with a neurosurgeon to get some additional guidance on my C7 situation. After leaving Westchester Medical Center without much to go on except, "you will be in the collar for 6-8 weeks." Basically, i get to now take a shower without a collar. Its pretty much Christmas in August for me. I waited until this morning before my early flight to take my first collar-less shower since July 25, just to build up the excitement. And yes it was truly amazing.

Also took the first step to what will now be referred to as my comeback story. On Sunday morning prior to taking my little sister to college, I rode my brother's road bike for 5 minutes around the driveway and up it. The driveway is no Col de Galibier but it does have a nice little pitch to it. I stayed in the saddle and rode "tempo" to the top of the driveway before going into the drops and descending the 400ft of driveway. I think I probably hit 32km/h! I got off and my pelvis hurt a lot but no pain, no gain right? So Sunday, Aug 19 is now known as the start of my comeback. 2010, Le Tour. Today is Tuesday or C-Day + 2.

The neurosurgeon said I will have to keep the collar on till my followup appointment on Sept 20. Based on his analysis the bones appear to set well together from my original images and should heal properly barring no trauma. I will get some additional images on this appointment and hopefully it will be a no collar day after that.

So this blog could be taking a new direction in the coming weeks. You will just have to keep reading to find out what surprises await. I do want to thank all the people who have kept their get-well thoughts coming. Its definitely helped.

Adieu,
Matthew

Hit by Truck Day +23

Perhaps I should go after a new topic besides getting hit by a truck. Its difficult to think of new material, just because every day I am reminded that my body is broken and that I cheated death. Yesterday, I was perusing my typical web haunts, Cyclingnews.com. There was a story about a pro italian woman rider. She was recently struck by a truck and suffered multiple fractures including vertebrae, pelvis, scapula, and clavicle. She is on the road to recovery. The end of her little bit struck me the most. She talked about getting hit and how it has changed her. She said getting hit seems almost like a right of passage in pro riding. The more I research cycling injuries, the more I realize how too often cyclists are injured by autos. Unfortunately, some don't get to make a comeback. I'm looking forward to my comeback and everyone on the road should watch out because its game on for me =)

Diana and I were speaking yesterday and we both mentioned how much the whole being hit by a truck thing has changed our outlook. Before I was taken out by a truck, I would hear about cyclists being injured. I would sympathize but thats about all I was capable of doing. Until you have faced death or near-death, you don't understand it. Everyone has but incredible supportive of us both, but one thing people can't give is an understanding of what its like to be climbing alpine cols one week and weeks later, getting excited about getting out of bed without help and walking across the room. Life is put into perspective real quick. As I continually will say, I think of this experience as a defining moment in my life. Since I awoke to consciousness on the side of the road, I have done my best at keeping it light and trying to laugh and joke as much as possible. I was probably the most sarcastic, joking patient the EMS ever had to backboard. Its definitely accelerated my healing evident in the fact that I am now walking without a limp about 95% of the time. This is a huge step considering I was using a crutch last Friday. I know my parents are going to be blown away by my recovery when I see them in a few hours. In no way is the pain gone, but its becoming more and more manageable each day. I think the majority of the pain in the pelvis now is due in fact to the tightness in the muscles and tissue that has suffered extreme atrophy and stiffness from keeping my leg stiff. It looks like I might need some physical therapy but hopefully I can work it out solo with my foam roller and stretching. If it wasn't for this oppressive neck collar, it would be quite difficult to know that I was run over by a truck 3 weeks ago.

Tomorrow I am taking my little sister Megan to college with my parents. She is part of the class of 2011 at University of Tennessee-Knoxville. Its unbelievable that she is going to college. I know she will do well like everyone else has done. No pressure on her though =) I consider my duties to be maybe lifting a little bit, as my shoulder is still weak, setting up the computer, and being supportive for my empty-nesting parents. Plus also giving Megan a hard time. Later today I am going to the wedding of Anna Soike. The Soike's are great family friends of ours. I want to wish Anna, her future husband Trey, and both families a great day.

Now here are some ramblings I have. For those of you that don't know, I run a community sailing program for San Francisco State University. It supports my cycling habit. I like to think that I am responsible for teaching kids in San Francisco how to sail. Anytime you are working with kids, you get good remarks and attitudes from parents and then sometimes you get bad ones. This past week seemed to be filled with bad ones. Monday, a parent pulled her kid out because the kids weren't her age, she was 10 most of the kids were 12. What she didn't know was there was another 10yr old who was sick on day 1. I am sure the kid was a little overwhelmed on the first day, but I know they would have enjoyed it had they stuck with it. So parents, sometimes its okay to force your kids to do something even if the kid resists. If this wasn't the case, you would probably see only enrollment in school at 20%. Now this is not to say that you should live vicariously through your kids and continually force them into stuff they dislike but its okay to be a hawk at times rather than a lame duck. Yesterday, Friday, I received another call from "concerned" parent. After listening to the 5minute voicemail, I called the parent to discuss. First off, never leave a 5 minute voicemail. It annoys me and most others to no end and doesn't do much to help your story or concern. It frustrates me to no end because its typically a message that can be said in 30seconds but is repeated 6x. I'm not stupid, I understood it the first time. Okay, so when I called this woman, she went into her spill again. I ended up holding the phone away from my ear for quite a bit. Mainly out of spite. Her grievances...well, her daughter hurt her back while carrying a boat on Thursday. For her injury, I am sorry. I would never want to see a kid get hurt or put a kid in a position where they might get injured. I had spoken with my instructor the day prior regarding this girl and he indicated that no one got hurt and noted how little work this girl did in class. I taught several of these girls at my earlier spring break camp. They were all great girls but I was definitely aware that a few of them were not too eager at participating in the loading and unloading of boats and gear. For me, carrying boats, setting boats up is just as important as learning how to make the boat move. Its all about teaching responsibility both on the water and off because when you are on the water, you can easily find yourself without assistance. You must be prepared to handle all situations as if no one would ever come to your rescue. I think that is one of the greatest things about learning how to sail. Kids are babied enough in school and extra-curriculars. Now sailing is not perfect but it does go well beyond tball or flag football or dance. Not to discount those activities. Now that I have given my feelings, here is my grievance...

The parent stressed how her daughter is not that strong, "she doesn't have a lot of muscle, she is not athletic. She is an intellectual, a musician, a singer." Okay, so this woman is essentially excusing her daughter from all physical things because she is not athletic. HOW IN THE WORLD COULD A PARENT OR ANYONE DEFINE WHAT 14YR OLD GIRL IS OR NOT IS? This is the same naive attitude that I hear in cycling..."ohh, I didn't do well in the criterium, b/c I'm not a sprinter, or I won't do a road race because I am a sprinter and can't climb." Why is everyone so quick to try to define themselves what they are or not, and what good is this woman doing to her daughter by defining her and creating an attitude for her daughter what her capabilities are and aren't at 14!? Then she had the audacity to say that she new there were plenty of strong boys in the class that should be doing the heavy lifting. Have we not made an improvement in the gender war? I know that we all have our limitations but sailing for me has always been an arena where boys and girls can compete and enjoy sailing equally. Case in point, if you look at the recent 29er European championships or the Youth Worlds in 29ers, both of these events were won by two american girls who beat a lot of very competitive girl and boy boats. Just because she is a girl should never be her get out of lifting boats or doing physical work card. If her mother was smart, she would encourage her daughter to take up some form of athletics or atleast encourage her to remain physically active. I am sure Harvard or Stanford would much rather have her if you she had some physical fitness. Yes, that is a swipe at Harvard and Stanford =) Maybe I am just hoping for too much from parents. I'm no parent, but I have taught enough kids in sailing to know a little bit about things that work and don't work. Despite these two bad, parent events this week, the program has experienced a lot of praise from parents and kids alike. Seeing the kids laugh and actually learn something and take responsibility is the most satisfying part in this world were kids grow up with this feeling of entitlement. Atleast one person thinks I have some good insight as I was quoted in a child-rearing book a few years ago. The book is called, Sign Me Up. I am on 4 pages so I think I'm kind of a big deal. Now if I could just get the college team I coach to take more pride and responsibility in their work then I will be happy. So if anyone from CMA Sailing is reading this, I'm talking directly to you =) So see you in a few weeks and I hope you are ready for year 3.

Adieu,
Matthew

My Return as Human Being

Yesterday was a pretty big day for me. I noticed I started walking about 70% of the day without a noticable limp. I'm pretty proud of myself. Also, when I was laying in bed trying to wake myself up at 6:20am, I instinctively put my left hand behind my head without any pain whatsoever. It took me a few seconds to realize what I was doing and but quite exciting. The docs said it would be 3 weeks for the scapula and pelvis to heal. I think the bones are probably healed or nearly healed but everything is really tight which is probably causing the prolonged pain. My IT Band is wicked tight so I will have to put some major time on the roller. It was pretty painful to walk this morning so hopefully it just needs to get stretched out some. Perhaps some PT.

Laying in bed last night I started to flex my legs and noticed I had lost quite a bit of muscle in the quads. I know I will get it back but frustrating to know all the work I did has now beginning to waste away. Should be more motivation for me to get back to an even higher level. Maybe this is like a whole blessing in disguise. All the great champions had to make a comeback from some form of injury, illness, or setback. So, perhaps this is the time that I will really shine now that I am making my comeback. I read that Henk Vogels, of Toyota United Pro Cycling Team, had a serious crash in 2003 in which he fractured his C7 as well. It took him a year to get back but he is back and riding professionally. Definitely encouraged by this. From what everyone is saying, I am healing very quickly and look better every day. Rome wasn't built in a day, so I can't expect to be Post-Vaujany shape but Shawn and I are going to work up a tough fall program that will get in me primo shape for the early spring season which I hope to get the final points needed to upgrade to Cat 2. Also planning on a longer European program next year. So if anyone knows of any French amatuer teams, I would greatly appreciate the contact information. What will these teams get? Well, a hard-toothed american boy that will suffer on the front all day.

Monday I meet with a neurosurgeon for a followup. I'm hoping he will say that things are improving well, and I can take the collar off atleast to take a shower. I don't expect to get the collar off till mid september but a little brief time out of it to take a shower would be nice. My little sister Megan is moving into her dorm room on Sunday. I'm going to help her move in as best I can. Kind of monumental for my family as she is the last one to leave the nest and I was the first.

Adieu,
Mathieux

Back in SF

I am back at "home" now in San Francisco, just 10 days after I originally planned to return, what? Haven't you heard about all the delays at airports lately? Being the stubborn guy that I am, I decided to take BART from SFO to the SFSU campus. So I shlepped my bag around which was probably about 35lbs around the airport, on BART and to campus. I did crack and paid for a 1.5mi cab ride from the Daly City BART station to campus which was nearly $8.00. The free shuttle to campus was running late. I managed to get a little work done on campus. Nettie was awesome and gave me a ride back home but not before giving me some homemade grilled vegi pasta which was pretty much the bomb!

On Saturday, i met my friend Christina for a nice late morning breakfast at Crepes on Cole in the Cole Valley neighborhood. Pelvis was pretty sore but it was nice to walk around and get out of the house for a little bit. Then Christina totally surprised me with some great new literature, a book of movie quotes from Napoleon Dynamite. It was pretty awesome.

I have been sleeping much better since getting back. The temperatures are much cooler here which has been such a relief from the heat in TN. Spent most of the afternoon today at my cycling team's picnic on Crissy Field. Great to see everyone. I think I told the story of getting hit by a truck like 30times. Unfortunately my neck bling says, "look at me and ask me what happened." Seeing all the people on bikes here in the city has made me jealous that i can't be out riding, but its also made me extremely cautious. I'm sure i will get more adjusted and not think to much about it, but the reality of getting run over by a truck is slowly sitting in which is causing me to think more about the severity of my injuries. I'm still super motivated to go ride and train. Diana is healing well. She is getting around more on her feet but is getting eager to get out of the house which i completely understand. She wont' be down too long.

Enjoy the start of your week, and remember to keep it real. Hope to get some new recipes out to you this week. Right now my dinners consist of salads. Hope to break out some new stuff this week.

Adieu,
Matthew

Two weeks of "recovery"

So today marks the two-week anniversary of being plowed over by a truck. I say that because, we didn't wreck our bikes or were involved in an "accident." We were taken out by a truck which to this moment makes me still wonder how I am still here today because you don't get hit by a truck at 40-50mph and live to tell about it, let alone write a blog about it. I was definitely being watched over by something higher. They always say things happen for a reason. Its difficult to understand why Diana and I were struck by this tragedy, however, its the difficult moments that define one's life. Now, I consider myself just an average bloke who for some odd reason just loves riding my bike, but the entire experience has altered my outlook on life and made me realize how quickly things can change. Since I have returned to my parents house, I have run into so many people who have heard my story and have sent their condolences. Many of these people I have not seen in years or do not know at all. All the thoughts and prayers from everyone have really aided in the recovery.

Now, I am a pretty stubborn person. I probably push myself and deny pain longer than I should but its just difficult for me to accept that i am injured. On Tuesday this week, I ran errands with my mom and sister. I was on my feet for a couple of hours but managed to do the majority of the walking around without the crutch. Although, i was a very slow walker, which might be a welcome change for some who have walked with me b/c I typically walk fast b/c of my long stride, I felt so proud of leaving the crutch. I definitely paid for my adventure yesterday with a very sore pelvis that really limited my mobility. Today is much better. I think I am going to trade the crutch in for a cane. Should make me look a little more GQ. I have been experiencing a lot of numbness in my right arm from the crutch which is not good when that is your good arm.

Part of me is still in deep denial of the entire event. I never considered myself someone that has experienced any traumatic injury but when I look at it from the outside, it was incredibly traumatic. I was hit by a truck, knocked unconscious, and flown to a hospital by helicopter for 6 days and left with 7 fractures including a broken vertebrae in my neck. It would be easy to ride the dependency train, but I dont' consider my injuries serious. Again, my denial checking in. But when i look at the problems faced by other people or the stuff I saw at the hospital, you realize that there is always someone worse off than you. I think if all the complainers in the world would take a minute and realize what they have and realize that there is someone else in worse shape, we, as humans, could heal and make the world a better place. The everyday issues we all face are so insignificant that our narrow-mindedness gets in the way of the true problems facing us. Two days ago, the Fed left the interest rates set at 5.25%. Now, who does that really affect? Yet, the news analysis plasters the print and airwaves. I am on a little soapbox now, but my experience has really opened up a whole new view of life for me so if you are getting exhausted stop reading but I would suggest you not =)

The mining accident in Utah is a major tragedy but if you have followed any of the verbiage from the company CEO you have to be totally exhausted with his words. Instead of talking about how hard they are working to save those minor's lives and how their company will stand by those families, the guy goes into discussing how important coal is for the American economy. I have never seen a person dig themselves so deep and continue to dig a hole of shame without anyone stepping forward to stop him. Now, we all say stuff we dont' always mean when under stress but stressing the importance of the economy over the lives of the minors is so far off base and ridiculous, i would be looking as a worker or shareholder of the company to fire the entire executive committee and put into place a group of individuals who value human life over satisfying some financial bottom line.

Okay, so enough side-commentary from me. But this is my blog and I can write what I want =)

Good news out of New York, Diana returned home on Tuesday. She is recovering at home. She is facing the same problems I did of getting in and out of bed and just getting around but I am so proud of her accomplishments. I know she will continue to improve and gain strength over the coming weeks. A month ago, we were racing in the French Alps on bikes, now we are both hobbling around the house. So quickly things can change, but I said earlier, its the difficult times that define one's life. So I expect us both to make full recoveries and hopefully we provide inspiration to others or do something that brings a positive out of this experience.

The more time that has gone by, I realize this is my 2nd chance, a clean slate if you will. I so dearly want to get back on the bike but I know I have to wait. My motivation is so high right now to see what I can accomplish on the bike. I'm already preparing myself for the hardest fall and winter training I have ever experienced. Fortunately, I enjoy the training, often even more than the actual competition. The biggest competition we face is always with ourselves, which I think attracts me to cycling more than any other sport. I have experienced moments have pure exhaustion and humiliation as well as moments of great performance. All are remembered and enjoyed because mistakes I think are the best education. Case in point, Cascade Classic Stage 4. Never have I in my riding did I ride so poorly. But after I got over the fact on the first lap that it just wasn't my day, I rode the rest of the 48mi with more enthusiasm and pride than in some of my best races. A watershed moment in my cycling career, to steal a word from an old econ professor of mine.

Being off the bike also has made me think about what i can do thats more than just pedalling yet still impact cycling. Now, the idea is still very high level, but I want to use my experience and put it to good use by starting some non-profit, trust, etc that emphasizes co-existence on the streets with autos and bikes. The primary focus would be helping cyclists who are injured and need financial and legal assistance, or just simply a venue for people to discuss their accident or experience with others. Now this seems very benevolent or utopian, but I think it would be valuable. I always wonder how these orgs start out but its just people who have an experience and want to help others. I don't expect to change the world, but if I can help one person get the care they need after a cycling accident then i think thats an accomplishment. Of course this gets me thinking really big, b/c its either go big or go home. So I would have this non-profit and have affiliations with cycling advocacy groups and host rides and events to raise money and more importantly awareness of this great sport. I never thought the places cycling would take me, but in my short time as a "cyclist" I have been all over the country and outside the country. As Einstein described it, the bicycle is the greatest invention.

I know I will have plenty of time over the coming months and years to work on my idea but I want everyone who reads this to think be aware of it, but I hope that I will find the continued support from each of you.

So go open that garage, dust off that frame, pump those tires, and go for a bike ride. Whether its around the block or around a country, it will surprise you at the pleasure you receive from such a simple activity. And if you don't enjoy it, just go riding b/c I can't! for atleast another 3 weeks =)

Cheers,
Matthew

Trucks & Bikes Part Deux

Sorry to leave everyone on the edge, but you know I am kind of an edgy guy =)

Okay, so after going endless rounds of q&a with the overeager med students, I finally made my way to the CT Scan and the XRay. Xrays are pretty straightforward and quick, but CTs are painfully slow and require you to remain absolutely still while you are under this plastic dome. Afterwards, I was probed with xrays and other electro-nuclear-whatever waves, I was wheeled back to the hallway. I guess they ran out of room, b/c I was abadoned in the hallway and left laying on the hardboard, which was incredibly uncomfortable. throughout the whole first 4 days, my back was in incredible spasm. The only relief I could get was by bending my legs which helped aleviate the stress on the back, not ideal but it was my first grade solution to the problem.

A little later, I was wheeled back into the ER. The residents now were pouring in with some serious questions for me. Up to this point, i had only pain in my left shoulder and left pelvis. I thought that was it, but it would soon get a little more serious. The orthopedic resident questioned me if I had any pain in my neck. I said I didn't, then he started feeling on the lower part of my neck and found a definitie tender spot. I told him it hurt and he told me, well it should because you have a crack in your vertebrae. Okay, so things are getting a little serious now. Now the focus was making sure I had movement in my legs and good strength. Through a miracle, movement in my arms, legs and feet were perfect. Maybe it was all the cycling that gave me strong legs =) So now I have a fracture(s) in my: C7 vertebrae, T4 process, T5 process, left scapula, and 3 in my left pelvis. B/c of the inability for the left hand to inform the right hand of what was going on in the Westchester Medical Center, the medical people never gave me a final count of my injuries until Tuesday morning, 5 days after being hit. Pretty ridiculous.

The first night was pretty awful. I made my way to my room. I had a nurse call button but apparently it doesn't seem to work to well with the nightshift. My meds were wearing off, and pain in my back was getting worse. It eventually took the nurses about 35min to respond to my calls after finally losing it and yelling. At this point pain had gone from the level 6 to level 10. My back was in awful shape and I couldn't do anything to get rid of it. Finally they arrived I let them have it. Got a muscle relaxer which helped but i was so angered by the response time.

The next day, the pain was pretty bad but i was learing to deal with the circumstances a little bit better. This is where my motivation to start helping myself starts. When the nurses weren't around, I snuck in a few turns on my side which offered incredible relief to my back. When I told the nurses what I did. I told them in spite and with sarcasm like a little kid that broke the rules and not admitting it just to prove he could do whatever he wanted. Small battles in life i guess =) Finally, I sweet talked one nurse into helping me turn over for a few minutes. I like to think it was my good looks and soft voice but it was probably more sympathy, but for all records we will go with the former. So for the first 4 days my view was the ceiling and nothing else. I begged one nurse to move my bed under the tv so the angle was good enough for me to view. This nurse was stubborn and couldn't quite grasp the idea of just moving my entire bed, not changing the angle at all. But she was completely against it. Unbelievable. So you you talk to a less suspecting nurse and you coerce them to raise your bed to an angle that allows some tv viewing. At this point, any distraction besides the guy next to me in the room is good enough.

I won't go into details over days 2-5 because it just seems that the days never ended and I never had a clock so there was no concept of time. Basically every day was the same, no answers from the doctors, endless checking of vital signs and the food people asking what I wanted to eat, which was nothing. Every day this woman would ask what I wanted for lunch and dinner. Since I was on a no food/liquid diet it was pretty easy. For the record, i didn't have a sip of water from thursday's ride till monday afternoon. Its one way to lose weight an increase that power to weight ratio on the bike, but probably not the healthiest. Once i could eat, all i wanted was fruit. the narcotics make you incredibly naseauous and laying in bed all day doesn't really do much for your metabolism. But they couldn't even do a plate of fruit for me. I asked strictly for nothing but fruit and yogurt. And I received hambugers, french fries, and weird chicken stuff. What is the deal?! Breakfast consisted of a little oatmeal and some fruit. I figure I lost 5-6lbs.

On Monday, day 5 I made my first steps. Kind of monumental, like a babies first steps. The night before I had sat up in my bed b/c I was fed up with laying flat. I told the nurses the next day and they weren't too happy with me but they were curious how I did it. I just told them I sat myself up and it felt great! Again, small battle wins. It also helped to have a lot of good core strength, so everyone should be doing their swiss ball core exercises =) The first steps were pretty difficult. I had never used a crutch before. now i'm pretty pro but the beginning was a little bit of learning. The goal was to walk a little bit. i talked the nurse into allowing me to walk across to diana's room which was about 30ft directly across the hallway. I had to stop 3/4 of the way and sit down in a chair b/c I thought I was going to black out. Once I regained my wit, I pursued on my quest to see diana. I finally made it and told the nurse I was going to stay here and he can come and get me later. I'm usually one to ask for permission but by this time in the hospital I was directing and telling the staff what I was going to do. Stubborness that would come to light later in my recovery. It felt so empowering to be able to walk again. This was the first time I was able to see Diana since we left each other at the scene. I was so happy to see her and we just sat and talked for the next hour. It was good for both of us b/c the experience we shared was so intense that no one else seemed to be able to fully connect to it.

The next day, my ambitions got bigger. So that means walking more. After the nurses left and my family left for some food I snuck out of my room to Diana's room. I think i was there for 2 or more hours. No one could find me. It was quite funny b/c the nurses were not too happy. They were looking to give me a sponge bath but my brother was the only one they could find. Finally i was spotted and I told them I won't be taking a bath this evening. I felt pretty dictator like =)

Wed, day 6 was another day of testing and walking. I learned how to walk up and down steps which can be a little tricky with a single crutch. I passed with flying colors then told my pt person that I was done and was going to see my friend. They were a little baffled. After some high power negotiations by my mom, I was freed later that night. Now when one is released, you would expect to see the doctor at some point. I never saw my neuro guy and didn't see my orthopedic guy until the last minutes. Every day was full of misinformation and little info about what what going to happen and what my condition was. So if you have the chance, avoid Westchester Medical Center. It was pretty ridiculous the information sharing in the hospital and connection i had with the people. There were a few great nurses but overall the experience and care was pretty subpar. As my friend alyssa and I would say about restaurant service, it will be reflected in the tip. unfortunately, there isn't a tipping mechanism in place.

Today, is 12 days post impact. My pelvis is still bothering me but my speed of getting up and down out of seats is pretty fast now. I am making my way around pretty good, slow but I am getting around. Left shoulder is still no dice. My range of movement is better but I am still bound to one arm. I can shower myself now but still relying on my dad to give me a shave b/c of the neck brace. Today, I tied my shoes and put my socks on all by myself in my fastest time ever. Pretty psyched about it. I am planning on flying back to SF on Wed. Pretty confident I can do it. My body is responding very quickly which has impressed my parents. Being in good shape helps, but I'm also pretty stubborn so I keep forcing myself to do everything. I'm down to 2 pain meds a day which is good.

The kicker of the whole being hit thing was that when I landed in the ditch on 94 Turnpike, I landed in a patch of poison ivy and proceeded to lay in it for the next 30min or so. 3 days later, I have 85% of my body covered in itchiness. the b******* at the hospital were oblivous to the red bumps. their solution was to give me 25mg of benadryl, which is what you give to a baby to make it sleep,not a 160lbs guy with ridiculous poison ivy. So it continued to get worse. The leg inflators they put on my calfs to prevent blood clots caused capillary damage and combined with the ivy to leave these scary, disgusting red marks that covered 80% of my lower leg. Its getting better now but left many onlookers in the airport wondering should they feel bad for my crutch and neckbrace or my ugly legs.

well, I will post more later about how I am doing, but please keep diana in your thoughts and prayers. She went through a very painful surgery on friday to fuse 3 vertebrae. Not to mention she is nearing 12 days in the hospital. We will both get through this trying time, but the response we have received from friends and family has been wonderful. Its definitely sped up my recovery.

Cheers,
Matthew

Trucks and Bikes

Since my last post, its been quite an interesting period of time in my life. I set out on Wed, Jul 25 on a redeye aboard jetblue from SFO to JFK. I arrived at JFK just before 9am. The plan was to visit Diana and enjoy some riding and fun in NY/NJ. This was my first time in NY aside from driving through when I was 10. Diana and I had nice pasta lunch at her house then lounged before setting out on an easy training ride. Ride started out good and I was quickly surprised by the length of all the hills around her house. Riding was really nice. The plan was to do about 3 hours then head back for a nice dinner, relaxation and a little vino. One road Diana took me on was atleast 22+% for about 3/4 of amile. It was incredible steep but was fun. Legs were burning at the top. At about 10km from our ride ending, tragedy struck. What happened is entirely based upon the truck driver's memory b/c neither Diana or I remember anything. I am still unable to remember 10min before it all happened.
As we were riding along the road, a pickup truck ran into us and struck me on the back with the rearview mirror. I was catapulted into a rocky ditch alongside the road. I am not sure how long I was unconsciencous but I am sure it was for atleast a few minutes. When I finally came, I awoke to darkness and the intense urging to try to move my arms and breath but I was unable. This is where I think I was most scared. In my head, I was hoping that Diana had slowed down and was coming back to help me. Not knowing that she was down as well. Finally after what seemed to be 15-20seconds of my inability to move and breath, my eyes opened and I was finally able to get some oxygen and move my arms. The only words I could make out were moans. I couldn't see anyone. I knew I had to get back to the side of the road, so I gathered all the strength I had and picked myself up and hobbled the 5-7ft out of the ditch, only to collapse on the ground in exhaustion with intense pain along my left side and the inability to move my left leg and left arm. I finally saw Diana and she was laying down and trying to breath but was experiencing great difficulty. By this point several people had stopped to help. I was yelling at people to tend to her b/c i couldn't get over to her to help. Never in my life had I felt so helpless. Anger was sitting in b/c I couldn't get to her and no one was responding to her at the rate I wanted them.

Now we had several people on the scene helping and we were both being cared for. Shortly later, several ambulances arrived and EMTs came to our help. I only remember a few people on the scene who helped, the bmw store salesman who was with me and guy on a cell phone, and the emt people. The cops finally showed and were busy securing the scene and trying to get information from me. Diana was in much worse shape than I was. Fortunately, I was able to give the officer information for both of us. The EMTs rolled us by into the ambulances only to drive us shortly down the road to the LZ. We had two birds on the way to fly us out. They weren't giving us much information on where we were going or whether we would be going to the same hospital. I kept asking but no one would give me an answer. So at this point, I am waiting on my bird as Diana had just taken off and I was on state highway 94 in NY and that is all I knew where we were. I just arrived 7 hours ago(impact at 4pm) and in a place I had never been before. I tried to keep things light and joking as much as I could. Its always been my way to deal with pain. Partly, I was probably scared of the seriousness of the sitaution. Upon touchdown of my bird I was loaded in and had an IV started. it was an 18min flight. This was my first time in a helicopter, hopefully my next one will be a little more enjoyable and I can actually get a chance to see the skyline as I was forced to look at the ceiling the entire ride.

We finally arrived at Westchester Medical Center and I was quickly rushed to the ER. The pain at this point was incredibly intense and my back was killing me b/c I was forced to lay on a stiff board and the cramps in my back were really getting to me. I found out Diana was at the same hospital but I wouldn't see her for another few hours. At this point, I don't remember as many details. Basically i was rushed between different medical students and doctors asking what my symptoms were over an over.

tbc...