One year ago tomorrow is when I made the mistake of trying to ride across the
Aerial Lift Bridge when there was some light snow coming down. The roadways were dry, but there must have been just enough moisture in the snow flurries to make the metal grated bridge surface as slick as ice. My front wheel went out from under me almost as soon as I got onto the bridge. I remember it like it was yesterday, a day doesn't go by without me thinking about it. I'm a person that has had very few major incidents. Prior to this unfortunate mistake I'd never broken a bone, ridden in an ambulance, stayed in a hospital, or had surgery. It was a very traumatic experience to say the least. I not only broke my humerus bone in my right arm, but according to my surgeon I "blasted it apart". The worst break he'd ever seen. The bone was in 10 pcs. He skillfully reconstructed it and used a plate and screws to hold it all together.
One year later I still have daily reminders of the accident. My range of motion is nearly 95-98% returned. I still experience pain when I reach up high, or try to reach behind my back. Getting my hand into a cycling jersey pocket is quite painful. Up until one month ago I was still experiencing pain daily, all the time. Maybe
soreness is the correct word. People have asked me when the weather changes if I feel it in my arm. I really don't know, because it hurts all the time. The past month I have actually had moments where I am pain free. But using the arm can cause a lot of soreness. This is normal for my type of injury. My surgeon told me I would feel this soreness for a year or more. Luckily it doesn't bother me on a bike. The only time it hurts is when I pull on the handlebars like when I'm climbing out of the saddle or accelerating out of the saddle.
Ironically, the bridge that was my worst nightmare is featured in many of my archived photographs. Of the 1,500, or so, pictures I've taken over the past 4 years for this blog, there has to be 200 or more photos of that bridge.
I used to use the bridge fairly frequently. Since the accident I have yet to cross it!
More irony. Looking through my pictures I discovered this picture taken on 3-17-09. My first day back on the bicycle after my recovery and rehab.
One year later I still have daily reminders of the accident. My range of motion is nearly 95-98% returned. I still experience pain when I reach up high, or try to reach behind my back. Getting my hand into a cycling jersey pocket is quite painful. Up until one month ago I was still experiencing pain daily, all the time. Maybe soreness is the correct word. People have asked me when the weather changes if I feel it in my arm. I really don't know, because it hurts all the time. The past month I have actually had moments where I am pain free. But using the arm can cause a lot of soreness. This is normal for my type of injury. My surgeon told me I would feel this soreness for a year or more. Luckily it doesn't bother me on a bike. The only time it hurts is when I pull on the handlebars like when I'm climbing out of the saddle or accelerating out of the saddle.
Ironically, the bridge that was my worst nightmare is featured in many of my archived photographs. Of the 1,500, or so, pictures I've taken over the past 4 years for this blog, there has to be 200 or more photos of that bridge.
I used to use the bridge fairly frequently. Since the accident I have yet to cross it!