Wilsons Sandbox

On Sun, Jan 24, 2016 at 9:17 PM, husabob@... [DSN_KLR650]DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com> wrote:   On January 16, The Ramapo Motorcycle Club held the 98th running of the Crotona Midnight Run: http://www.amad34.org/uploads/5/9/4/8/5948732/rmc.pdf I have been doing this mid winter, all night timed road run since the mid '70's The weather can be very changeable in the Northeast this time of year. We were blessed with dry roads and temps in the 20's. I borrowed my brother in law Dominic's '04 KLR650, which is easy to set up with the necessary lighted route sheet holder, stopwatch, etc. Dom's KLR is regularly ridden hard in harsh, technical terrain. It has a larger skid plate and a full cage covering the tank and sides. I was having a good ride, managing to hit several checkpoints inside my minute window with no penalty points. I missed several turns, but quickly realized my error and got back on course. The average speed for the event is 30mph, which simplifies timekeeping. It might sound slow, but it can be a challenge reading the route sheet and minding the stopwatch on unfamiliar back roads in the dark. I was running at 40+, trying to make up some time when the deer and I collided. I barely caught a glimpse of it, as it careened into my front wheel on the right side, and took the bike out from under me. I slammed into the pavement on my right side, and the marks left indicate we slid for a good 50 feet. It took a few moments for me to fully process what had just happened. The bike running on it's side nearby jarred me back to reality. I attempted to stand to walk the few feet over to the KLR, and my right ankle just collapsed, forcing me to crawl over to kill the engine and electrics. Another rider showed up in short order and  the first car by pulled over. As I laid there assessing my situation, it quickly became apparent I had broken my right ankle and left wrist. My night was done. Or should I say it was just beginning, but in a whole new direction. The car that stopped was driven by a local EMT, so I gave the rider my competitor number and he left. The EMT laid down, cradled me in his arms, and slowly slid me backwards off the road. Once we were clear, he called 911 and help was there in a few minutes. A resident in a nearby home had heard the impact, and came out to investigate. He offered to secure my bike in his garage, and I gladly accepted, taking his address with me. Once the EMT's arrived, things happened quickly. I was loaded up and we headed off to the hospital. I have  a label with all of my vital information on the back of my helmet. The EMT's had never seen this before and thanked me for making their job that much easier. On the ride to the hospital, they were able to remove all of my gear without cutting anything off. My almost new Nolan N104 had deep scratches on the face shield and forehead area. The hingeable  jaw piece still functions properly. My 8 year old Tourmaster Transition jacket has no visible damage. The elbow, shoulder and back armor did a good job of protecting me. My Tourmaster armored pants have a deep abrasion on the right knee that goes through all of the layers, yet my knee is unscathed. My leather and rubber pack boots have minor scraping on them. In the ER, my remaining garments were removed and I was whisked off for X-rays and a CAT scan, after I answered "yes" to whether or not I ever lost consciousness. I think it was only for a very brief moment, but better safe than sorry. The ortho-surgeon was next in to see me, going into a bit more detail about the next steps. He then introduced me to the "Quigley Pole". He took a rolling IV pole and suspended my leg from it by the big toe using gauze wrap, and told me to let the full weight of my leg hang on it. While 2 aides steadied me and the pole, he applied more weight and worked my ankle until he was happy with the alignment. To say the pain was intense does not even come close. As the pain subsided and he applied a splint, it quickly occurred to me that my wrist was gonna get the same treatment. Yep. And it was just as intense. Surgery for screws for my ankle and a plate for my wrist was scheduled for the next day(Monday). All went well, and I gained a new appreciation for the "magic button" they give you post op to self medicate with Morhpine. This all happened in Rockland County, NY, which is a good 4 hours from my home in southern New Hampshire. Simon Begler and Dick Roberts of the Ramapo MC made sure my truck was not towed and visited me several times over the next week. The real fun was calling my wife on Sunday with the bad news. After letting her vent for what seemed like 90 minutes, saying "Yes Dear" often, we came up with a plan. She would come down on Tuesday with our oldest grandson. They would recover my truck and the KLR, and our grandson would head home Tuesday evening, while she stayed behind for moral support and to plan the next phase, meaning rehab and getting home. Well, I am now at the best rehab facility in the area. I got to watch the Saturday blizzard in comfort and warmth, meeting with Physical Therapy team. Given my good overall condition and based on the tests they gave me, I can expect to go home then end of next week. Then the real work begins. In hindsight, I was glad I had on armored gear. The boots were a tradeoff to keep my feet warm. I'm sure my AlpineStars Tech 8's would done better Bob