# When good days go bad.....



## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

Well about a week ago I went down to a local school to give my dog some exercise. There is a large fenced in running track that is perfect to ride a bike around while the dog runs full throttle, along side or in front of me. After about four laps of full on running he was pretty pooped out. So I took the opportunity to practice my wheelie technique. After several successful lengthy wheelie rides, I am feeling fairly confident. Let me take this opportunity to warn others not to attempt riding a wheelie while clipped in. As it is next to impossible to unclip while up on a wheelie. Although I have been there done that on many occasions without incident. I grew up riding motocross and wheelies were my forte. I never did conquer the trick of doing them on a mountain bike. Twenty to thirty feet max on a bike. Where as many years ago I was clocked at riding a wheelie a mile and one tenth on a motorcycle. This particular time for some reason I didn't tap on my back brake before going over backwards. I went over backwards while still connected to the bike. I apparently [no memory of it] reached out with my arms to break my fall and landed on my right wrist. I didn't hear it break due to all the noise of the bike hitting the pavement. But I sure felt it. My wrist hand and forearm immediately blew up like a balloon, and turned black / purple. After yelling out a few choice @#$%@ words in serious pain. I immediately picked up the bike and checked for damage. A torn seat was all.* Now that is true sickness*. Off to the E.R. and sure enough it's got a C shaped fracture. The fracture is into the joint so they are going to have to do an M.R.I. to see if they have to operate. If the bone is effecting the cartilage. Meanwhile I have a fiberglass cast from my hand to my elbow. The best case scenario I am in this cast from six to eight weeks. If they need to operate, who knows what the prognosis is going to be. I am right handed so doing everything left handed is new to me. Even posting this is a challenge as I am typing left handed and using the mouse left handed. The moral of the story "do not ride wheelies while clipped in". Off to take two more Vikodin.

Cheers, Jay


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## nachomc (Apr 26, 2006)

I've been hurt while doing a wheelie while clipped in also. not this bad, but yeah..it sucks. I've seen friends go down the same way. Hope you heal quick!


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## bung hole (Feb 3, 2008)

*dang*

I work as surgical tech,and that some hard core sh t.:eekster: You are so lucky. looking at those xray your doc and his team did a great job on you:thumbsup: .Some people are not so lucky as you.Good luck with your riding.


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## Whafe (May 27, 2004)

Heal up bro, that sucks............ Have had the same sort of thing happen, but not the result you have had.... Healing vibes to you...


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## xcguy (Apr 18, 2004)

*Been there*

Join the club. I remember the impact my hand made when I fell backwards off the ladder, whipping it around as fast as I could to try to break my fall. Pretty instinctive move on my part but I happened to contact the ground at a hundred mph and BLAM. I thought, I've never hit anything that hard and solid before, looked at my deformed wrist/hand and said"...that's busted". I was going a million miles an hour trying to finish up a house I was building and about to move into, had done probably more work that day up to the point of falling than I'll ever do again, and it all stopped...just stopped. Right wrist breakage, right handed like you. Typing with left hand, like you. Popping Vicodin like you. Good luck. If all you have is 6 weeks in a cast and no surgery you're a lucky guy.

I thought I'd broken my right elbow...but I didn't. I thought I'd really fokked up my back...but I didn't. Consequently, during my entire recovery when peeps would commiserate with me and tell me how bad it must be I'd say, you know, I'm the luckiest guy in the world. Alls I have is a broken wrist. You won't believe how inconvenient it is though!


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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

bung hole said:


> I work as surgical tech,and that some hard core sh t.:eekster: You are so lucky. looking at those xray your doc and his team did a great job on you:thumbsup: .Some people are not so lucky as you.Good luck with your riding.


Whatever SteveO.........Nice alais you got there.


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## kuksul08 (Oct 8, 2006)

Dude same thing just happened to me. I was wheelying and for some reason didn't hit the back brake (must not have been thinking). Instead of putting my hand out, I just fell right on my back and hurt my neck pretty bad. BRAND NEW WTB seat is all scuffed and on the verge of tearing open now...bah! Hope you get better quick and get back to wheelying


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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

kuksul08 said:


> Dude same thing just happened to me. I was wheelying and for some reason didn't hit the back brake (must not have been thinking). Instead of putting my hand out, I just fell right on my back and hurt my neck pretty bad. BRAND NEW WTB seat is all scuffed and on the verge of tearing open now...bah! Hope you get better quick and get back to wheelying


Same here, the only thing that got hurt on the bike was the seat. A brand new WTB Titanium rail INTENSE logo embroidered Gel seat. The back is ripped, I may just glue it but apparently I have 6 to 8 weeks to decide on what I am going to do about it.


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## nathan bay (Apr 16, 2007)

*I kid you not......*

I broke my wrist in May of 2005 while riding a longboard. While in a cast awaiting surgery I started riding my friends mountain bike. About 2 weeks into riding I bought it from him. Cycling has consumed a great deal of my life since. While be it not the most aggresive riding ever I was still riding. I also managed to fly fish with the cast on, seems I could do about anything but work...It wasn't my good arm though....good luck.


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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

nathan bay said:


> I broke my wrist in May of 2005 while riding a longboard. While in a cast awaiting surgery I started riding my friends mountain bike. About 2 weeks into riding I bought it from him. Cycling has consumed a great deal of my life since. While be it not the most aggresive riding ever I was still riding. I also managed to fly fish with the cast on, seems I could do about anything but work...It wasn't my good arm though....good luck.


If you did all that so soon after a break it must not have been as bad as what I have. Because mine hurts like he11 all the time. Even the slightest wrong movement, jolt or twist and the pain sends me through the roof. I have my doubts on this cast keeping it immobile long enough for it to heal.:madmax:


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## nathan bay (Apr 16, 2007)

*Must be...*

Mine hurt like hell for a couple of weeks. It took 6 weeks to get in to get the titanium screw inserted. After the surgery It was sensitive again for about 2 weeks. Don't get me wrong...I totally pushed my luck...


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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

nathan bay said:


> Mine hurt like hell for a couple of weeks. It took 6 weeks to get in to get the titanium screw inserted. After the surgery It was sensitive again for about 2 weeks. Don't get me wrong...I totally pushed my luck...


This is my wrist before the incident This is my wrist post injury:madmax:


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## smiko0124 (Feb 19, 2008)

dang bro that sucks... wish you the best of luck in a speedy recov.


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## mtnbiker4life (Sep 19, 2005)

Not good DJ. Two pieces of advice. First, when in a wheelie use the rear brake to help keep you balance point. I learned that the hard way on my motorcycle. Second, be careful with the Vicodin.....it's extremely addictive....only use it if you need it. Heal fast


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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

mtnbiker4life said:


> Not good DJ. Two pieces of advice. First, when in a wheelie use the rear brake to help keep you balance point. I learned that the hard way on my motorcycle. Second, be careful with the .....it's extremely addictive....only use it if you need it. Heal fast


If you check out my original post you will see that I have been a long time wheelie dude that incorporates the rear brake in an emergency. The funny thing is I broke the same wrist in a motocross crash 30 years ago. The break was in a different area of the wrist. If memory serves me right that break was wayyyyy less painful as this one. And I was able to use my hand [while in the cast] much more easily than I can with this current break. I healed much quicker, due to age I assume. I was 19-20 at the time, compared to my current age of 46. Yikes Im'e an old man what the @#@$ am I doing wheelieing? I guess once it's in your blood it's always in your blood. As far as the Vikodin I have been using it sparingly. I have mostly been substituting it for Motrin.


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## kcurrin (Feb 25, 2008)

That's awful man! I hope you get better soon.


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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

You can sure tell the amount of injuries in this sport by this board. It's apparently a huge number. The last post to this thread was five days ago and it is already half way down the front page. Why is it that every sport I find pleasure in doing, there is huge chance of getting seriously injured. Hmmmm maybe I will take up golf, or maybe *not.* With my luck I would slip in a sand trap and break my neck.


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## mtnbiker4life (Sep 19, 2005)

DIRTJUNKIE said:


> You can sure tell the amount of injuries in this sport by this board. It's apparently a huge number. The last post to this thread was five days ago and it is already half way down the front page. Why is it that every sport I find pleasure in doing, there is huge chance of getting seriously injured. Hmmmm maybe I will take up golf, or maybe *not.* With my luck I would slip in a sand trap and break my neck.


No you will slip a disk in your lower back  bending and twisting....."old backs" do not like out of plane motion :thumbsup: I will most likely get flamed for these quotes but my feelings about golf are:

"Golf is a good walk spoiled" - Mark Twain

"Golf is a game for people who are too old for sex but too young to die." TheTick


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## The Squeaky Wheel (Dec 30, 2003)

DJ,

This would not have happened if you had used a GoreDuke

Best wishes for a speedy recovery


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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

The Squeaky Wheel said:


> DJ,
> 
> This would not have happened if you had used a GoreDuke
> 
> Best wishes for a speedy recovery


This is true, had I had a remote I could have just pushed the button and dropped my azz down. Thanks for the "speedy recovery" wishes.

*UPDATE*

I had a Dr. Visit today and they have ruled out surgery. It is showing very little signs of healing but it is slowly on its way. I am going to start up on some Calcium and vitamin D tabs to hopefully speed up the process.

Jay


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## kcurrin (Feb 25, 2008)

Thanks for the update. Hopefully those supplements will have you back to normal in no time.


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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

*
UPDATE*
As of yesterday 3-26-08 my latest Dr. Visit things are going very slow. The injury is at 6 and half weeks now. She X- Rayed the wrist again and it shows "some" healing but not much. My wrist is actually shattered with several breaks. We removed the old cast and replaced it with a not so "stanky" one. I must say it has a beautiful blue hue to it. The Doc says two more weeks minimum but at the pace its going she doubts it.:madman:


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## xcguy (Apr 18, 2004)

*Doooood*



DIRTJUNKIE said:


> *
> UPDATE*
> As of yesterday 3-26-08 my latest Dr. Visit things are going very slow. The injury is at 6 and half weeks now. She X- Rayed the wrist again and it shows "some" healing but not much. My wrist is actually shattered with several breaks. We removed the old cast and replaced it with a not so "stanky" one. I must say it has a beautiful blue hue to it. The Doc says two more weeks minimum but at the pace its going she doubts it.:madman:


That sucks. You got any Xrays you can show us? Are you able to use any fingers on your right hand to help your left when typing? When I had my soft cast taken off and my hard one put on I couldn't look at my wrist. Doc says "it looks good" so I glanced over. :yikes: :cryin:  I would hate to see it if he'd said it looked bad! It was all white and thin and crinkly. Keep a positive attitude.


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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

xcguy said:


> That sucks. You got any Xrays you can show us? Are you able to use any fingers on your right hand to help your left when typing? When I had my soft cast taken off and my hard one put on I couldn't look at my wrist. Doc says "it looks good" so I glanced over. :yikes: :cryin:  I would to see it if he'd said it looked bad! It was all white and thin and crinkly. Keep a positive attitude.


Xrays yes, but I couldn't get them to post. As far as the fingers go I can use my index finger in a henpeck kind of way. Everything is very slow going especially in the typing department. Thanks for keeping me positive. :madman: Ouch I bumped my cast.


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## xcguy (Apr 18, 2004)

*You have to stay positive, that's your only option*



DIRTJUNKIE said:


> Xrays yes, but I couldn't get them to post. As far as the fingers go I can use my index finger in a henpeck kind of way. Everything is very slow going especially in the typing department. Thanks for keeping me positive. :madman: Ouch I bumped my cast.


I had to scan my actual Xrays into My Pictures, downsize them then post.

I am (was) a carpenter and I couldn't do all the easy shiz that I was planning on when I moved into my house (5 days after surgery). All the small projects I had on my list were impossible with one hand. My sister came out to help me for ten days and it was pretty funny, she, the completely helpless tool person, trying to take direction for me, Mr. One Hand.

So I hired a guy to help me out putting on cabinet knobs, shelving, all the shiz I could have just blown out but now had to hire someone rolleyes:  I mean, I'm fast at that kind of stuff, and going from fast to completely unable was tough and expensive). I would have been more mortified if I wasn't so tanked up on Vicodin! (I still have a full bottle of Vicodin in a drawer...I wonder...)

Anyway...a few days into my guy helping me out I was gesturing with my cast and turned my hand the wrong way and, I couldn't help it, I just shrieked out in pain and the tears just jetted out of my eyes. He'd been injured and could relate, but I had to just stand there and catch my breath till the pain subsided. No words were said but my tears said it all.

Thankfully the occurrence of such painful episodes became less and less and now, a year and a half later, are just a distant memory. Take the long view. :thumbsup: (I have to say I just reread this post and got all choked up remembering what it was like. Whew---deep breath---aaaah.)

edit: if my sis is reading this, really Sis, I appreciated your help, really!


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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

xcguy said:


> I had to scan my actual Xrays into My Pictures, downsize them then post.
> 
> I am (was) a carpenter and I couldn't do all the easy shiz that I was planning on when I moved into my house (5 days after surgery). All the small projects I had on my list were impossible with one hand. My sister came out to help me for ten days and it was pretty funny, she, the completely helpless tool person, trying to take direction for me, Mr. One Hand.
> 
> ...


Nice to hear from someone that understands my dilemma. I guess it's all fun and games unless you have "been there done that".


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## xcguy (Apr 18, 2004)

*About your bones not healing*

With all respect to your medical team have they said _why_ they think things aren't mending? Are the broken pieces separated and the healing can't bridge the gap or what? When you first talked to them after crashing did they give you the option of surgery but you declined or did they flat out say surgery wasn't required?

My docs never said things weren't healing they just said after 6 weeks they'd be as healed as they'll ever be (as in good to start rehab). I would think it's about time for you to be starting physical therapy. And working on your wheelying rolleyes:  ).


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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

xcguy said:


> With all respect to your medical team have they said _why_ they think things aren't mending? Are the broken pieces separated and the healing can't bridge the gap or what? When you first talked to them after crashing did they give you the option of surgery but you declined or did they flat out say surgery wasn't required?
> 
> My docs never said things weren't healing they just said after 6 weeks they'd be as healed as they'll ever be (as in good to start rehab). I would think it's about time for you to be starting physical therapy. And working on your wheelying rolleyes:  ).


My medical team consisting of one,:eekster: said surgery wasn't required. As far as the slowwwwww healing process, I am righting it up to old age. I am 46 years old and apparently what people have told me all my life [you heal slower as you get older] *is true.* So let this be a lesson to all those kiddies out there listen and respect your elders what they say may actually be a life learned fact.


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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

*UPDATE:*
The cast came off five days ago, right at the eight week mark. I am currently wearing a brace and am feeling like it hasen't healed at all. The doc. said it has but the pain is still insane. I have very little movement of the wrist and it hurts like he11 just moving my fingers around. Looks like I am in for a long road ahead just to get back to a somewhat normal state.


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## xcguy (Apr 18, 2004)

*Well, our post-injury scenarios are a little different*



DIRTJUNKIE said:


> *UPDATE:*
> The cast came off five days ago, right at the eight week mark. I am currently wearing a brace and am feeling like it hasen't healed at all. The doc. said it has but the pain is still insane. I have very little movement of the wrist and it hurts like he11 just moving my fingers around. Looks like I am in for a long road ahead just to get back to a somewhat normal state.


but when I got my hard cast off I couldn't make a fist by any means, it hurt like a sumb!tch, I couldn't turn it palm up/palm down and I was as weak as a newborn. I had to hold my hand under hot water in the morning and push my fingers one at a time to make a "fist".

I was still on Vicodin but really wanted to get off it. The pain hampered my PT but the pain slowly (SLOWLY) decreased. I can't speak for the kind of pain you're feeling..but it sucks doesn't it?


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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

xcguy said:


> but when I got my hard cast off I couldn't make a fist by any means, it hurt like a sumb!tch, I couldn't turn it palm up/palm down and I was as weak as a newborn. I had to hold my hand under hot water in the morning and push my fingers one at a time to make a "fist".
> 
> I was still on Vicodin but really wanted to get off it. The pain hampered my PT but the pain slowly (SLOWLY) decreased. I can't speak for the kind of pain you're feeling..but it sucks doesn't it?


Yeah it sure does. What you described is exactly what I have gone through in the last week since the cast removal. My initial post of a C shaped fracture was wrong. My wrist was actually shattered into several different pieces yet the doc. opted not to operate. I hope she was right in her decision. Only time will tell.


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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

Ray Dolor said:


> At the risk of sounding like a broken record, or worse, a shill, consider trying acupuncture for the post-op and rehab pain. A good acupuncturist can really make a difference in this phase of yer rehab.
> 
> And they don't need to be Oriental to be clinically effective!


Thank's for the advise, I may try that.:thumbsup:


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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

*UPDATE:*
It's been 4 years this month since this incident happened. My wrist was shattered at the joint. I feel like it should have been operated on but my Dr. just casted it for eight weeks. I suspect she chose no surgury due to I had no insurance. Anyway 4 years later and I have constant every day pain. With just normal every day activity's. I have lost 40% motion mainly in the wrist action bending backwards. If I sit on the floor and put my arms out behind.d me for support with palms on the floor it's too painful. I to this day still don't have insurance so I can't go back to see if it can be helped via surgery. I suspect I have nerve damage and am pretty much screwed for life. I just deal with it on a daily basis. I still MTB but I am much more hesitant to hit the technical rocky trails. The worst case scenario in a MTB crash is over the bars. I would instinctively reach out with both arms to break my fall. If I land on that palm and bend my wrist back I would be in a world of hurt. That was the initial injury. While up on a wheelie I went over backwards (while clipped in) and I reached out with both arms behind me to break my fall. My right wrist hyperexstended bending back all the way to my arm. With all of the weight of my body landing on top of it. OUCH!!!


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## dth656 (Feb 12, 2009)

is there a pay-as-you-go clinic that you can goto to get looked at, and get a referral to phys therapy and maybe an xray? you could pay out of pocket for 1 or 2 PT visits, and then just do the exercises at home. 

i broke my arm back in 2010, and i'm still doing PT exercises to get my range of motion back. it also still hurts at times, but i'll take that over surgery! even what the ortho describes as a very simple procedure will be invasive, and carry the risk for severe complications.


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## xcguy (Apr 18, 2004)

It's been 5 1/2 years for me. Unlike Dirtjunkie I had insurance and surgery and the metal in my wrist pulled all the bits and pieces back "together". As my PT lady said again and again, "your injury is not his injury". I thought I had nerve damage but now I don't have daily pain. My impact was more of a karate chop on the side of my hand, yours was (I think) more of a hand landing flat and bending back impact.

I can't bend my right wrist back nearly as far as my left wrist but it works just fine. No pushups but I can lift in the gym. I can shoot baskets (although for the first few years it felt like I was using somebody else's hand) nearly as accurately..

Cold or changing weather doesn't make my wrist act up--much--but the top of my hand hurts the most when it does hurt, where the bones slide across each other like fish scales when your wrist bends. That area is pretty much fused and arthritic.

The key point in my own recovery was when I could reach instinctively for something with my right hand again and not my left. Also when I was lifting and it didn't feel like I was going to tear my hand directly off my arm. Don't think that at all now.

It's too bad your wrist didn't come back better by this time. There's "daily pain" and there's "daily bad pain". Then there's "sharp tear inducing pain". I hope yours eventually gets to the "daily pain" stage and it's a psyche job to ignore it.


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