# A good gory one for ya



## 3blackbikes (May 4, 2011)

Hey there!
Been while since I've gotten lucky/unlucky enough to show off my latest gory photo.

So last week, I undertook a solo ITT bikepack of the Colorado Trail from Durango to Denver. I had had my share of hardships with rain, hail, cold, hot, smoke, the usual but I was making good progress.

I was on my last day and was so ready to be done to get a shower and a proper meal, about 25 miles outside of Waterton Canyon on the beginning of Segment 2. The final stretch!! When out of nowhere I slid out in that Front Range decomposed granite and fell on my left side. I got up thinking I just had some scrapes, and then I saw the damage to my arm. (see pic)

Luckily, I was about 1 mile from a fire station. I rolled down there in complete shock thinking I'd stop the bleeding, wrap it up with some gauze, and continue on to finish the trail. The fire chief was very calm and politely convinced me that that was a very bad idea. My arm was open to the bone with lots of gravel/dirt in there. So I got a ride to a Denver ER, where they took 6 hours cleaning and re-cleaning out my arm before putting in 11 stitches. At one point, the PA had her finger up to the 2nd joint up inside my elbow digging out little rocks and grit. She loved it! And I didn't care too much, I had about 30 cc of lidocaine in my arm.

Super bummed I had made it solo across the entire Colorado Trail only to be taken out by some stupid gravel wash out, but man do I have one heck of a souvenir from the trail


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## Finch Platte (Nov 14, 2003)

That's not too bad, but those glasses make me wanna hurl.


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## 3blackbikes (May 4, 2011)

So kind of you Finch. Sorry I have a tiny head and glasses look stupid on me. Let's see you ride the Colorado Trail in 7 days.


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## chazpat (Sep 23, 2006)

Waited until I finished eating to take a look. The reading about the ER was worse than the photo.

Heal up well, good vibes sent your way!


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## She&I (Jan 4, 2010)

Badass effort! Props for riding it solo in good time. And for dispatching Finch P. so effortlessly. 😁


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## waltaz (Oct 14, 2004)

Impressive effort! Glad your arm will be OK…that’s a nasty one!


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## WHALENARD (Feb 21, 2010)

Gnar

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## 749800 (Jul 14, 2013)

Did it hurt?

I always keep some super glue and orange seal in my repair kit in case of such a puncture.


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## D. Inoobinati (Aug 28, 2020)

Here's one for the collection....










...got this when riding past and grazing a pyracantha. And a heart attack on seeing three exposed finger tendons staring back at me.


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## natas1321 (Nov 4, 2017)

It's just a flesh wound. 




Glad you are alright, stay safe and have fun. 

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## Shark (Feb 4, 2006)

There's an enjoyable pic to pop up on the Tapatalk yikes. Heal up

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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Healing vibes sent. I'm relieved that your rational side advised you to seek medical help. Follow medical advice; keep the wound covered (you don't want to get more dirt in there... you want to avoid bacterial infection)


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## 3blackbikes (May 4, 2011)

wgscott said:


> Did it hurt?
> 
> I always keep some super glue and orange seal in my repair kit in case of such a puncture.


LOL. No, it didn't hurt. It was a low speed washout, should have only been a scratch. That type of gravel is like glass though. I have 16 stitches in the other arm from a similar crash many many years ago. Matching arms!

I did have super glue, and brought it for that reason, but it probably doesn't stick in blood too well! The blood was out of control.


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## 3blackbikes (May 4, 2011)

cyclelicious said:


> Healing vibes sent. I'm relieved that your rational side advised you to seek medical help. Follow medical advice; keep the wound covered (you don't want to get more dirt in there... you want to avoid bacterial infection)


Honestly, my Nurse brain (you're a nurse too, right?) was like, oh it's fine, lets just get the bleeding under control and I can ride out the last bit and go to the ER later. LOL. Shock is a wonderful thing.

I made the right call. They did a series of 3 pressure washouts and were still fishing out junk. I nearly was admitted and taken to the OR. I'm currently taking Keflex TID and keeping a very very close eye on my elbow, which is still suspiciously too red.


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## 3blackbikes (May 4, 2011)

D. Inoobinati said:


> Here's one for the collection....
> 
> View attachment 1939828
> 
> ...


That's a beautiful little cut! Looks like a mouth. If you opened and closed your fists, did it talk and puke up blood at you?


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## SoDakSooner (Nov 23, 2005)

ugghh.. Heal up. Glad you made the wise choice. Had a similar, albeit, way less gory situation many years ago. Riding through a spot I had ridden many times, scraped my shin on a rock at slow speed. Really didn't think much of it till I looked down a few yards up the trail. Bleeding like a stuck pig. Cut to the bone on my shin, which is thin anyway. Just a quick ride so no first aid kit. Ripped the sleeve off my shirt and tied it up. Made it out the last few miles and ended up getting washed and cleaned and only 4 stitches, but it was definitely wild seeing my own bones. 

Keep an eye on that elbow. I've dealt with a few infections there in the last few years. They were both very hard to clear up. Get in quick for a shot if it gets any worse.


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## mudflap (Feb 23, 2004)

Nice one. Lucky no structural damage. Keep it clean and change bandages in timely fashion and you should be good to go in a week to ten days after getting stitches removed.
Slide-outs can be wicked. Fortunately you weren't hauling a$$.


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## Bikeworks (Sep 10, 2020)

3blackbikes said:


> Hey there!
> Been while since I've gotten lucky/unlucky enough to show off my latest gory photo.
> 
> So last week, I undertook a solo ITT bikepack of the Colorado Trail from Durango to Denver. I had had my share of hardships with rain, hail, cold, hot, smoke, the usual but I was making good progress.
> ...


Lol, that's awful looking!!!! Glad you got treatment quickly, hope it clears up quickly!


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## 3blackbikes (May 4, 2011)

Thanks all! Elbow is healing nicely. I'm off the ABX with no infection, the swelling is down, and I've got a PA friend to take the stitches out later this week. 

One week removed from the CT and I'm recovering a lot quicker than I thought. I've been weaning myself out of the sling and my shoulder is mostly ok until I move it juusst the right/wrong way and I get a big reminder that it is still torn. 

I did try to go for an easy jog this morning and felt pretty good, so of course I've begun plotting my revenge for next time.


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## JimmyAsheville (Oct 21, 2018)

3blackbikes said:


> Thanks all! Elbow is healing nicely. I'm off the ABX with no infection, the swelling is down, and I've got a PA friend to take the stitches out later this week.
> 
> One week removed from the CT and I'm recovering a lot quicker than I thought. I've been weaning myself out of the sling and my shoulder is mostly ok until I move it juusst the right/wrong way and I get a big reminder that it is still torn.
> 
> I did try to go for an easy jog this morning and felt pretty good, so of course I've begun plotting my revenge for next time.


your arm reminds me of the two most important things I carry in my pack, other than water. A tourniquet and a pack of that Army medic style blood clotting agent. Everything else can wait.


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## trmn8er (Jun 9, 2011)

3blackbikes said:


> Thanks all! Elbow is healing nicely. I'm off the ABX with no infection, the swelling is down, and I've got a PA friend to take the stitches out later this week.
> 
> One week removed from the CT and I'm recovering a lot quicker than I thought. I've been weaning myself out of the sling and my shoulder is mostly ok until I move it juusst the right/wrong way and I get a big reminder that it is still torn.
> 
> I did try to go for an easy jog this morning and felt pretty good, so of course I've begun plotting my revenge for next time.


Glad your healing up. I just saw this. I had a similar hole in my Elbow NYD 2020. I had 6 internal and 7 external stitches. Yours looks worse. Mine was bad enough. I spent several hours at urgent care while they scrubbed, stitched, and my entire leg was also trashed. It was pretty tough. Then I still had to go the ER to have leg worked on again. It's very easy to have happen at speed on granite loose scree. Take care of yourself and consider pads!

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## chazpat (Sep 23, 2006)

JimmyAsheville said:


> your arm reminds me of the two most important things I carry in my pack, other than water. A tourniquet and a pack of that Army medic style blood clotting agent. Everything else can wait.


I carry one of those blood clotting agents as well as I'm on blood thinners. Really hope I'm wasting my money and never need it!


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## mudflap (Feb 23, 2004)

chazpat said:


> I carry one of those blood clotting agents as well as I'm on blood thinners. Really hope I'm wasting my money and never need it!


Just curious what clotting agents you carry. I take a daily med that reduces my platelet count. When I bleed it takes ten minutes to clot. It would be nice to speed that up.


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## 3blackbikes (May 4, 2011)

Hospital grade stuff is a little different, but you can buy similar stuff from Amazon:

Amazon.com: CELOX First Aid Temporary Traumatic Wound Treatment 2g, 10-Pack: Home Improvement


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## Finch Platte (Nov 14, 2003)

mudflap said:


> Just curious what clotting agents you carry. I take a daily med that reduces my platelet count. When I bleed it takes ten minutes to clot. It would be nice to speed that up.


They actually carry it at Walmart, I picked some up to put in my toolbox(es) just in case. Ya never know. Make sure you clean the wound, then let it start to bleed again- the blood is what causes the clotter to work.

Hey, wasn't that a TV show- Welcome Back, Clotter?


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## chazpat (Sep 23, 2006)

mudflap said:


> Just curious what clotting agents you carry. I take a daily med that reduces my platelet count. When I bleed it takes ten minutes to clot. It would be nice to speed that up.


Mine is a QuikClot, which I think is the original (?) I'm on Warfarin but I don't seem to have too much of an issue with bleeding. I crashed and broke 4 ribs, a clavicle, a scapula and got stitches in my head in two places but there was no issue with excessive bleeding beyond the scalp tending to bleed a lot anyway. That was on my CX so I didn't have my Camelbak with the QuikClot with me but even if I had, I wouldn't have used it.


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## TylerVernon (Nov 10, 2019)

Nice injury pic!


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