# The "I almost died" Thread



## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

A recent post got me thinking, how many folks here have nearly died and still ride (or started riding afterwards)?

My story is linked in my sig, but the short of it is that leukemia spread to my brain and severe swelling nearly ruptured my brain stem out of my skull. I rode beforehand and I was able to climb on the bike outside a year after my diagnosis. It took another year to fully regain my balance and fitness. My only limitation is a reduced platelet count that isn't an issue for small cuts andscrapes but could be a problem in a severe injury, so I have to measure risks more than most.

So what about everyone else? I'm not talking about times when you were scared of dying. We have all had those. I mean times you were seriously close due to illness or injury. How did it happen? Were you on the bike? Did you have to work to resume riding or did you start after your recovery?


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## SparxFlyer (Dec 29, 2010)

This explains your pic and fascination with "Braaaaaiiiiinnnnsssss"... You are in fact almost a zombie!! 

All kidding aside, glad you're still with us and kicking butt on a bike!


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## Loudviking (Oct 23, 2011)

Was pronounced dead during a low blood sugar. EMT meter
couldn't pick any reading on me. I still believe God has a purpose for
me, just haven't figured it out yet.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Loudviking said:


> Was pronounced dead during a low blood sugar. EMT meter
> couldn't pick any reading on me. I still believe God has a purpose for
> me, just haven't figured it out yet.


Guess I should have asked if anyone actually died yet.

"I got better."


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## 11053 (Sep 19, 2009)

2 times for me.
The second time it looked like I certainly wasn't going to make it so I said goodbye to everyone and was ready die a few minutes after the farewell.
ER ended up with a phone call from a doctor at another hospital who suggested a different last ditch effort. I remain warm and pink to the present day.
After all that excitement I was told I'd be stupid to ride a mtb again. I was told I was lucky to be alive so I should modify my behavior in order to eliminate as much risk as possible from my life.
Basically I received a death sentence with an unknown stay of execution.
So, instead of modifying my behavior and living scared and attempting to postpone the inevitable by not "living", I took the opposite approach.
I ride A LOT.
I make sure to have the ride of a lifetime several times a season. 
I take the MTB trip of a lifetime several times a year.


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## hazardousmtb (Sep 26, 2011)

i almost died when i was born, needed blood transfusion and a bunch of drugs. the drugs made me hard of hearing but im alive! not quite related but they did say id never walk or talk....and ive been playing sports all my life  (and walk normal)


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## cigarlover (Oct 24, 2011)

Loudviking said:


> Was pronounced dead during a low blood sugar. EMT meter
> couldn't pick any reading on me. I still *believe God *has a purpose for
> me, just haven't figured it out yet.


You just figured it out and did it :thumbsup:


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## picassomoon (Jun 16, 2009)

Norman Clydesdale said:


> 2 times for me.
> The second time it looked like I certainly wasn't going to make it so I said goodbye to everyone and was ready die a few minutes after the farewell.
> ER ended up with a phone call from a doctor at another hospital who suggested a different last ditch effort. I remain warm and pink to the present day.
> After all that excitement I was told I'd be stupid to ride a mtb again. I was told I was lucky to be alive so I should modify my behavior in order to eliminate as much risk as possible from my life.
> ...


So yours was actually a bike accident? You have to give some details on what happened, lol. Downhilling?


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## disgustipated (Apr 29, 2006)

Last August I piled up my motorcycle at >130mph. I almost died at the scene, due to an artery that was hanging out of my arm. I tore my left foot about 80% off. They said it was a miracle that I survived the wreck. Then 2 days later in the hospital, after surgery, they gave me too many IV painkillers. I woke up in the middle of the night, thinking I was having a seizure. Machines beeping, doctors yelling at each other, oxygen mask on. Doc says "we about lost ya there son". Apparently the painkillers stopped my breathing and a nurse, who was bored during her shift, came to ask me some questions and discovered me unresponsive. My o2 sat was 4% when she found me. If she hadn't come seen me I'd be dead. I too believe the man upstairs has a plan.


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## 11053 (Sep 19, 2009)

picassomoon said:


> So yours was actually a bike accident? You have to give some details on what happened, lol. Downhilling?


Not a bike accident, just an obscure disease that acts up and tries to kill me from time to time.
Wear and tear on the heart and lungs and a lifetime of anticoagulant medication is how I roll now.
Oddly enough, the additional risk of riding on anticoagulant meds and the realization that my ability to process oxygen and pump it throughout my body is no longer a guarantee has had a severe impact on my riding.
I've had to alter my lifestyle since the diagnosis.................
I downhill 40+ days at the bike park during the summer, spend about 20+ days in Moab each year, and typically hit a few dozen other "destination" riding spots each season.
I've been so traumatized by the ordeal that it's all I can do to ride 4-5 days a week to keep a smile on my face.
Clock is ticking.
Use it before you lose it.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Norman Clydesdale said:


> Clock is ticking.
> Use it before you lose it.


truer words were never spoken.


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## 411898 (Nov 5, 2008)

2 1/2 times for me.

My Mom was having a really difficult time getting me out at birth. Turns out my ambilicle cord was wrapped around my neck so they did an emergency C-section. I was Dodger Blue colored at birth. 

The "1/2" time was when my temp hit 106 degrees as a toddler and I convulsed intensely. My parents held me under a cold shower and my temp dropped but I was horribly weakened by that and it took a while for me to recover.

The last time was almost 6 months ago when I fell off a narrow section of single track that had extreme exposure. I am still trying to heal up from that but I have neck issues, rib issues and worst of all, knee issues, In fact I am going back to the Orthopedic Surgeon tomorrow morning regarding my lingering knee issues...

Let's hope it's a simple fix....Wish me luck!


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## Trail Addict (Nov 20, 2011)

Good idea for a thread. I actually almost went off a cliff a few days ago. I was riding downhill on a narrow singletrack trail that was on the edge of a cliff. For some reason there was a long metal pipe (about 35 feet long) laid down on the trail and it was protruding out the surface a little. As i was going down a big pothole was coming up so I had to immediately switch lines, and it involved crossing through the long metal pipe. 

Well my front tire crossed over the pipe with ease, however my rear tire couldn't make it over for some reason, and since the ground was damp (since it was raining a little bit) my rear tire got caught on the edge of the pipe and slid violently to a point where it almost ejected me off the cliff.

I don't how I did, but I saved it with a last second handling maneuver. I was so close to going off the cliff. My rear tire did end up getting a sidewall tear though, and I had to walk the rest of the way, but I was so f***ing grateful to God for not going off the cliff.

Too be honest now that I think of it, I feel proud of myself for having good handling skills. Not many people would have been able to maneuver the bike like I did in those couple seconds of near disaster.


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## WarBoom (Dec 13, 2011)

2 of the worst
1) I was born dead-no pulse, the umbilical cord was wrapped around my neck 3 times
2) while commuting to my tree stand I was hit by a truck while on my four wheeler on the shoulder of a road, was pushed off a 30ft cliff/drop/ditch and the quad landed on me at least once (the rear rack was dented perfectly in the shape of my back). I woke up and crawled to the road with 3 shattered ribs, a deflated lung and infracted(sp?) kidney.


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## Bethany1 (Jan 18, 2012)

A couple of times.

I needed brain surgery after I was born. Had bleeding in the brain due to a small stroke and had emergency surgery to relieve the pressure. Doc told my mom I wouldn't make it through the night or if I did would be retarded or a vegetable. Gave me epilepsy and loss of peripheral vision on the right side of both eyes. You really need peripheral vision with mountain biking as I've discovered. I'm good for driving and riding a road bike, but it's pretty shaky on a mountain bike trail. 

Had my first gran mal seizure while pregnant with my 2nd child. How I managed to fall straight back into the bathroom and miss the sink and toilet is beyond me. Should have cracked my head open. That's 3 weeks of my life I don't really remember.

Turns out I've had epilepsy all my life after talking to the neurologist. The"odd" sensations that happened several times a day ever since I can remember actually were seizures. How I drove a car from the age of 17-21 without a car crash is another mystery as I'd lose 3-5 minutes of partial consciousness every time. I wasn't diagnosed with epilepsy until 21 with that gran mal seizure. 

Crashed on my bike a little over a week ago and ended up with a killer concussion. CT scan found some bleeding in the brain and kept me overnight. Thankfully a CT scan the next day cleared everything up and they sent me home. I had horrible visions of needing the exact surgery I had as an infant all night and then end up retarded to some degree afterwards. ER doc was amazed that I made through the crash w/o tons of scrapes, bruises and still had my teeth intact. She said my helmet saved me from cracking my head open or fracturing my skull.

I figure God's not ready for me yet but I wish he'd leave my brain out of the equation.


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## J3SSEB (Jun 1, 2009)

foo bar baz said:


> BTW, god has nothing to do w/ you being alive, you're just lucky.


You'll get a warm reception here... :skep:


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## chainsuck (Feb 21, 2005)

Loudviking said:


> I still believe God has a purpose for
> me, just haven't figured it out yet.


Any more ppl who haven't figured out any purpose?


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## cigarlover (Oct 24, 2011)

foo bar baz said:


> BTW, god has nothing to do w/ you being alive, you're just lucky.


HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA- THIS GUY SAID THE SAME THING :devil:


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## danguskhan (Aug 22, 2011)

I came much closer than I like last summer to either death or a severe lifelong cognitive impairment. I was riding the Oregon coast (touring bikes) with my girlfriend and two friends. An RVer tried to pass me in a narrow section of road and miss judged my speed. The result was a traumatic brain injury, broken collarbone, loss of a great deal of skin, a terrified girlfriend, friends and family, and a severely smashed helmet (that saved my life). 

Somehow, I miraculously recovered with little lasting effects. After this accident I cannot stress enough the importance of wearing a helmet anytime you bike. If I didnt have one, I would be dead for sure.


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## Johan_Eickmeyer (May 7, 2012)

Wow, dude! Props for sticking to it and recovering! Feels good to be alive, eh?


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## Gasp4Air (Jun 5, 2009)

As I plod toward senility, I find my self remembering the lucky twists of fate that could just as easily have twisted the other way. Last week, out of the blue, I remembered being 14 and playing driveway football with a couple of friends. I was about to make a catch at the end of the driveway when the guy covering me yelled and grabbed me. I was actually a few feet into the street, and a car was screeching to a stop in front of me. My belt buckle scratched the car as it slid by. 

We all have had these moments, whether we know it or not.


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## phirebug (Apr 20, 2012)

never really almost died in the way most of you have, but had a lot of close calls and near misses (literally)

when i was 8 we got T-boned by an 18 wheeler in a dodge colt. i was sleeping with my head against the window on the side that got hit. all i remember is waking up covered in blood, then waking up again in the ER with the dr digging pieces of auto glass out of my scalp. long night.

in iraq it was a pretty constant threat. folks kept hiding bombs in the street, throwing grenades out of windows, sometimes they would go old-school and just shoot at us. had bullets miss me close enough to feel the puff of air on my cheek. had an IED go off right under the seat of my humvee - it blew out 3 tires, blew off the hood and both mirrors, and peppered the underside with shrapnel. nobody had a scratch on them and we STILL drove it back. definitely said my prayers that night.
then there were the mortor attacks, which is kind of like a morbid game of keno.



Johan_Eickmeyer said:


> Feels good to be alive, eh?


Damn straight it does.


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## lax30 (Apr 23, 2007)

my Haste almost took me out...

A chic clipped my rear end going thru a traffic light, totalled car, insurance company told me i could get some parts off the car. I went to the lot,only a few mins before they closed, the day before my car was to be hauled off.

I grabbed the spare tire jack and lifted the car up. slid under the car, hands over my head reaching for an o2 sensor when i looked up...."self...did that just move?" and about a second later i had a car sitting on top of me. 

My mom and buddy were the only ones there, we were way in the back and everyone was almost gone becasue they closed in 5 mins. For some odd reason i stayed calm as can be and asked them to pick up on the feneder so i could breathe, they did this once, but as i let air out the car came down a little further on my chest. it was sitting directly on the middle of my chest. i could hear my mom panicing BAD (i mean her 24 year old sun is about to die in front of her and i think she knew it) my buddy was frantically tryin to get the jack back under the car but i just told him to pull up on the fender so i could breathe.....well this is going on for around 20 seconds, im starting to have "smoke" in my vision. it was like i had haze or smoke coming over my vision, i could still see fine it was just as if i was looking through a smoke screen.

About that time, i kindda started to go out, had this imense pain starting in my chest and my eyes were getting really cloudy, i was kindda giving up hope. out of nowhere i hear a car door slam and i have this sudden rush of life back when this random big guy in a full suit runs over and pulls up on the car with my friend, mom and him. i came out from under the car and said thanks to this guy "you just saved my life i didnt have much more time under there." He just stood there, looked at me, Smiled and got back in his car without uttering the first word and drove off.

Trama Dr's said i shoulda died. when i told them about the weird "smoke" in my eyes, 2 broken blood vesels around my eye's; that should have been enough pressure to rupture my heart valves. they said the pain i was feeling in my chest were my heart valves being stressed and shoulda cut lose. two brooken ribs and bruised both my lungs...but i was fine....Bottom line that guy in suit and tie saved my life, big man upstairs wasnt done with me yet.


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## winchboy (May 2, 2006)

Interesting question. Been spit off a few dirt and road bikes, broken bones, narrowed disks, had menengitis, thats a good way to get 2 weeks off for R & R. But never really pondered it until my son rode over the edge at Salmon falls. He went down about 20 feet and tangled in a tree. Worst scare I have ever had seeing those tracks go over that edge. If he hadn't tangled in that tree it would have been rocks another 10 feet below. He was good and beat up, broken helmet, glasses, and a chunk of ear missing but over all in good shape.


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## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

foo bar baz said:


> BTW, god has nothing to do w/ you being alive, you're just lucky.


OK, I am far from a religious person. Few things piss me off more than evangelical freaks. But one of those things is people who can't let other people believe what they want. Negative rep your way, and I signed it so there's no confusion where it came from. And made this public. Don't be a troll man. Doesn't hurt you if people want to believe what they want to believe.

Aside from that... amazing stories guys. Glad you're all still alive and kicking. Hopefully those of you still recovering can get to a point you are satisfied with.

As for my story.. wife and I were driving to Nashville, TN to see our new born nephew. Pitch black still at 5 am, 10 below zero in OKC at the time. Dude ran a red light and hit our car going 50 mph. Struck my front quarter panel. Wife broke her sternum and some ribs, and I still have lingering neck and back issues from it (2.5 years ago). BUT, had he hit a milisecond later, it would have been my door. Judging by the fact that the entire front of our car was "wiped" off, I can't imagine what it and I would look like had it hit my door.

Even as it was, people couldn't believe Jennifer and I were able to crawl out of the car. I got out and after making sure Jennifer was OK, I ran over to see if the other guy was OK. He got out denying responsibility immediately. That was literally his answer to me asking if he was ok. Friggin jerk wad.


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## Gasp4Air (Jun 5, 2009)

> I got out and after making sure Jennifer was OK, I ran over to see if the other guy was OK. He got out denying responsibility immediately.


I guess you could that was _his _near death experience - he's lucky you didn't kill him.


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## GPRider08 (Aug 22, 2008)

foo bar baz said:


> BTW, god has nothing to do w/ you being alive, you're just lucky.


I find you're post so offensive I signed on just to give you negative rep. This isn't a debate about religion. It's people sharing their nearth-death stories and rejoicing in still being alive.

I sort of have one, thought not as intense as many of these. My then fiance's uncle took me to watch a race in Kansas City, while my wife and I were still living in Lawrence. The race was interrupted because of severe storms approaching, with lots of lightning, rain, and tornado producing capabilities. My uncle dropped me off at my care and asked if I was going to be alright and I told him yes. His way home was far ahead of the storm, so he had no worries.

I got to my car and was about to head out, when my fiance called me. She said to stay where I was because they storm was close to Lawrence and was very bad. I grumbled but agreed. I was just hanging up when the sirens in my area were going off. Sadly, the closest building with a shelter wouldn't let me in, as they had already locked their doors. I didn't know of any other shelters, so I went to another building (it was a large shopping plaza), and they took me to an interior room.

On my way home, I came across some serious wreakage on the highway. About 5 miles east of Lawrence, a tornado had touched down, ripped apart a barn, and sent the tin roof and a bunch of timberskipping across the highway. It'd also overturned a semi. I did the math, and had I left when I was going to, I would have been at that location about the time it hit.


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## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

Gasp4Air said:


> I guess you could that was _his _near death experience - he's lucky you didn't kill him.


HAHA Would be lying if I said violent thoughts didn't cross my mind... but it was 10 below zero, so once I saw he was OK I ran back to our car to get my wife a blanket.

I will say that of this entire ordeal, the scariest thing in my entire life happened immediately after the wreck. I was screaming to ask Jennifer if she was OK and she couldn't respond because of her ribs and she had the wind knocked out of her. Airbags knocked my glasses off and I can't see for crap.

I seriously vividly remember my heart skipping a beat for a 5-6 seconds she couldn't respond until she reached over and put her hand on mine. Get freaking choked up just thinking about that.


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## Funrover (Oct 4, 2006)

WOW!!! What a great thread, thanks all for sharing!


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## drj85 (Dec 15, 2011)

I guess I'll chime in on this one. 7 or 8 years ago I thought it would be a good idea to try out one of those little tiny whitewater play kayaks (the kind you can barely fit in and have the skirt around in). So I take it out in a lake and paddle around and everything was going great until I flipped. I kept trying to turn myself right side up but as soon as my head would come up i'd gasp for air and then back under I went. Tried that quite a few times. So then I kept reaching for the handle that releases the skirt and couldn't find it. I started blacking out and really thinking that it was going to be my last few secondons alive. Then I reached for the handle one last time and found it. When my head broke thru the surface of the water it was the greatest feeling ever. That was the scariest day of my life. That night the kayak went on ebay, it sold fast and I used the money to buy bike parts


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## spazzy (Aug 15, 2004)

I was driving and crossing a rural highway. I stopped at a stop sign near the crest of a steep hill. I looked both ways and pulled out into traffic and got T-boned by a dad in a minivan going 75 because his daughter was late to soccer practice. He came flying over the hill in between the time I had looked and when I was crossing the highway.

I was driving a 99 GMC Jimmy and got hit right in the driver side door/B column. Had the slow motion vision then hit my head fairly hard, no major damage, just a nasty cut on my knee and a bump on the head.

EMTs/Cops/Doctors had no idea how I walked away from it, but I did. I feel really lucky


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## hazardousmtb (Sep 26, 2011)

pointerDixie214 said:


> HAHA Would be lying if I said violent thoughts didn't cross my mind... but it was 10 below zero, so once I saw he was OK I ran back to our car to get my wife a blanket.
> 
> I will say that of this entire ordeal, the scariest thing in my entire life happened immediately after the wreck. I was screaming to ask Jennifer if she was OK and she couldn't respond because of her ribs and she had the wind knocked out of her. Airbags knocked my glasses off and I can't see for crap.
> 
> I seriously vividly remember my heart skipping a beat for a 5-6 seconds she couldn't respond until she reached over and put her hand on mine. Get freaking choked up just thinking about that.


wow man....i can picture that....glad you guys came out okay!


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## Eric Z (Sep 28, 2008)

wow- glad you're all still with us. time to give my wife and 5-year old son extra hugs tonight.


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## phirebug (Apr 20, 2012)

drj85 said:


> I guess I'll chime in on this one. 7 or 8 years ago I thought it would be a good idea to try out one of those little tiny whitewater play kayaks (the kind you can barely fit in and have the skirt around in). So I take it out in a lake and paddle around and everything was going great until I flipped. I kept trying to turn myself right side up but as soon as my head would come up i'd gasp for air and then back under I went. Tried that quite a few times. So then I kept reaching for the handle that releases the skirt and couldn't find it. I started blacking out and really thinking that it was going to be my last few secondons alive. Then I reached for the handle one last time and found it. When my head broke thru the surface of the water it was the greatest feeling ever. That was the scariest day of my life. That night the kayak went on ebay, it sold fast and I used the money to buy bike parts


OMG, i can't believe i forgot that one. I had almost the exact same experience on the ohio river when it was in full flood last march. (i know...stupid...it gets worse from there) i was wearing jeans and a t-shirt and the water was 40 degrees. (i KNOW...stupid...it still gets worse) found a partially submerged tree with twin trunks sticking up (like a big Y) and decided, not knowing any better, that it would be a great place to stop and rest my kayak and take a break from fighting the current. there was a log that had floated down and gotten stuck against the two trunks sticking out, almost like a little bench. FWOOP! the water rushing under the horizontal log created a vortex that spun my kayak around. i tried to brace but my paddle got caught in the branches. ended up upside down in the VERY cold water, unable to roll up. did a wet exit and kicked free and the current sucked me into the submerged roots of the tree. got stuck there for a good bit, upside down and freezing. in all honesty, i was probably only under for 10 or 15 seconds but it felt like HOURS. I very clearly remember the sound of water rushing past my ears and thinking, "what a stupid way to die". i was finally able to re-orient myself and kick my way back to the surface. my whole contingency plan for not having the appropriate cold water gear was to simply land the boat on shore and put on dry clothes. The problem was that the "banks" were totally submerged. The water was clear up to the flood wall. at the very edge of the water, i still couldn't touch the bottom, and was facing a 6' completely vertical wall of slick mud. Hadn't planned on that one. swam furriously with the boat downstream looking for a place shallow enough that i could land and drag it far enough ashore that it wouldn't float away. my hands and feet were numb and creeping quickly up to my knees and elbows by then. I had already made a concious decision at that point to swim for three more minutes and then abandon the boat because i was afraid i would soon be unable to haul myself out of the water if i did find a landing spot. i had a minute left when i found a place to land. the water was cold but the sun was out and it was a warm(ish) day, so i just stripped off the cold (cotton!) clothes and sat there butt naked in the sun. (you lose heat 27 times faster in the water as you do in the air...even if it's below 0 and you fall through the ice, you are better off naked than in wet clothes...and nobody was around anyhow.)

a month later my mom bought me a wetsuit for my birthday. i guess she was trying to tell me something


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## sluggo69 (Sep 14, 2009)

*almost died*

had a serious "get off" on my ktm racing a national enduro in 09. ended up with an open book pelvic fracture and destroyed the muscles in my lower abs,which had to be surgically reconstructed,and my hips and groin.was told before i was loaded in the medivac helicopter that my chances were 30%to 50% of surviving because of internal bleeding. spent the next 2 yrs or so recovering from my injuries. im grateful to GOD for giving me a second chance at life and i cherish the time i get to spend with my wife and children.


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## 2wheelsnotfour (Aug 18, 2010)

When I was a kid I was eating some chicken with my mother. I was eating too fast and some how lodged a big piece of chicken in my throat and started choking. Suddenly I could not breath. I recall my mother looking at me like I was joking while I struggled for breath. But I couldn't breath. My face must have turned blue as my mother realized I wasn't going to be able to swallow the chicken. Suddenly my mother stuck her finger down my throat and dislodged I big chunk of nasty looking chicken and flem. The chunk of chicken which emerged was very gross but suddenly I could breath again. I remember the experience was shear terror while I could not breath which was followed by embarrassment. Then I started eating again. It was just like Butthead.


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## IDkid (Oct 25, 2010)

I had a form of benign childhood epilepsy from about ages 3-12. Pretty much just wigged out in front of my parents one night as I was walking into their room to say goodnight. I have brief recollections of the ER that night and all the testing I had to undergo out of state the next few weeks. Until the testing was complete, my parents didn't know if I would ever be able to do things like drive a car or live without wearing a helmet all the time. Took medication for it every day for the next decade and had plenty of other seizures, though none as serious as the first. Didn't seem like a huge deal then since I was so young but looking back I can't imagine what my parents were going through that first night and the following weeks.

Also, in high school was driving my parent's trailblazer with my dad to go skiing. Doing about 55 down a highway and went to pass a semi and hit a patch of black ice. The car immediately did a 45 degree to the right. Nothing I could do but watch the ditch/berm on the side of the road get closer. Rolled 4 or 5 times. Apparently I got knocked out because my dad said he yelled my name a few times after it was all done and I didn't answer at first. Somehow we landed upright and I was able to crawl out the back. I came out with cuts and bruises but he had shattered his femur. Worst day of my life listening to him laying next to me in the ambulance and screaming all the way to the rural hospital. We're all good now of course. I'm about to get my first MTB ride of the year in and he just got back from a Harley trip to Moab!  

Great thread to force us to look back at how lucky we are and to enjoy every day, every ride, every smile...


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

some amazing experiences being described here. so awesome that everyone is still around to tell these stories that illustrate how fleeting life can be, and to provide firsthand accounts of the way NOT to do it.



> Great thread to force us to look back at how lucky we are and to enjoy every day, every ride, every smile...


I am glad someone gets it. what sad lives some people must lead that they must try to turn this into a religious argument or neg rep me for starting this thread. this thread is about everyone who has contributed and their passion for life.


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## pcmark (Jul 10, 2010)

Mine is more of a "I could have died" story but it's kind of ironic. My wife and I used to be volunteer counselers for our church youth group. We got to know quite a few of the high school kids in the group and one of the girls needed an adult to supervise them at a local police station where they were doing a MADD event. Flyers had been posted at local high school and colleges where they could call if they were too drunk to drive and someone would pick them up and drive them home,

My wife and I were driving to the police station to chaperone at about 11:00PM. I was driving about 45MPH in the right lane of a two lane road that had poor lighting. Out of nowhere I hear and loud crash and suddely the back of our SUV is sliding toward the right side of the road and the forward momentum of the car has us now driving across the left lane at an angle right towards a median dotted with large trees. I have no idea what happened but I realize I'm driving towards the median so I start counter steering away from the median. Well, this violent steering motion causes the SUV to start pitching over. I remember looking over at my wife who is screaming and I say "We're going to roll." We end up rolling drivers side first and I remember the window smashing and glass flying in my face. We end up sliding on the roof for awhile and come to a stop hanging upsde down. It took us a few minutes to get out of the seat belts and crawl through my broken window. At this time a guy is running over to see if we're OK. My wife is screaming at him that he'd better hope the baby is OK. He's looking at our car asking where the baby is. My wife yells "I'm pregnant!" It takes a few seconds for me to comprehend that we were hit by another driver but it wasn't this guy, so I ask about the driver who hit us and he says "he didn't make it." WOW. :eekster:

Apparently this guy was flying down the road with no lights on and swerved into us and hit the rear quarter panel on the drivers side of our SUV. After the impact, he ended up going up the median and was stopped by a large eucalyptus tree. The guy was not wearing a seatbelt and went through his windshield. The paramedics came and took us to the hospital to get checked out and a police officer came to talk to us about an hour later. The officer told me that it was refreshing to see the innocent victims walk away from a drunk driver crash for a change because it's usually the other way around. I remember thanking him but thinking WOW, some dude is dead, there is no happy ending here. Anyway, I'm glad to still be here.


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## xcguy (Apr 18, 2004)

I've lost count. One time clipping a pedal, going to my right off the Porc singletrack, flipping over and over and stopping just before I went off a very tall cliff.

One time clipping a pedal and going off to my left on some trail outside Durango. Instead of plummeting out of control down a hundred foot drop I snagged my fingernails on tiny embedded rocks on the trail, tangled up in my bike and pulled me and bike back up onto the trail. No one came up as I was pulling myself up and I saw no one else the rest of the day.

One time just getting up onto a big boulder with a really heavy pack on my back, losing my balance and teetering on my heels with a backwards 40 foot drop awaiting me. Didn't teeter far enough backwards so I'm here at my keyboard to tell you the story.

Numerous "near misses" in my car, either me nearly running into people or off the road or being able to avoid the other guy when he did the same thing.

Like they say, every day I'm breathing is a good day.


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## bank5 (May 7, 2008)

I was in a crazy car accident with 3 other friends. My buddy lost control of his Jeep Cherokee the snow on the highway going about 70. Slid sideways for a while and then went off the road and flipped a few times. It landed on it's side and we had to crawl out the busted back window because the side door were dented shut. The Jeep was completed totaled, debris and our bags were scattered everywhere, yet we all managed unscathed. 

Another incident is I was skiing down a mountain, wiped out and couldn't stop sliding because the trail was too steep and icy. I slid off the edge of the mountain but my legs somehow got lodged between two small trees about 15 yards after going over the edge. If those trees hadn't stopped me I would have fallen to bottom. I definitely would have hit either a rock or tree at the bottom. It's tough to say if I would have died or not, all I know if that I would have sustained massive injuries.

I don't think the accidents mean that God has a purpose for me, but it is still nerving thinking back about how lucky I was. It also makes me feel extremely fortunate for the life that I have. Life is too short not to enjoy and you don't know what tomorrow may bring. Go out and ride!!! :thumbsup:


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

*Current Event*

I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma back in Sept 2011 went through 6 months of ABVD chemo to cure me, when i finished we did the PET scan to check if i was cancer free sadly i still had some in my neck and chest. My doc at this point tells my wife that i'm his first patient in 18 years of practice that wasn't cured by the ABVD treatment. wife tells me this, nicely uplifting:eekster:. Next my doc has me meet with a specialist in Hodgkin's from Dana Farber to go over our plan of action to get me cancer free. The plan is 2 rounds of ICE chemo regime then PET scan, if i responded good then i will have a stem cell transplant in Boston (3 week hospital stay) then radiation and possibly be in a study for an experimental antibody that targets just the Hodgkin's cells. I will have the 2nd round of ICE next week. the stem cell transplant will be my closest brush with death as i will have no immune system and will be getting regular blood transfusions as i won't be able to produce enough on my own to stay alive. after the 3 weeks +/- i will be at home avoiding large groups of people for 3 months as i will have next to no immune system. And through ALL this all i want to do is ride my Pivot Mach 5 on some sweet New England trails and have fun. once i live through this (hopefully) you damn well better believe i will be back on the pivot as soon as i can! My attitude is Damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead. I am Up Beat and happy to be alive.:thumbsup:


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## nachomc (Apr 26, 2006)

My wife asked how much I spent on my new bike.




I told her the truth.


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## hazardousmtb (Sep 26, 2011)

JonnyB76 said:


> I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma back in Sept 2011 went through 6 months of ABVD chemo to cure me, when i finished we did the PET scan to check if i was cancer free sadly i still had some in my neck and chest. My doc at this point tells my wife that i'm his first patient in 18 years of practice that wasn't cured by the ABVD treatment. wife tells me this, nicely uplifting:eekster:. Next my doc has me meet with a specialist in Hodgkin's from Dana Farber to go over our plan of action to get me cancer free. The plan is 2 rounds of ICE chemo regime then PET scan, if i responded good then i will have a stem cell transplant in Boston (3 week hospital stay) then radiation and possibly be in a study for an experimental antibody that targets just the Hodgkin's cells. I will have the 2nd round of ICE next week. the stem cell transplant will be my closest brush with death as i will have no immune system and will be getting regular blood transfusions as i won't be able to produce enough on my own to stay alive. after the 3 weeks +/- i will be at home avoiding large groups of people for 3 months as i will have next to no immune system. And through ALL this all i want to do is ride my Pivot Mach 5 on some sweet New England trails and have fun. once i live through this (hopefully) you damn well better believe i will be back on the pivot as soon as i can! My attitude is Damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead. I am Up Beat and happy to be alive.:thumbsup:


hell yeah man, good luck!


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## HOV (Apr 16, 2012)

I've had lots of close calls over the years.

The most recent one was a few weeks ago - I was riding a "stream" crossing; the stream was a man made concrete drainage ditch with large, 1' diameter concrete pillars sticking up to a height of about 2'. Water was flowing.

My riding partner, who normally attacks sections with abandon, stopped at the croosing but I just rode on through. I figured I'd go slowly so I don't get my feet wet.

Turns out he stopped because he saw the bottom was slick with algae. I made no such observation. Almost immediately upon entry, the force of the water swept my wheels out from under me and I fell on my left hand side, fast and HARD.

My head narrowly missed one of those concrete pillars. There's no helmet in the world that would have saved me from that broken neck. Well, maybe one of those brass diving helmets with the integrated neck/shoulder piece. Regardless, that helmet is still not on my gear wish list.

Poseidon was apparently trying to claim my immortal spirit, but luckily Athena intervened so I could live to love another day.


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## wahday (Mar 23, 2012)

nachomc said:


> My wife asked how much I spent on my new bike.
> 
> I told her the truth.


Now that IS scary!

I have no near death experiences to report and I'm thankful for that. I just checked in here to see what the thread was about and have been riveted by peoples' stories. Some pretty amazing and terrifying experiences out there. Thanks for the inspiration to keep at it in the face of adversity.

Live to ride, ride to live, indeed!:thumbsup:


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## Pete Otis Towns (Jul 16, 2008)

JonnyB76 said:


> I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma back in Sept 2011 went through 6 months of ABVD chemo to cure me, when i finished we did the PET scan to check if i was cancer free sadly i still had some in my neck and chest. My doc at this point tells my wife that i'm his first patient in 18 years of practice that wasn't cured by the ABVD treatment. wife tells me this, nicely uplifting:eekster:. Next my doc has me meet with a specialist in Hodgkin's from Dana Farber to go over our plan of action to get me cancer free. The plan is 2 rounds of ICE chemo regime then PET scan, if i responded good then i will have a stem cell transplant in Boston (3 week hospital stay) then radiation and possibly be in a study for an experimental antibody that targets just the Hodgkin's cells. I will have the 2nd round of ICE next week. the stem cell transplant will be my closest brush with death as i will have no immune system and will be getting regular blood transfusions as i won't be able to produce enough on my own to stay alive. after the 3 weeks +/- i will be at home avoiding large groups of people for 3 months as i will have next to no immune system. And through ALL this all i want to do is ride my Pivot Mach 5 on some sweet New England trails and have fun. once i live through this (hopefully) you damn well better believe i will be back on the pivot as soon as i can! My attitude is Damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead. I am Up Beat and happy to be alive.:thumbsup:


Right on dude- sending good thoughts for quick recovery :thumbsup:


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## NicoleB (Jul 21, 2011)

I dont have a dying story, but i can sympathize with the "thin blood" thing. I have borderline low platelets (i dont know why) and bled alot during my last surgery. i also have inflammation issues, so i take antiinflammatories which thin my blood even more. i'm always aware that i should be more careful.


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## Nomad1972 (Aug 6, 2011)

I hope that my story isn't an almost died story but.....

I crashed pretty badly Sunday and went to to the local ER to check out my concussion so they gave me a ct scan. 

I got a call Monday afternoon telling me that they fund a brain tumor attached to my pituitary gland. I have my first appointment the 16th (I am away in India on business till then) and I hope that everything turns out ok but more scared than I ever have been.

I will be buying that new FS Cannondale that I always wanted and taking that trip to Moab for sure just in case.


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## Scarsandtears (Sep 18, 2010)

JonnyB76 said:


> I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma back in Sept 2011 went through 6 months of ABVD chemo to cure me, when i finished we did the PET scan to check if i was cancer free sadly i still had some in my neck and chest. My doc at this point tells my wife that i'm his first patient in 18 years of practice that wasn't cured by the ABVD treatment. wife tells me this, nicely uplifting:eekster:. Next my doc has me meet with a specialist in Hodgkin's from Dana Farber to go over our plan of action to get me cancer free. The plan is 2 rounds of ICE chemo regime then PET scan, if i responded good then i will have a stem cell transplant in Boston (3 week hospital stay) then radiation and possibly be in a study for an experimental antibody that targets just the Hodgkin's cells. I will have the 2nd round of ICE next week. the stem cell transplant will be my closest brush with death as i will have no immune system and will be getting regular blood transfusions as i won't be able to produce enough on my own to stay alive. after the 3 weeks +/- i will be at home avoiding large groups of people for 3 months as i will have next to no immune system. And through ALL this all i want to do is ride my Pivot Mach 5 on some sweet New England trails and have fun. once i live through this (hopefully) you damn well better believe i will be back on the pivot as soon as i can! My attitude is Damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead. I am Up Beat and happy to be alive.:thumbsup:


Best of Luck bro!! Def see you on the trails!!!!!!:thumbsup:


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## kcaz (Nov 2, 2004)

JonnyB76 said:


> I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma back in Sept 2011 went through 6 months of ABVD chemo to cure me, when i finished we did the PET scan to check if i was cancer free sadly i still had some in my neck and chest. My doc at this point tells my wife that i'm his first patient in 18 years of practice that wasn't cured by the ABVD treatment. wife tells me this, nicely uplifting:eekster:. Next my doc has me meet with a specialist in Hodgkin's from Dana Farber to go over our plan of action to get me cancer free. The plan is 2 rounds of ICE chemo regime then PET scan, if i responded good then i will have a stem cell transplant in Boston (3 week hospital stay) then radiation and possibly be in a study for an experimental antibody that targets just the Hodgkin's cells. I will have the 2nd round of ICE next week. the stem cell transplant will be my closest brush with death as i will have no immune system and will be getting regular blood transfusions as i won't be able to produce enough on my own to stay alive. after the 3 weeks +/- i will be at home avoiding large groups of people for 3 months as i will have next to no immune system. And through ALL this all i want to do is ride my Pivot Mach 5 on some sweet New England trails and have fun. once i live through this (hopefully) you damn well better believe i will be back on the pivot as soon as i can! My attitude is Damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead. I am Up Beat and happy to be alive.:thumbsup:


Best of luck to you. Please keep us up to date on your impending cure.


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## Trail Addict (Nov 20, 2011)

Nomad1972 said:


> I hope that my story isn't an almost died story but.....
> 
> I crashed pretty badly Sunday and went to to the local ER to check out my concussion so they gave me a ct scan.
> 
> ...


I think you're going to make it out just fine.

What if that crash was in your destiny in order for the doctors to have detected the brain tumor early? Think of it. If you wouldn't have had that crash you would have never had that brain tumor detected until it was too late.

Keep riding strong. I will keep you in my prayers.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Nomad1972 said:


> I hope that my story isn't an almost died story but.....
> 
> I crashed pretty badly Sunday and went to to the local ER to check out my concussion so they gave me a ct scan.
> 
> ...


that may well wind up being "the bike crash that saved your life".

a good number of cancer survivors have similar sorts of stories, where they unknowingly had a tumor that was found because of something entirely unrelated.


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## Psycho Mike (Apr 2, 2006)

Mine wasn't bike related, but it certainly gave me a new appreciation for life and busted me out of the nerd shell I was in. Back in high school I was lucky to be selected to get my glider's license via Cadets. We had the front edge of a storm come through the area during my 3rd solo. I ended up taking a 600 lb plane without an engine up against weather so severe that it caused a 737 to abort it's landing at a nearby airport and divert 200 km to the north. I was on tow when the weather hit and had to punch off due to a big loop in the tow rope (gliders and small planes react to sudden nasty weather quite differently).

Long story short...lots of full deflection on the controls to try to keep the glider sunny-side up, lots of fast moving air that had me alternating between ~ -1 and +2 G's, a lot of flying at the max manoeuvering speed of the glider (flying at the edge of the performance envelope)...I managed to fight my way back to the strip (upwind because the winds had shifted 180 degrees) but I couldn't land into the wind as we usually want to because there were 2 gliders in the landing circuit by the time I got there and I didn't want to end up in a head on situation while trying to land. I had to do a near 180 degree turn from my crosswind leg to final approach. When I landed, I put the wheel (yes, the glider only had 1 wheel) down at one end of the strip with a ground speed >110mph. Full brakes, spoilers, dive brakes and nose skid in the dirt and I still ploughed a trench all the way down to the other end of the runway (we usually only used about 1/3 of it).

Video games don't prepare you for that, so I figured I had a little help from upstairs...I certainly didn't have the experience I would have needed to do that on my own.


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## sacstatemtbr (Mar 26, 2006)

That is an amazing attitude and I look forward to seeing you post in the future about riding that Pivot!


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## Loudviking (Oct 23, 2011)

To all who have posted here, and for those still going through
their ordeal, my thoughts and prayers go out to you.:thumbsup:


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## swampboy62 (Feb 10, 2009)

Amazing thread. Incredible stories about what people can overcome.

Couple of times for me. I have a condition that leaves me susceptible to respiratory infections. I had pnuemonia a LOT as a kid. When I was five it was really really bad and it was pretty much accepted that I'd die. I remember laying in bed and not even having energy to pick up a toy for what seemed like days. It was total luck that I recovered. To this day I have respiratory problems, but they are much better since I started riding.

Last October I rode my bike down the block from my house and had a freak accident where I went over the bars and landed on my head, fracturing my skull at the base and a second, much worse fracture around my eye socket. The doc said if I hadn't tried to tuck as I went down and had landed square instead of on the "corner" that I'd likely be dead.

Enjoy every sandwich folks.

Steve Z


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## Huskywolf (Feb 8, 2012)

Awesome to see others pull through.

Had cancer at age 17. Got lucky since it did not spread to major organs but it sucked none the less. I stayed positive and happy during the whole ordeal with the help of family. During this time i started playing MMO games like World Of Warcraft becoming a lethargic computer jockey and gained weight...

Fast forward to age 24 and i am still in remission enjoying life.

I have discovered biking around a year ago and it is my new passion. It makes me reflect on all the time i wasted gaming.


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## Rock_Garden (Jan 30, 2011)

I was in college and was coming back from class.

There were a few people standing in the bike lane, so I went around them. That required me to cross the trolley track. I got over fine, but coming back into the bike lane my tire got stuck in the tracks and instantly threw me over the bars. I landed on my jaw. Broke my jaw in 2 places, busted 5 teeth, almost broke my hand. I was in the hospital for 3 days and the surgeons gave me a titanium plate and a handful of screws that look totally awesome in X-ray photos. My jaw was wired shut for 2 weeks, and for a total of 5 weeks I was on a strictly liquid diet.

I probably should have died. Stupidly, I wasn't wearing a helmet. So had I landed any differently my brain would have become hamburger meat. Now I'm one of the biggest advocates for bike helmets ever. I refuse to ride with people who aren't wearing one.

The first day I could eat potato chips again was one of the best days of my life.

A year later I bought a new mountain bike. A year after that I bought a new road bike. And now I bike more than ever.


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## 2ridealot (Jun 15, 2004)

At 11 years old, I crashed racing a friend on bikes (no helmet) and spent 2 days in a coma. They say I was close but I don't remember much of it. Then as a 17 year old, I hit a telephone pole with a pickup and grabbed the door handle when exiting the truck without realizing there was a live wire across the hood. And finally at age 31, I was diagnosed with and survived a ugly fight with sarcoma cancer.

I am lucky and thankful to be alive! I tend to let things go when I become upset more than I use to, I smile more when happy, I tell my people I love them more than I use to and I *try* to enjoy something about each day (not always successful with that one)


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## mtbnozpikr (Sep 1, 2008)

Wow, there are some very inspiring stories and experiences on here.

When I was 17 or 18 I went biking with a friend to the Badlands in North Dakota on a very hot and sunny day in August. We made it out to a prescribed location and turned around to head back to the truck. I had everything programmed into my GPS simply as a precautionary measure. I ran out of water with about nine miles left to go and my friend didn't have too much left either. We kept going and with about five miles to go I was in pretty bad shape and lost my friend and the trail.

It took me about seven hours to get from that point back to the truck. I ended up collapsing twice during the ordeal and to this day I don't know if I passed out, slept, or what. I just remember thinking that I had to press on so I did. I credit my GPS with getting me out of that situation.

I made it out to find the sheriff and search and rescue preparing to begin the search party for me. They wanted to send me out in an ambulance but I refused thinking that I would be fine. When my friend saw me he burst into tears. We ended up driving two hours back home and my body could not cool itself nor could I control my heart rate any longer. For hours (until I woke up the next morning) I was breathing heavily and my heart beating uncontrollably.

I made it home two hours later and upon my parents seeing me, my mom broke into tears. I hadn't seen my physical appearance yet so went to the mirror to see what everyone was upset about. One glance and I understood: I looked like a skeleton. My eyes felt extremely strange and were sunk back into their sockets quite far. I hopped on the scale and had lost 12 lb throughout the ordeal. The next day or so was spent relaxing, re-hydrating, and recovering.

My dad is a physician and told me just how lucky and blessed I am to have gotten out alive. He told me that I didn't have much more time before certain systems would have started shutting down due to the lack of hydration and electrolytes. People have also told me that when people collapse as I did (twice), they usually don't get back up. I have been called dumb for refusing to take the ambulance out. Had it not been for the GPS and determination to survive, it could have turned out much differently.


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## swampboy62 (Feb 10, 2009)

JonnyB76 said:


> I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma back in Sept 2011 went through 6 months of ABVD chemo to cure me, when i finished we did the PET scan to check if i was cancer free sadly i still had some in my neck and chest. My doc at this point tells my wife that i'm his first patient in 18 years of practice that wasn't cured by the ABVD treatment. wife tells me this, nicely uplifting:eekster:. Next my doc has me meet with a specialist in Hodgkin's from Dana Farber to go over our plan of action to get me cancer free. The plan is 2 rounds of ICE chemo regime then PET scan, if i responded good then i will have a stem cell transplant in Boston (3 week hospital stay) then radiation and possibly be in a study for an experimental antibody that targets just the Hodgkin's cells. I will have the 2nd round of ICE next week. the stem cell transplant will be my closest brush with death as i will have no immune system and will be getting regular blood transfusions as i won't be able to produce enough on my own to stay alive. after the 3 weeks +/- i will be at home avoiding large groups of people for 3 months as i will have next to no immune system. And through ALL this all i want to do is ride my Pivot Mach 5 on some sweet New England trails and have fun. once i live through this (hopefully) you damn well better believe i will be back on the pivot as soon as i can! My attitude is Damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead. I am Up Beat and happy to be alive.:thumbsup:


Good luck. Sending all my extra good karma, prayers and good thoughts your way.

Steve Z


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## jmiah (Apr 13, 2012)

With ya brother. Keep up the positive thoughts. They go a long way.


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

Thanks everyone for the positive Karma and Prayers they are much appreciated!:thumbsup:

I will post updates as i work through this process to get me cancer free.

Today my hair is falling out like it's going outa style should be intersting after the second round of the ICE i'm guessing I'm gonna me a mexican hairless cat before long....Ewwwwww.:eekster:

In the mean time all you out there that can hit the trails Hit one for me


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## rydbyk (Oct 13, 2009)

I was gonna post up my close encounter with lightening that took a couple of lives in San Diego, but after reading some of your personal stories, I am humbled.

As others have said, amazing stories. My thoughts too go out to those who are currently in the midst of a personal challenge.

Peace.


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## TobyGadd (Sep 9, 2009)

Almost died from appendicitis. Also couple of close calls climbing years ago.

And, no, I don't think that any deities have plans for me.


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## 2ridealot (Jun 15, 2004)

JonnyB76 said:


> Thanks everyone for the positive Karma and Prayers they are much appreciated!:thumbsup:
> 
> I will post updates as i work through this process to get me cancer free.
> 
> ...


I would like to join the others in wishing you the best in your fight. I am going to ride an extra lap this weekend and send all the mojo I have your way :thumbsup: Thoughts and Prayers


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## Huskywolf (Feb 8, 2012)

JonnyB76 said:


> Thanks everyone for the positive Karma and Prayers they are much appreciated!:thumbsup:
> 
> I will post updates as i work through this process to get me cancer free.
> 
> ...


From one cancer survivor to another, hang in there man. :thumbsup:


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

JonnyB76 said:


> Thanks everyone for the positive Karma and Prayers they are much appreciated!:thumbsup:
> 
> I will post updates as i work through this process to get me cancer free.
> 
> ...


shave that $hit off and own that bald head.

I started losing hair and I thought it would all be gone...but I'm apparently such a hairy SOB that I still had enough left that I didn't wind up looking like mangy coyote (the chupacabra!) or anything.

I'll do an extra lap for you, bro.


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## Peddlerofpunk (Apr 21, 2012)

drj85 said:


> I guess I'll chime in on this one. 7 or 8 years ago I thought it would be a good idea to try out one of those little tiny whitewater play kayaks (the kind you can barely fit in and have the skirt around in). So I take it out in a lake and paddle around and everything was going great until I flipped. I kept trying to turn myself right side up but as soon as my head would come up i'd gasp for air and then back under I went. Tried that quite a few times. So then I kept reaching for the handle that releases the skirt and couldn't find it. I started blacking out and really thinking that it was going to be my last few secondons alive. Then I reached for the handle one last time and found it. When my head broke thru the surface of the water it was the greatest feeling ever. That was the scariest day of my life. That night the kayak went on ebay, it sold fast and I used the money to buy bike parts


Had this same thing happen to a friend(the getting stuck upside down) she was on candlewood lake messing around with another friends kayak with the skirt over the opening, problem was that this skirt was extremely tight and she wasnt strong enough to pull it free. she also didnt know how to "combat roll" a kayak, thankfully i was standing on a dock a few hundred feet away and as soon as she tipped i knew she was in big trouble. I am thankfully a very strong swimmer and a large individual so when i reached her i just manhandled the boat back right side up. she later told me she was only half concious when i got to her but was fine by the time i swam/towed her back to shore. it was well worth the broken cell and soaked cigarettes to be able to perpetuate a close friends life.

my own story of a "i barely survived" is quite probably the lamest story here lol. i was working 3rd shift as a security guard, left as normal in the morning and went home. get home and noone else is there, grab a bagel and go to my room to change and go to sleep. bagel was super dry and when i tried to swallow it just got stuck halfway down. i couldnt keep swallowing or cough it back up, so there i am in my room in just boxers choking to death. i tried not to panic(the threat of drowning/suffocating is absolutely terrifying) i began to self heimlich(sp?) but after a few tries and more than a minute of not breathing at all the edges of my vision began to go black. after 7 or 8 tries i was able to self heimlich the bagel out of my throat and take the sweetest breath of my life. i immediately threw away the bagel out iof spite and went to be exhausted. i know pretty lame...


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## jmiah (Apr 13, 2012)

*Oif*

OIF 1: 4th ID 2003-2004
Thanks for your service man! I understand that **** you said all too well.



phirebug said:


> never really almost died in the way most of you have, but had a lot of close calls and near misses (literally)
> 
> when i was 8 we got T-boned by an 18 wheeler in a dodge colt. i was sleeping with my head against the window on the side that got hit. all i remember is waking up covered in blood, then waking up again in the ER with the dr digging pieces of auto glass out of my scalp. long night.
> 
> ...


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## Psycho Mike (Apr 2, 2006)

Jonny...I may be joining you (though not for quite the same reason) this year. Keep your chin up and keep fighting!

I do a cancer ride every year following the death of a friend and coworker. This year I'm dangling the razor out there to entice some more donations. I'll keep ya in mind as I roll the FR bike all 215 km of the Ride this year.


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## Hutch3637 (Jul 1, 2011)

Lots on inspirational stories in here. Keep fighting the fight. 

Only two stories for me. First one happened back in 03 on my motorcycle when I was doing a rolling burnout at about 50mph and had an electrical short which shut my bike off. This launched me over the bars and did some circus acts in the air for a good 100+ feet. I was knocked out and something told me to get up. I got back up in the middle of the road daze and confused to find my bike now running which was spinning around in circles. Picked it up and road back to my GF at the time who rushed me to the ER. 

First person to come in who I thought was the doctor after the CT scan was actually the priest. That was weird. Then the doctor came in and told me everything was fine. Woo! But, the bad news was the force of the hit when my elbow hit cause my skin to gash open so lots of muscle was ripped and torn which they cut out. This effects my left hand grip to this day and the strength of my arm. 

The second story was in 07 again was on my motorcycle at night doing a wheelie this time and because I had no gauges I did not know I was low on gas. Well, yup, I ran out of gas mid air and this slammed me down again. Luckily, this time I held on for dear life but ran out of road and went down a hill off the highway. After I stopped I could not believe what I saw but a whole bunch of trees that I missed by inches. So whoever or whatever looked after me thank you.


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## LWright (Jan 29, 2006)

Almost died? Does walking away from crashing my Yamaha 1100 Special into a power pole at 100mph+ count? Diabetic comas (2) from highs of 1500 and low of 26? And how about the time my son shot out an arm to keep me from going otb on 2nd Divide where the trail turns from hillside to cliffedge in a half heartbeat?
Almost forgot when I dropped a transfer case on my hand chopping off my left index finger, went to the ER where the anesthesiologist put me under then left to check on other patients. I promptly asphyxiated my recent lunch and collapsed both lungs.
Rather die while I'm living than live like I'm dead!
OH yeah, the time I was looking for dirt to ride in Yosemite, ranger told me to go ahead and use the dirt road above the water treatment tanks. The dirt road was a bust due to a bunch of downed trees so I went back to camp. 20 minutes later a chunk of the rock face fell and crushed a lot more trees and the Happy Island Shop.
Good times


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## Major Clanger (Feb 11, 2012)

Some enlightening stories from some brave people here. My respect to you........

I used to race motorbikes, a Ducati 926 Customer Corsa to be exact. I was upper-midfield filler, rarely higher, fell off quite often but I loved it. Anyway, I was at Snetterton for a two-day meeting in July 1996 (a circuit in Norfolk, England) and by the time I left for home on the Sunday night all was well - I had a 9th and 11th place, hadn't fallen off all week-end and the bike was going off for some new tasty parts to be fitted FOC.

So I was driving home in the evening Sun when a woman pulled across my path at the last minute to turn right. The police worked out from my skidmarks (the ones on the road!) that I was about 20ft from her doing 60mph when she turned. Big collision, I managed to climb out of the car (still don't know how) and then collapsed on the road not feeling anything.

Put in a cage, taken to hospital, scans, X-rays and lots of prodding before being told that I'd broken C3 and C4 in my neck. More scans and tests the next day before being warned that I would probably never walk again...... Not a good day for me since I was a professional yachtsman and all my hobbies were based outdoors.

Just over a day later I was having more tests and complained that my feet had bad pins and needles. This quickly spread up my body and turned to acute pain. I couldn't understand why the doctors were so happy! Anyway, it transpired that all the musles in my back/neck had gone into severe spasm, clamped onto my spinal cord around the broken vertebrae and caused temporary paralysis.

The upshot was that I spent 4 months in hospital followed by another year of intense physio. I went through periods of medical depression but thankfully because I am stubborn I got through it and was walking within two months of the crash. I bought myself a Marin Muirwoods just before Christmas 1996 and started riding it around the park early next spring. Very gently at first but more and more often and eventually onto proper, technical off-road terrain.

I never did sail again professionally but I did my first XC race on my Muirwoods (!!!!) at the end of 1999 - I was still no better than midfield filler!!

Anyway, that's me. Remember to be stubborn and never give up until death is smiling at you - doctors are just as fallible as the rest of us and the human body is not a predictable and perfect medium to be working with!

Good luck to all on this thread who are fighting illness; your bravery goes beyond............


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## zardog (Apr 24, 2011)

Nothing as drastic as a lot of the stories here, but I've seen, driven, and ridden in car accidents that involved head on collisions with trees. 

The first one was in high school when a buddy wasn't paying attention and sped right through a stop sign and hit the only tree growing on the embankment on the other side of the T intersection.

A few years ago I fell asleep at the wheel 1/4 mile from my front door. I woke up going downhill of the left shoulder and had just enough time to think "I'm gonna die," then launched off the bank and center punched through a decent sized tree. I got out in a daze and walked home and called my parents, My mom came over and we called to report the accident but they said if nobody was hurt they weren't coming out due to a fatal wreck they were already working, so the next time I saw the truck was in broad daylight when the wrecker pulled it up out of the gulley and I got sick to my stomach and weak at the knees. the only thing I could salvage was the tool box and the hitch cover, I even had to hitch back down just to get that.

And leaving my house once to go about a mile down the road to the lake, the girl driving was going too fast on the dirt and as soon as I told her to slow down we went over a weird intersection/hump that sent the car into a skid. Luckily everybody in the car turned out alright, although a few did go to the hospital just to be safe.

One more close call was when I was little my mom was driving and we saw a cop coming up on us from about a mile back at the end of a straight stretch so we sped up to get through the curves so we could pull off and get out of his way, right as we got through the curves a car went flying past in the other direction. After a few minutes the cop never came by which seemed strange but didn't think any more of it so we went on. when we came back through about a half hour later the whole place was swarming with cops and paramedics. and apparently the cop we had seen was on his way to a fight that the other car was leaving from and when he went past us he lost control and went head first into the cop car, killing the driver and sending the officer into the emergency room. There's no way of knowing for sure but if we hadn't sped up it could have been us. That was just one of about five major wrecks/fatalities that I know of on that curve.


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## sodak (Oct 10, 2006)

phirebug said:


> then there were the mortor attacks, which is kind of like a morbid game of keno.


I'll never forget that "screaming/whistling" sound... and the question we all wondered... Where's it gonna land??


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## Rod (Oct 17, 2007)

There are some very inspirational stories in this thread.


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## Q-Lock (Feb 10, 2012)

Nomad1972 said:


> I hope that my story isn't an almost died story but.....
> 
> I crashed pretty badly Sunday and went to to the local ER to check out my concussion so they gave me a ct scan.
> 
> ...





JonnyB76 said:


> I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma back in Sept 2011 went through 6 months of ABVD chemo to cure me, when i finished we did the PET scan to check if i was cancer free sadly i still had some in my neck and chest. My doc at this point tells my wife that i'm his first patient in 18 years of practice that wasn't cured by the ABVD treatment. wife tells me this, nicely uplifting:eekster:. Next my doc has me meet with a specialist in Hodgkin's from Dana Farber to go over our plan of action to get me cancer free. The plan is 2 rounds of ICE chemo regime then PET scan, if i responded good then i will have a stem cell transplant in Boston (3 week hospital stay) then radiation and possibly be in a study for an experimental antibody that targets just the Hodgkin's cells. I will have the 2nd round of ICE next week. the stem cell transplant will be my closest brush with death as i will have no immune system and will be getting regular blood transfusions as i won't be able to produce enough on my own to stay alive. after the 3 weeks +/- i will be at home avoiding large groups of people for 3 months as i will have next to no immune system. And through ALL this all i want to do is ride my Pivot Mach 5 on some sweet New England trails and have fun. once i live through this (hopefully) you damn well better believe i will be back on the pivot as soon as i can! My attitude is Damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead. I am Up Beat and happy to be alive.:thumbsup:


My wife and I will be praying for you both!


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## lotstar (Apr 10, 2008)

Was riding in circles around pool. Fell. Bike trapped me under! Dad was there and saved me.


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## Anonymous (Mar 3, 2005)

Back in 1987, I saw Oprah in spandex.
I win!


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## TreeKiller (Aug 29, 2007)

JonnyB76 said:


> Thanks everyone for the positive Karma and Prayers they are much appreciated!:thumbsup:
> 
> I will post updates as i work through this process to get me cancer free.
> 
> ...


Good luck and prayers for you my man!!! I shall dedicate a lap or two for you this evening. :thumbsup:


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## onbelaydave (May 10, 2006)

Pinned to the bottom of a river at Spring flood stage in my yak. The hole cycled just long enough to spit me up for another breath of of air before sucking me back down until I couldn't hold me breath any longer... repeat for 4-5 cycles.

Anaphylaxis from a hive of Yellowjacket hornets attacking/sting me. They counted over 45 stings.

Buried in an avy.

Tied into a belay in a tight chimney during a major rockfall.

Struck by lightning 3 times.

Those were the 5+ times I was sure I was going to die, but I don't even need those reminders to keep on living life to the hilt.

At my age, I'm attending 2-3 funerals/ year for friends/relatives of mine. More than anything, that reminds me I was just "lucky" to stave off "The Reaper" in my past encounters but he's coming at anytime.. 

I never take any day for granted. I give my wife a kiss/ tell her I love her everyday before leaving for work/ going to bed at night.

Even at 58, I'm working on getting my aero tow cert to tack on to my Hang Gliding rating.

I'm still rolling the same trails I rode ~ 30 yrs ago "On the Front Range", as often a I can, maybe not as fast or aggressive as before, but the passion is still there.


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## Walt Dizzy (Aug 18, 2003)

This happened in 1971 or 1972 wile I was still in high school.

It was in the spring, and I was out running. I remember that there was snow on the ground. I decided to stay near the edge of the traffic lane because I didn't want to chance missing my footing on something under the thin layer of white.

I heard or saw a car coming toward me across the other side of the valley maybe a half mile ahead. I had time for a few more strides before I moved toward the edge of the road. Something made me look up. The car that was so far away seconds before had popped up over the crest of the hill, headed directly for me, and going way over the speed limit.

I didn't have time to do anything but dive toward the outside of the road. For some reason, I was spinning in circles as I landed in the ditch. It seemed like ages passed while dawned on me that I had been hit on my right leg as I leaped out of the car's path.

I grabbed my leg, but it just felt numb. I was immediately pretty sure nothing was broken, but I didn't turn down the offer I got from the kind person who stopped and offered me a lift to the local hospital.

My best guess is the guy who hit me was doing 65-75 mph in a 55 zone. All that I got out of it was tire marks on my right shoe. I'm certain he didn't run over my foot, but just clipped me with his tire as I jumped for my life. I must have laid out nearly horizontal because otherwise his bumper would have shattered my shin and possibly my knee.

I already was certain it was a good idea to stay out the way of cars, so I'm not sure that I learned anything new from this occasion.

I also nearly drowned as a toddler, and much later walked into a corner post and fell down into a staircase, and survived several other events. Not very many trips to the ER though. My brother was the daredevil of the family.

Walt


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Onbelaydave, what kind of lightning stikes are you talking about, direct hits, ground splash, feel a shockwave? I was close enough to a strike to feel the shock wave once and it scared the absolute crap out of me. I have no desire to have a closer brush with a strike.

Walt, that is an incredibly close call. The consequences of even 1 extra second of reaction time would have been dire.


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## SDKmann (Apr 23, 2012)

I don't think it would have been a life or death situation (Im pretty sure) but it would not have been a good weekend if it wasn't for my helmet and a bit of luck.

This Saturday (the day before my college graduation) I was out on the trails where I was hitting the same section for some practice going off larger jumps. The area I was on was a downhill area that wasn't too steep but enough to get some good speed going and I was using it to try and see how fast I could complete the section. This particular section has more roots and rocks on the trail than most of the surrounding area combined. There is a small jump at the top and a larger jump at the bottom. On my 4th or 5th run down the route I lifted off the larger jump poorly and when I landed I was not going straight down the trail. That combined with the speed/air I got resulted in me riding off the trail shortly after landing. My handlebars did a full rotation and I was launched off the bike, at this point I was probably moving faster than 20 mph. I didn't even have time to put my hands down and my head slammed into a branch that was on the ground that was about the size of my forearm. The branch split in two and a piece of it went through my cheek. At the hospital the surgeon said that I missed the nerve that helps control my lower lip by less than an inch and that if the piece of wood had not stopped I could have cut through some major veins. Between the potential head injury and all the stuff that could have gone wrong with my face I would say that this was one of the luckiest weekends ever.


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

*Bump*

Well here is my update. I got Good news and Bad news on the Pet/ct scan post ICE treatment. Good news is that the stuff in my chest is gone.:thumbsup: Bad news is the stuff in my neck got worse.:madman: so now my future rests in the hands of the Expert from Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston who I see this Thursday June 7th. My guess is more salvage Chemo and maybe if i get clean i can finally have the Stem Cell treatment and then Radiation. looks like this season is shot at this rate hopefully i will be good to go for 2013!:thumbsup: For those of you that can put two wheels on the dirt Hit some for me! i did squeak in a trail ride at Bear Brook State Park but man did it kick my ass.:eekster:


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

JonnyB76 said:


> Well here is my update. I got Good news and Bad news on the Pet/ct scan post ICE treatment. Good news is that the stuff in my chest is gone.:thumbsup: Bad news is the stuff in my neck got worse.:madman: so now my future rests in the hands of the Expert from Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston who I see this Thursday June 7th. My guess is more salvage Chemo and maybe if i get clean i can finally have the Stem Cell treatment and then Radiation. looks like this season is shot at this rate hopefully i will be good to go for 2013!:thumbsup: For those of you that can put two wheels on the dirt Hit some for me! i did squeak in a trail ride at Bear Brook State Park but man did it kick my ass.:eekster:


I'll be thinking about you on my next ride when I try to reclaim a couple of Strava KOM's on my local trails this weekend.

Dana Farber is pretty good, I hear. I have friends who have been treated there. Good luck with your ongoing treatment.


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## 2wheelsnotfour (Aug 18, 2010)

Sending good vibes to you JonnyB76. Remember. Fvck cancer.


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## airforceteacher (May 31, 2012)

In 86 I was in college and riding my brand new 10-speed Schwinn to work. I started crossing the street and FSM knows why, but I thought it was a one-way street, so I only looked right, not left. I started pedaling, then got up from the ground. I still don't remember being hit. I managed to only break my collarbone and collect another 40-50 stitches despite being hit by a passenger van going at least 35mph. It was kind of funny, I didn't even realize I was injured when I stood up. I wheeled my bike to the sidewalk then walked over to the van, shocking the heck out of the driver. I even asked him if he was alright, not knowing about the blood dripping down my face. 

And I got a ticket, which I clearly deserved, but sure felt like adding insult to injury at the time.


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## jmiah (Apr 13, 2012)

JonnyB76 said:


> Well here is my update. I got Good news and Bad news on the Pet/ct scan post ICE treatment. Good news is that the stuff in my chest is gone.:thumbsup: Bad news is the stuff in my neck got worse.:madman: so now my future rests in the hands of the Expert from Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston who I see this Thursday June 7th. My guess is more salvage Chemo and maybe if i get clean i can finally have the Stem Cell treatment and then Radiation. looks like this season is shot at this rate hopefully i will be good to go for 2013!:thumbsup: For those of you that can put two wheels on the dirt Hit some for me! i did squeak in a trail ride at Bear Brook State Park but man did it kick my ass.:eekster:


Best wishes to you.


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## WKD-RDR (Sep 1, 2007)




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## Blurr (Dec 7, 2009)

Another Premature Baby here, breech all that good stuff.
Some of you have been thru true hell. 

Really to many to call, growing up in agriculture and working various construction my entire life there were very few times there were not close calls but I chalk those up to just living. Hell after all lets face it, as posted earlier, many of us simply do not see the car that just missed us ect.

We should all live each day as fully as possible


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## vanhelzer (Apr 12, 2012)

*Head-on Car Accident...*

I was eleven years old. I had an uncle that designed and built class 16 buggies. My dad, brother, and myself were going to Imperial Valley, Ca. to watch him race. We had no idea that a water truck had drifted off the road and tipped over an hour before we reached the grounds. The officials started turning everyone back because of the dust. The road we were on was a wide dirt road, but not wide enough for two cars. My dad was drifting his Plymouth Duster trying to show off when a Ford Ltd met us head-on. Coming around a blind corner we never had any time to react. All three of us were NOT wearing seat belts. I remember watching my blood fill the floor pan before passing out. The cars were literally connected face-to-face, the wrecker couldn't separate them. I woke up in the hospital to the sound of my little brother screaming bloody murder. My heart broke for him. Despite stitches and some head trauma, we were all ok... This story has a weird twist to it, because just the night before, my dad was talking to both my brother and I about what to do if a car accident was eminent... Because the car didn't have seat belts... Go figure.


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## Flyin_W (Jun 17, 2007)

Great thread Nate! Many people here living life to it's fullest.
Was diagnosed with epilepsy @ 29, although it impacts my life, I've not let it win. 
Feel that life is experience, and believe those who've not enjoyed risk, have truly not lived.

Being pinned underwater, and re-cycled in a hydraulic - very few things are as scary.
Far too many motorcycle accidents, learned early by nearly slamming a UPS truck.
Skiing backcountry, cliff jumping, or setting off sloughs that take out trees leaves an imprint. 
Created a climax slide that buried a ski pal, to safely get to, then find him (alive) was pure terror.

Weighing risk vs. reward to decide whether you want to play seems fairly simple. When adding another's life it becomes far more complex. 
The largest risk we encounter is driving a car, and yet when people learn of the things I do solo, they cringe. 
My reply is that I wish to die doing what I love, not lying in a hospital, or nursing home. 
Have always done what I felt right, have no regrets, and focus my energy to make things better.

To all those living life, use it or lose it, and to those going through hard times hang tough - it will make you stronger.
Best,


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## airforceteacher (May 31, 2012)

In 2004, right after I started riding my motorcycle, I messed up a quick stop and low sided my bike. I slid down Power Blvd in Colorado Springs for about 50 feet with my head riding the curb. I am extremely grateful that I was wearing a good full face helmet - I ended up with a scab on my elbow and my knee and a wrecked helmet and pants. ATTGATT.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Flyin_W said:


> Great thread Nate! Many people here living life to it's fullest.


And to think I got neg repped several times shortly after creating this thread by people who thought I was being selfish. It was never about me. I was simply prompting the discussion. And a lot of folks have shared some truly inspiring stories.


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## Major Clanger (Feb 11, 2012)

To JonnyB76 - Very best wishes for your ongoing treatment; fight it ALL the way, be angry with it and never forget that it CAN be beaten!

I'll be thinking off you this week-end up in the Yorkshire Dales on some good, honest English trails....


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

2wheelsnotfour said:


> Sending good vibes to you JonnyB76. Remember. Fvck cancer.


Word!:thumbsup:


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## Robbieisbobert (Dec 22, 2007)

I'm not sure if my story is of one being almost close to dying, but here goes:

About 2 years ago I went to ride some short singletrack behind my house. I had ridden this trail many times before, so I knew it pretty well. Apparently, some tile-like material was present on the end of the trail which caused my front wheel to wash out and sent me over the bars. Apparently, careening head first into the dirt really leaves you out of breath. Once I stopped, I was in pain and unable to breathe for about a minute.

I'm not quite sure what could have happened if I was not wearing a helmet, but I'm glad i was wearing one; that thing cracked in three places. Funny thing is, I recall having thought to mysef the day before "I wonder how much this helmet would actually protect me in case of a bad fall?" Lessons of the day: don't ride by yourself and wear a helmet, kids!


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## ou2mame (Apr 23, 2010)

i had a heart attack when i was 19. it was drug related,,... i accidentally smoked pcp, it caused an already defective valve in my heart to fail. the defect was from being premature when i was born. anyways, i was always active, in good shape, and all of a sudden i'm smoking a joint and boom i'm dead? i had a lot of anxiety, panic attacks and all that for a long time, and really, bike riding was one of the first things that really cleared my head. i started snowboarding in the winter, anything to keep moving. so 10 years later, i remember it like it was yesterday, and i still shake my head when i think about it. but yeah.. i like bike riding haha i'm glad i'm still here to do it


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

*Bump/Update*

Well it took awhile but i finally had my stem cell transplant last November!
To get there i had 3 chemo regimes that didn't work and radiation that worked but the cancer went outside the radiation field so we did one more chemo regime that got me to remission finally. 
all said a year and a month of continuous treatment to kill my freaking cancer :madman:
I'm still in my Avoid Human Beings phase since i have no immune system but i did get to remission!:thumbsup:
I have a CAT scan this Wednesday to see if i am still in remission and to check on my lungs since i am suffering Chemo induced Pneumonitis.
And am on high doses steroids so i can breath (sorta, still no where near 100% working right). 
it's kinda scary when you are in the hospital and they have to give you transfusions of blood because you bone marrow is dead and cant make any of it's own :eekster: 
but my Stem Cells kicked in with gusto so now i am actually on the high end of normal on my blood count.
Gotta love modern medicine.
Hope everyone is enjoying the winter riding and getting out on the trails!
I have to resign myself to my trek on the trainer o well


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## jmiah (Apr 13, 2012)

I'm on the trainer too man. Glad to hear about your remission. Here's to a positive attitude and some good old fashioned healing. Hope you're back out on the trails soon.

Sent from my KFTT using Tapatalk 2


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## rockerc (Nov 22, 2010)

My thoughts go out to all of you struggling with illness, it has touched my life often, but thankfully not my body as yet. I take note of your courage and hope I may have the same if it did happen to me.

I have only ever had the usual motorcycle accidents, luckily never being hospitalised for longer than a few days, and still have all my limbs. I did have a small episode one time that could have been tragic tho. I used to sometimes go into the roof of the venues I put concert productions into to help with the high rigging, and one day I went up to help our rigger in the roof in an arena in Germany somewhere. We were sitting face to face on a 6" beam about 70' up, having a breather after some exertion, and the guy I was with up there suddenly had a fit of some kind and passed out. I watched it happen, and just managed to grab under his arm as he started to slide off the beam. I ended up hanging by my free arm to the beam above me, and hanging onto his dead weight with my other. I was screaming down for someone to come help us, but quickly realised that I didn't have the strength to pull him up, and possibly not my own weight either. That was a sobering moment. I thought we were both going down. Seemed like we were hanging for an age, and I toyed with the idea of letting him go to try and save myself, but could not. Thankfully he came round after a minute or two, and helped himself get back up onto the beam proper. He had no recollection of what had happened, and was a little bemused when I told him I had saved his life! I don't think he believed me... Nowadays, riggers are rigorously made to wear a harness. Very sensible.


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## BigRingGrinder (Jan 9, 2013)

Old thread, but great read.

20+ years ago i am surfing the Swami's break in Encinitas with my cousin. Huge day, waves were overhead when we paddled out but had grown to double overhead during the time we were outside.

We look at each other and realize we really needed to get out of the water. Waited for a lul in the sets and started paddling in. 20+ years ago and i still remember it like it was yesterday. People up on the cliff start screaming, surfers in the line up start screaming, and i look over my shoulder behind us. Biggest wave i have ever personally seen in my life breaks a good 200 feet outside of where the already huge waves were breaking. A wall of foam, not even slightly kidding, 20' tall rolls towards us.

When it hit me, it held me under for exactly the amount of air i had in my lungs. I actually reached down and hand over hand reeled in my leash to get to my board and was STILL underwater. When it finally let me up for air i had exactly enough time to suck in ONE lung full of fresh air before the next wave hit me.

This wave too held me down till that point you are about to take in water. When this wave let me up i again had time for one breath before the third wave hit me. Right when i was about to give up, the wave spit me up onto the beach. I look to my left and my cousin is 10 feet away from me with a look on his face that i am sure mirrored mine.

Life guards were on the beach pulling surfer after surfer out of the soup. Craziest clean up set ive ever seen, we wernt the only ones who got mauled.

Closest ive come to death. _I still surf, and still love huge waves. _Being a far better surfer now, i realize what i did wrong (i stayed up by the surface of the water and let the wave claim me, i should have dived as deep as i could to get under the wave) and how little business two rookie teenagers had out in waves that big.

Gotta keep moving and doing what you love. One can not let what "might" happen scare you away from living life to its fullest. Good on all of you who have done the same in this thread!


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## Wild Wassa (Jun 4, 2009)

In late October last year, I was bitten by an Eastern Brown Snake. 

I was alright initially after being bitten, then a few days later, I went downhill. It took me about 8 weeks before I could walk 100m, without damaging leg muscles. I'm back on the bike now and rebuilding my fitness. 

Did I nearly die? I'm not sure but several doctors think that I dodged a bullet. Eastern Brown Snakes have been responsible for a few deaths, since I was bitten.

There is one thing that I did learn that day. There is no room for a bike in an ambulance.

Warren.


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## Thatshowiroll (Jan 30, 2009)

I've been slowly dying since the day I was born.


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## Gigantic (Aug 31, 2012)

had a very bad roadracing motorcycle accident: serious concussion, broken ribs, collapsed lung, shattered collar bone. First words out of my mouth to the doctor when I came to? "When can I ride?" riding reaffirms life; refusing to get back on the horse, negates it.


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## mtbnozpikr (Sep 1, 2008)

JonnyB76 said:


> all said a year and a month of continuous treatment to kill my freaking cancer :madman:
> I'm still in my Avoid Human Beings phase since i have no immune system but i did get to remission!:thumbsup:


That is wonderful news. I do not know you more than from the forums but I think that congratulations is definitely in order. My parents are both doctors so I have been exposed to it through their experiences and discussions growing up. I hope to never have to go through such an ordeal; however, my hat is off to you. Best of luck as you recover and proceed through life.


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

mtbnozpikr said:


> That is wonderful news. I do not know you more than from the forums but I think that congratulations is definitely in order. My parents are both doctors so I have been exposed to it through their experiences and discussions growing up. I hope to never have to go through such an ordeal; however, my hat is off to you. Best of luck as you recover and proceed through life.


Thanks!

And a Thumbs Up on your fleet of bikes!:thumbsup:

Keep the bikes wheels side down and Hit Those Trails for me while I'm trapped inside everyone!


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## dwnhlldav (Feb 2, 2006)

I hit a tree while skiing. I was going recklessly fast in the woods, got knocked off my line by funky snow and went full tilt into the tree. If it wasn't for the quick response of the other skiers in the woods and the patrollers I could have very easily died before getting to the hospital. As it was, I had a chest tube put in with no anesthesia because I was very close to circulatory collapse and traumatic arrest. 

They say that going from compensated shock to decompensated shock brings with it strong emotional changes. Basically, you realize you're about to die. After awakening from being knocked out in the initial impact, I never lost consciousness. I remember vividly what is what like when I started decompensating and it was one of the scariest moments I've lived through. I hope not to repeat it anytime soon.

But I still ride, and ski. I'm a ski patroller now, hoping to pay forward the good work that was done by the patrollers who helped me.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

JohnnyB, maybe your stem cells can give mine a stern kick in the a$$. My platelets are still low more than 3yrs after treatment. They are finally starting to increase, but VERY slowly. I might have 1k more every 6mo. I have an appointment next week to check again


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## telemike (Jun 20, 2011)

A couple of early morning trips to the ER when I first got asthma as an adult. The second one, my oxygen saturation was under 80% which the doctor described as the steep part of the decline.

I ride and Ski a lot in spite of asthma which is thankfully generally under good control. The issue that brought on the asthma and a few other issues still smolders though. So I ride and ski and paddle etc drink wine and eat potato chips - life is short anyway!


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

NateHawk said:


> JohnnyB, maybe your stem cells can give mine a stern kick in the a$$. My platelets are still low more than 3yrs after treatment. They are finally starting to increase, but VERY slowly. I might have 1k more every 6mo. I have an appointment next week to check again


Nate,

my issues is red blood cells im still a bit anemic.

Also here is an update: I am back at work full time! Sweet. But i have permanent lung damage from the radiation and chemo. Doh. so my journey back to slaying single track is going to be that much harder, currently my lung function is at 60% of target function, Doh. But i will get there as soon as i can!


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## PdlPwr (Nov 16, 2010)

My motorcycle and I parted ways on a winding country road around xx miles per hour. Good thing I was was wearing leathers, I limped away with a mild ankle fracture after sliding down the road a good 50 yards. The bike faired pretty well and was fixed good as new and my ankle healed just fine, but I still get a little skittish on blind right handers.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

JonnyB76 said:


> Nate,
> 
> my issues is red blood cells im still a bit anemic.
> 
> Also here is an update: I am back at work full time! Sweet. But i have permanent lung damage from the radiation and chemo. Doh. so my journey back to slaying single track is going to be that much harder, currently my lung function is at 60% of target function, Doh. But i will get there as soon as i can!


Anemic AND 60% lung function? I will tell my stem cells to get yours in gear so your red counts start to recover


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## ahelmus (Jun 2, 2006)

Re-upping this hoping Jonny is OK.

I did a colon cancer thing 10 years ago with about 30% chance of survival. One thing that pulled me through was sitting in the chemo room watching them try to put a spike in the arm of a kid about 8 years old. It was obvious that he was early in treatment because he was still pretty fleshy and still not yet wasted by chemo. I decided that moment that I would do the PanMass Challenge and raise money for pediatric cancer research. (This was when Lance was still a hero). I finished treatment two days after my birthday on May 8 and started training for the ride in early August. After about 200 yards on the first time out I was absolutely tapped - 8 months without exercise and a loss of 45 pounds is pretty detrimental to fitness. About 12 weeks later I lined up to ride about 180 miles roadie over two days. It was absolutely clear that I didn't have it but there was no way I was going to bow out. I can't express what it meant to cross the finish line - for me it meant I was really back, that this f**king disease was not going to take me down. 

I mostly ride solo. I find amazing peace in testing myself alone in the woods. Just me and my bike and the limits of what I can ask my body to offer. Its not always satisfying, but is always in the bonus zone. Everything is. In couple months I will do a dirty century which is a goal before 50. Rigid and single. Wish me luck, or at least a minimum of suffering, because I am not going to stop. Thanks.


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## CarolinaLL6 (Apr 12, 2010)

Years back whilst flying Dust Off in the Army the helicopter hiccuped during a landing on a 12k' peak.

End result minus a few big parts that broke off during the 1000' roll down slope. My guardian angel was watching because all I came out with was a bad whiplash and a sprained wrist. Everyone else came out pretty similar.

fwiw I don't ride roller coasters anymore.


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## Laura Portinari (Mar 22, 2013)

I think everyone has had a near death experience whether it is been on your bike, car, or doing something you just shouldn't of been doing. My near death experience came from snowboarding about 2 years ago. I ended up with a separated shoulder and a broken scapula but I almost broke my neck. Let's just say I'm not Shawn White.


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## ZmyDust (May 13, 2011)

I got hit by a car on the road.. Ironically it was on my MTB and I was on about a 1/4 miles stretch of busy 2 lane that connected two singletracks. 

Luckily he decided to slam on his brakes just in time and I ended up hitting the road harder than the car hit me. When I looked up there was the hood of a lexus about a foot from me. Walked away with a cracked helmet, scratched sunglasses, and some non permanent roadrash. Some fairly permanent scars on my hands (wasn't wearing gloves for that ride).

Haven't had the guts to bike that stretch of road since, and everytime I drive it, I see the tire tracks in the road and feel the impact of it all over again. All mental. One of the witnesses said and I quote "I thought he was goin' over you dude".


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## socalkrawler (Mar 18, 2013)

Well im pretty new to the forum but most of my deadly injuries were in the military. I was hit by a dirty IED in afganland and shot a few times in a undisclosed location (i was comms nsw so seal stuff) but died 2 for 1 min and still have metal in my back. docs said that i would never do anything "crazy" again like skydive and downhill, 2 months later ha skydiving and gettting a new bike on the 1st of the month. I feel for everyone fighting cancer i would much rather be blown up several times than go through that narly stuff. Keep fighting and stay strong from a navy vet.


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## alphajaguars (Jan 12, 2004)

socalkrawler said:


> Well im pretty new to the forum but most of my deadly injuries were in the military. I was hit by a dirty IED in afganland and shot a few times in a undisclosed location (i was comms nsw so seal stuff) but died 2 for 1 min and still have metal in my back. docs said that i would never do anything "crazy" again like skydive and downhill, 2 months later ha skydiving and gettting a new bike on the 1st of the month. I feel for everyone fighting cancer i would much rather be blown up several times than go through that narly stuff. Keep fighting and stay strong from a navy vet.


Thank you for your service.


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## Hound (Dec 2, 2012)

From a former navy Man heal up, an carry on. The Seabee's mantra CAN DO


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## Vespasianus (Apr 9, 2008)

ahelmus said:


> Re-upping this hoping Jonny is OK.
> 
> I did a colon cancer thing 10 years ago with about 30% chance of survival. One thing that pulled me through was sitting in the chemo room watching them try to put a spike in the arm of a kid about 8 years old. It was obvious that he was early in treatment because he was still pretty fleshy and still not yet wasted by chemo. I decided that moment that I would do the PanMass Challenge and raise money for pediatric cancer research. (This was when Lance was still a hero). I finished treatment two days after my birthday on May 8 and started training for the ride in early August. After about 200 yards on the first time out I was absolutely tapped - 8 months without exercise and a loss of 45 pounds is pretty detrimental to fitness. About 12 weeks later I lined up to ride about 180 miles roadie over two days. It was absolutely clear that I didn't have it but there was no way I was going to bow out. I can't express what it meant to cross the finish line - for me it meant I was really back, that this f**king disease was not going to take me down.
> 
> I mostly ride solo. I find amazing peace in testing myself alone in the woods. Just me and my bike and the limits of what I can ask my body to offer. Its not always satisfying, but is always in the bonus zone. Everything is. In couple months I will do a dirty century which is a goal before 50. Rigid and single. Wish me luck, or at least a minimum of suffering, because I am not going to stop. Thanks.


Kudo's to you my friend. Keep fighting and keep riding.


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## socalkrawler (Mar 18, 2013)

I finally got my doc to sign off on the bike riding so im picking up a trek cobia at the end of the week. Thank you it was a fun job just re adjusting to civi life!


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

*Still Kicking but not doing so hot*

Ladies and Gent's I'm still Kicking!

I get a road ride in on the Pivot around the house once in a blue moon.

I ended up Relapsing 143 days post Transplant!:madman:
I went on a new Chemo called Revlamid that just **** the bed!
Now i am signing up for a clinical Trial at Dana Farber in Boston. (has Promise)
All this is to get me to remission again so i can have a classic bone marrow transplant.

My sister is a Match so score one for Bradstreet!

Currently my cancer is in my Right Hip Bones and is bad enough to cause me pain from the tumor in the marrow!
it's also in the marrow in three of my vertebrae two in the pelvis area and one 2/3 rds up my back.
as well as my lungs, liver and some lymph nodes scattered about.

Still fighting like a Mother [email protected]!!!

And all i want is a quite life where i can hang in the woods on my Mach 5!

as always CANCER SUCKS

Hit some trails for me guys!

Keep the passion Alive!!!


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Good to hear you're still kicking! Hope your clinical trial gets you ready for another transplant.


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## Gasp4Air (Jun 5, 2009)

May fate smile on you. Healing vibes enroute.


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## Wishful Tomcat (Mar 6, 2009)

I'll ride some extra for you JonnyB76!


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## Wherewolf (Jan 17, 2004)

*January 8, 2014*

January 8, 2014 I had Anaphylaxis from a medication and barely made it to the emergency room before collapsing. I had perhaps another minute of life left in me. My tongue was so swollen it was blocking my breathing. I vaguely remember the struggle they had getting a tube down my throat to save my life. They called my living will administrator and asked "are you ready to make some decisions regarding Steve Wolf's life?". I'm back riding, but not as much as I would like yet. But I'm just grateful to be alive.


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## H0WL (Jan 17, 2007)

Holy Crap, WW, we're all grateful you are alive as well. That was just a week and a half ago! I'm guessing you are down to 7 lives left. I'd have to say the solo trail side chain change (am I remembering this correctly?) on an icy day on the AZT north of Grand Canyon has to be one of of your cycling lives close calls. 

En bonne santé, dear friend in cycling, and may your endurance strengthen as you continue to spin down the trail. I suspect you have many, many more miles left on your drive train and we'll leave it at that.


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## joeduda (Jan 4, 2013)

JonnyB76 said:


> Ladies and Gent's I'm still Kicking!
> 
> I get a road ride in on the Pivot around the house once in a blue moon.
> 
> ...


My best wishes to you, i was diagnosed with Lukemia (aml) on july 27, 2013 and have been fighting since then. The doc told me i was days from death when i was diagonosed. (way too many blast cells I think). I had a stem cell transplant on Dec 27 (exactly 6 months later) and so far that is taking for me. I am also going to participate in a clincal trail that is supposed to block the cell mutation that is causing the aml. It has been a 6 month nightmare but at least i am in remission now and have about a year more to endure is all goes well. I am day 31 post transplant.

Keep fighting man, it is definetly easier said than done, but i've found that mountain bikers are a tough bunch to beat. If you ever have questions or just someone to lean on let me know.


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## H0WL (Jan 17, 2007)

*Too damned hot! A trip report of sorts!*

On Thanksgiving 1975, seven of us jumped in a truck loaded with caving gear and ropes and headed west to check out a cave lead in the northern Chihuahuan Desert. Ten hours later we crossed into Mexico at Ojinaga, drove dusty desert roads and arrived at the cave entrance, as the crow flies ~ 15 mi south of Lajitas.

A 150 ft rappel led into narrow, canyon-like, going passage interspersed with descending steep chimneys. As always, we mapped the cave as we went.

This was a normal, northern Mexico cave except for the stench of guano and a cave littered with thousands of desiccated bat corpses (_Mormoops megalophylla_) crunching underfoot. As the cave opened up into large chambers and passageways, immense guano tailings could be seen cascading down from old roosts 30 ft high up on the cave walls. And it was HOT in there. Really, really hot, but there was also moving air -- always a good sign. Another 60 ft drop was rigged, down to more of the same type of passage; but with the heat increasing in intensity it was stifling, but hey, really not much worse than a blistering Texas afternoon in August, right?

The cave passage eventually pinched down to a crawl way & down a 10 ft drop; the air flow at this constriction alternately sucked and blew briskly in a 90 second cycle. This constriction marked the entry into a substantially larger (~ 110 ft diameter) and distinctly hotter passage continuing on far beyond the reach of our lights. Who wouldn't want to keep going, even if the temps were becoming scalding? Unusual for us, we stopped mapping and just went exploring. Almost a half mile of booming passage trending gently down ended in a dry sump of dirt and guano. Time to turn around - and then we all realized that it was just blistering, incendiary, suffocating, blindingly, brain-boiling hot. The extra effort to walk just slightly up hill turned this into a Death March, survival of the fittest scenario. We all strung out in a line and silently trudged slowly back to the little opening, collapsed there and let the air blow on us, just enough for some slight revival to get back through the crawlspace to relatively cooler air. Later we all agreed that had one of us fallen, no one would have the strength to get back on his/her feet and moving again; assisting a fallen caver would have been out of the question and death from hyperthermia was very, very close.

A few months later, another group of cavers returned with numerous blocks of ice to finish mapping the cave. While three people (Brunton clinometer, survey target, measuring tape wrangler) were mapping, two people with ice blocks circulated mopping brows, offering ice water, and generally keeping things chill. They determined that cave temps in the lower chamber were 106 degrees and up. Demise of the immense bat colony was likely slow heating of the cave from some geologic event (possibly a nearby igneous intrusion).

So happy story, we all survived, had great stories to tell, lived our lives and at some point quite a few of us started mountain biking, but did a lot of white water rafting in between.

I know there are at least a few cavers on this forum. Even though it brought me a near-death experience, I cherish my time as a caver. The mentorship of my fellow cavers taught me to love the intensity of getting to and exploring remote, deep Mexican caves and to be a team player AND totally self reliant. I can't help but feel it has informed my mountain biking in a very positive way.

Respectfully submitted,

M.H.


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## Wherewolf (Jan 17, 2004)

*Great memory!*



June Bug said:


> Holy Crap, WW, we're all grateful you are alive as well. That was just a week and a half ago! I'm guessing you are down to 7 lives left. I'd have to say the solo trail side chain change (am I remembering this correctly?) on an icy day on the AZT north of Grand Canyon has to be one of of your cycling lives close calls.


Great memory on that Grand Canyon ride. That was nearly two years ago. This time was truly life threatening with perhaps only a minute to spare. It has caused me to rethink my retirement moving plans. I almost felt back to normal on my ride today. About a half hour slower than usual and I kind of fizzled out toward the end of the ride. But I'll take it!

http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/437296252​


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

Werewolf and June Bug,

Amazing close calls!
Werewolf you possess one hell of a drive to be back on the bike!

And thank you everyone who are sending me positive Karma!
I have permission to ride my hard tail on my trainer in the basement but i was told jumping jacks aren't recommended. 

The idea i have a tumor in my bone marrow in my hip causing me enough pain that 20mg of Oxycontin starts wearing off at 10hrs vs the 12hrs it's supposed to go is a scares the crap outa me!


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## H0WL (Jan 17, 2007)

JonnyB76 said:


> And thank you everyone who are sending me positive Karma!
> I have permission to ride my hard tail on my trainer in the basement but i was told jumping jacks aren't recommended.
> The idea i have a tumor in my bone marrow in my hip causing me enough pain that 20mg of Oxycontin starts wearing off at 10hrs vs the 12hrs it's supposed to go is a scares the crap outa me!


Many best wishes for you to get everything in remission, and get on that trainer as much as you can. F**k Cancer! 
It is a comfort that you have the resources of Dana Farber behind you and a donor match with your sister.


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

Joeduda,

Thanks!
I'm sorry you had to deal with leukemia!
I hope your transplant keeps you in the green!!!
I will fight like a [email protected]! 

I've had a nutz road and it's far from over but i will ride it on my terms till the very end! 

Keep the wheels rolling everyone!


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## FastBanana (Aug 29, 2013)

I was 18, and ran a PT test with double pneumonia. I finished the two mile run, and passed out with a temp of 107. I remember waking in the hospital, but I passed that goddamn run. I wasn't doing so hot to say the least. 

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk


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## tims5377 (Oct 20, 2010)

Last day of ski season we were having a party with fellow instructors. Every year we take one of the pads off of a lift tower and sled toboggan style down the mountain. We had 6 people on it and went higher up the hill than ever before (half way up the mountain = about 300' vertical drop). Needless to say, when we hit the flats at the bottom we were flying. People started bailing, as to not hit the rental shop at the bottom of the hill, and the pad started to spin. I was dead center on the thing and could not bail in time. I took a 4x4 post to the femur mid shaft and snapped it clean. The next worse person got away with a lightly sprained ankle. 

After I crashed, the most vivid thing I remember is laying on my back, turned 180 degrees from how i was on contact with my knee half bent up leaning slightly right. I thought my leg felt "like jello" so I grabbed it and flipped it from the right side to the left. Thats when I realized something was seriously wrong.

Now I have a titanium rod through my bone that will be there forever as a reminder to not be a dumb-ass. If I hit the pole 6 or more inches higher on my body I no doubt would have smashed my pelvis or broken my back beyond repair. As I was in the ambulance biting down on the EMT's pants hem to tolerate the pain he looked down at me and exclaimed how lucky I was...


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## Asimo5000 (Jan 26, 2014)

I wish you the best with your journey

I got hit by a car because I wasn't paying attention to the light changeover at an intersection. I was just barely nudged by it, hitting the front wheel and I face planted

Knocked out two teeth but I survived, I had to get stiches on my upper lip.


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

1st round of the PD1 drug infused and my bone marrow pain is Gone!!!!!
HELLS YEAH!!!:thumbsup:
Here's hoping this stuff get's me to Remission!!

Other brushes with Death .... When i was like 11 i had the back tire of my bmx get hit my a minivan that i cut out in front of .... miraculously it didn't even hurt the bike or throw me off the bike!! (It had Lester Alloy Mags, I LOVED THAT BIKE)
My guardian angel was beat after that one!

Keep Rock'n the Close calls and keep the wheels roll'n for me!

I want me some Fat Bike Goodness in my Future! (gotta hit the Lotto)


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## H0WL (Jan 17, 2007)

JonnyB76 said:


> 1st round of the PD1 drug infused and my bone marrow pain is Gone!!!!!
> HELLS YEAH!!!:thumbsup:


Now THAT's what we're talkin' about! Great, wonderful, excellent news.


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## joeduda (Jan 4, 2013)

Good news indeed. My prayers are for your complete remission. I'm on day 54 and still in remission, hoping it continues, the longer i remain in remission the better the chances of no relaspe. Keep fighting.


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

*Clinical trial Sh!t the bed*

Now im back to Classic Chemo called bendamustine but the trial did a lot of good! trying like hell to get to remission and a Classic Bone Marrow Transplant. The BMT will be a bear to get through but it's really my only chance of a durable cure!!! BTW i [email protected] Hate Cancer!!!!:madmax:

On a positive note i actually gained some lung capacity back Wooo Hoo!!!!:thumbsup:

Gonna dust off the Pivot and go for a spin today as well as pull out my new fishing kayak and do some paddling!!!

Let's get some new close calls on here and keep ripping some trails for me!!!


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## big_slacker (Feb 16, 2004)

In no particular order: Almost got shot a few times. (Good reflexes and cover pay off!) Run over by a cadillac and spent a week in ICU. Bad pneumonia and had a hallucinatory race with death to the end of the bed (I won, his robe must have slowed him down!). Sat down with a mug of hot cocoa and paint thinner in front of me and decided against it. (Would that have even worked? What a **** idea!) A few feet from getting run over my a school bus on my motorcycle. 

Most recent, clipped by a car on my road bike. A foot left would have been a really bad day.


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## joeduda (Jan 4, 2013)

thats great jonny, i'm day 164 post transplant and still going strong. Hoping the chemo gets you to remission so you can get the transplant and get this behind you. The transplant isnt that bad, it's the gvhd you can get afterwards and the inmune suppression drugs that are problematic. Have they tested your siblings for a match yet?

Edit, just saw your sister is a match, on to remission keep yours eyes on the prize.


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## BigFitz (May 14, 2014)

When I was 21 I got pinned between a forklift and a steel support Column in the warehouse I worked in. The impact was hard enough to tear my pants and boxers off. I passed out and woke up in the ambulance. 
I ended up only having a bruised pelvis. The doctor said a lesser man ( I was 6'3 275lbs) could've been killed. It's the only time in my life, being a Clyde was an advantage. Lol


History is written by those who have hanged heroes.


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

BigFitz said:


> When I was 21 I got pinned between a forklift and a steel support Column in the warehouse I worked in. The impact was hard enough to tear my pants and boxers off. I passed out and woke up in the ambulance.
> I ended up only having a bruised pelvis. The doctor said a lesser man ( I was 6'3 275lbs) could've been killed. It's the only time in my life, being a Clyde was an advantage. Lol
> 
> History is written by those who have hanged heroes.


Respect for Us Clydes!!! Damn Man that would definetly count as a brush with death! Holy Crap!

Keep your wheels rubber down and keep the post's coming People!


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## J-Bone (Aug 26, 2008)

I got nothing.

You guys/gals are badass!!!!


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## Thatshowiroll (Jan 30, 2009)

10 Years ago I had a life-changing accident. One morning, getting ready for work, I slipped and fell down the stairs. As I was rolling down, I tried to stop myself with my right hand. My wrist hit and broke a vase. Got up and looked to see why my wrist was hurting. My hand was half-severed off, all tendons were severed as well as the main arteries. Blood was covering the living room walls and sprayed my wife as she came around the corner wondering why I was cursing. 911 Was called and as I layed down waiting, I was going in and out of consiousness from loss of blood. (They said I lost 2/3 of it.) I could hear my 2 young sons singing me songs to keep me awake. I was sure it was the end, so I told my wife I loved her and everything I wanted to tell her in case I ran out of time.
With emergency surgery, they were able to reattach my hand and the tendons. Months of rehab helped, but to this day, I have no feeling in my hand and have lost most of the fine motor skills. (Think, picking up change off a tabletop.) Luckily, I learned to adapt and I'm still here.

I had to go from Rapidfire to Gripshift because my thumb won't bend either. Luckily, I can still ride the $hit out of a bike. ; )


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## richulr (Jan 27, 2010)

Glad to here some on here are continuing fighting hard. I am rooting for you all. There are some that have much bigger fights than I have, such as those fighting cancer, so I feel kind of strange even bringing my story up.

On Dec. 23, myself and another officer were driving on Dunn Road, while on duty, when we were hit head on by a pickup truck. Other officer (driver) broke leg and toe in multiple places. I suffered several injuries. Here's the ones I can remember right now:

- shattered left femur (now have a titanium rod in my bone from hip to knee)

- tore my aorta (this was the big thing, required seven blood transfusions. All the doctors said this one should have killed me)

- four broken ribs

- facial fractures (these led to an inability to smell anything which may or may not heal)

- messed up right shoulder, left foot, and right wrist and thumb (I've been referred to specialists to check these)

- of course a concussion

- lung collapsed in the hospital

- three blood clots in legs (which have since disappeared)

- nerve damage to my long thoracic and my spinal accessory nerve. This causes me to not be able to have full range of motion in my right arm because and can't use all of my trapezius muscles. My neurologist recently detected nerve activity in this area, so he believes it will grow back.

These are the major things. I may be forgetting something. Interesting things were it took a half hour to extract me from car, I was in hospital for a month, in the ICU for three weeks, and can't remember about two weeks around accident.

Aside from all the surgeries in the hospital, I've had a septo-rhinoplasty to fix my messed up septum and crooked nose from the accident. I have surgery on Tuesday to fuse a joint where me toe connects to my foot. Hopefully that will relieve some of the pain I get when walking. And hopefully that will be the last surgery.

If anyone want to see the wrecked car, go to this link:

2 officers hospitalized after wreck in St. Louis County | KMOV.com St. Louis

This story was done right away, and before they knew the extent of the injuries.

Great news is my doctors believe I will be able to ride a bike again one day. I can ride the stationary bike with no pain, which is great. It is easier to do that than walk for me. I plan on getting a new bike as a reward to myself. Can't wait to get back on the trails.

Again good job to all of those out there still fighting. A lot of you are facing much more than I am. I am very impressed by you all, and know you will beat all that you face!


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## bachman1961 (Oct 9, 2013)

Two close one's in 52 years.... 

Michigan 1980-81 ish; Booted out of my Jeep at an intersection, car ran a flashing red light. I was ejected onto the road, hit back my head on the pavement - no seatbelt on. Pretty severe head injury, near coma for a few days and restrained to a bed, nonsensical behaviors and such. Top neuro doc in the area there said (I'm told) this gets worse before better and can stop at any point on the "v"... just had to wait it out. I was out after a week and had some family/friends keeping tabs on me because mood swings and short term memory are big issues for a recovery period. The stories they tell me are funny but I know the family went through h-ll of sorts and I wear my sealtbelt since that crash. 
I married the girl I was dating in those days so fast-forward to Colorado, 1995 and she gets a scary call about a car crash I was in.

April '95 Sunday afternoon, I'm delivering some sales related products to a customer (Sunday was a work day in my line of sales), DUI uninsured hits me almost at tee-bone type of direction 55-60 mph est speed, pushes my vehicle into 3 others and I'm trapped inside. Get cut out by FD and jaws etc... sent to ER, displaced femur head, fract pelvis broken ribs, heart contusion, (bruised heart- chest wall impact/trauma)... get the heart calmed down then the bones fixed, hip surgery, walking therapy etc....

Earlier, a guy at the immediate scene asks what he can do to help, I give him my wife's number and tell him to tell her about the crash and "I'll be fine" let her know where they are taking me. 
According to my wife the guy said the following and repeated it about 3 times... 
YOU SHOULD SEE THE VAN !! 
She was kinda shook up and then at the hosp, could not find me right away and was thinking the worst.

I really try to be careful and don't want that worry visited upon my family but you can only do so much. I have a pin in my hip and probably don't even have a limp when I walk. Per recovery and exercise, I got right back to bicycling, hiking and skiing as soon as the Dr okay'd it but I started out on a walker and then to a cane. 

Also began to volunteer and teach in the adaptive ski program for sit ski/para skiers and did so for about 5 years.
Been taking it easy on the bicycle and have thus far, separated my right shoulder and had a ring cut off my finger due to a hand injury. Those were a few years ago,, getting slower every year.


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## foxhound.rank (Jun 9, 2014)

*Japan - Influenza*

I almost died in Japan a couple of years ago. It was late at night when a terrible fever suddenly hit me. I had over 105 fever. It was the worst pain I have ever experienced (well, second worst pain - the worst pain I have ever experienced was a pinched nerve in my back. no joke. lost continuousness, that is how bad the pain was). Didn't know the number of the ambulance in Japan, plus I was hallucinating and not able to call anyone anyways. I pretty much said sayonara, but then my cats crawled up to me. Then it kinda hit me. I had only one thought on my mind. If I die, my cats will die, too. Nobody would know I am missing for weeks! So for the sake of my cats, I crawled into the kitchen and took a bunch of expired pills. Just whatever I could find in the hope that one of them would reduce the fever. Woke up next morning and the fever was down. Went to the doctor around the corner and he said I had some sort of new influenza or something. Anyways, I am still here. Yeay!


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## NumbaKruncha (Dec 11, 2013)

16 Years-Old and Sleep Deprived

In 1987, fell asleep at the wheel at ~09:00 on a two lane road. The road curved left, I went straight, at about 60 mph. My 1982 Reliant Wagon hit a row of couch-sized boulders, launched in the air and hit a house. Got over 300 stitches in my forehead (no airbags back then), and stabbed my arm with the broken stick-shift (that's right - a manual transmission Reliant - I was quite the playa). Neighbor ran over, flopped my forehead skin back down, and tied a shirt around my head.

Lucky to be here - - lost a ton of blood. Doctor said 2 more minutes alone in the car and I'd be gone. No long-term effects. Very lucky.


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## shining_trapezoid (Mar 24, 2014)

At 17 I was bouncing around on a 4-wheeler and flipped it on top of myself after basically nose-diving into a depression in the ground that I didn't see early enough. It was a Yamaha Grizzly so it was heavy as sh!t and I couldn't get it off me or out from under it. The cargo rack behind the seat actually bent around my skull and put a nasty gash in the back of my head. Yeah, no helmet. Laid there for probably 45 minutes going in and out of consciousness barely able to breathe, face in a pool of blood until my dad finally found me. The gas dripping out of the carburetor onto my balls was an added bonus. Bunch of stitches on the back of my head and my neck and back have been jacked up ever since. Don't know if I really almost died, but I thought I was going to while I was laying there. Not as brutal or tough as many of the others on this thread. Still, I'm glad to be able to walk and ride and talk about it.


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## E-Rawk (Jun 6, 2011)

At 17 years old I was XC racing my ATV every weekend in the local pro classes as well as doing some amateur MX racing in my spare time. 

I was between race seasons doing some testing on a new suspension setup at a track outside of town. I was having issues with a jump that kept kicking the rear end of the quad up sending me into a nosedive to flat land.... Typical 17 year old response was to hit it faster. 4th gear pinned and I landed pretty much straight up and down on the front wheels into a deep mudhole that I didn't think I'd reach. I hit the handlebars with my chest and then continued over the bars and got tangled up with the quad as it continued tumbling. 

I broke 5 ribs, punctured a lung, had 13 fractures in my lower back, and cut my liver up pretty good. Apparently when the dust settled I flipped my quad back onto its wheels and then passed out because the next thing I remember was a guy on a dirtbike pulling up next to me asking if I was ok. 

My friends loaded my and the quad back on the trailer and rushed me to the hospital where I adamantly refused to let the ER nurses cut my $350 Alpinestar boots off. I was admitted to the trauma unit and promptly had a chest tube punched in (most excruciating pain I've ever felt). I got lucky because a drunk driver had a mid day wreck and the only guy qualified to do the chest tubes was already at the hospital when I got there. 

After they stabilized me and my mom got to the hospital, I was lifeflighted from Stillwater to Tulsa where I stayed for 7-8 days. 

Moral of the story, faster ain't always better. Wear your helmets AND your Roost protectors. The helmet saved my life....


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## bwheelin (Apr 4, 2008)

ahelmus said:


> Re-upping this hoping Jonny is OK.
> 
> I did a colon cancer thing 10 years ago with about 30% chance of survival. One thing that pulled me through was sitting in the chemo room watching them try to put a spike in the arm of a kid about 8 years old. It was obvious that he was early in treatment because he was still pretty fleshy and still not yet wasted by chemo. I decided that moment that I would do the PanMass Challenge and raise money for pediatric cancer research. (This was when Lance was still a hero). I finished treatment two days after my birthday on May 8 and started training for the ride in early August. After about 200 yards on the first time out I was absolutely tapped - 8 months without exercise and a loss of 45 pounds is pretty detrimental to fitness. About 12 weeks later I lined up to ride about 180 miles roadie over two days. It was absolutely clear that I didn't have it but there was no way I was going to bow out. I can't express what it meant to cross the finish line - for me it meant I was really back, that this f**king disease was not going to take me down.
> 
> I mostly ride solo. I find amazing peace in testing myself alone in the woods. Just me and my bike and the limits of what I can ask my body to offer. Its not always satisfying, but is always in the bonus zone. Everything is. In couple months I will do a dirty century which is a goal before 50. Rigid and single. Wish me luck, or at least a minimum of suffering, because I am not going to stop. Thanks.


Good luck with the dirty century and in general. Good to hear you've kicked cancer's arse.


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

I'm still kicking and i have gotten out for 3 micro rides sub 5 miles ON SINGLE TRACK!!!

WOO HOO!!

But i am dead serious i need and O2 Tank and Mask!:madman:

(pulmanary Dr. said get a O2 meter and check just how bad i am while riding and if it's as bad as i think it is he will set me up with a O2 tank and Mask!)

How's that for Hardcore / Riders Who Inspire!!!!:thumbsup:

If i were a happy healthy MTB guy and a Crazy SOB rolled up on me with a O2 mask on i'd be pretty blown away! 

Current Chemo is working well and we are on the hunt for a classic bone marrow transplant match cause if i hit remission it's now or never for the BMT as i think it would be damn hard to get me back to this point!

Also been doing Kayak Fishing!!

and ahelmus .... Hells Yeah !!!! Thank You for checking in on me! I'm rocking and a Rolling for the time being!!

As always keep the rubber side down and keep ripping the single track for me!

And let's see some more close calls!!


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## joeduda (Jan 4, 2013)

That's great man, they will find a match for you, I have never heard of anyone not getting a match. The registry is HUGE. My brother was a match for my transplant I had back in December. I'm 6 months post transplant and been riding regularly. Praying for remission and a match for you. Keep riding, O2 mask and all!!!!


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## H0WL (Jan 17, 2007)

Congratulations on your great progress!


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

joeduda said:


> That's great man, they will find a match for you, I have never heard of anyone not getting a match. The registry is HUGE. My brother was a match for my transplant I had back in December. I'm 6 months post transplant and been riding regularly. Praying for remission and a match for you. Keep riding, O2 mask and all!!!!


I have. Not to be a downer, but it happens. Especially for people who have at least some ancestry from a minority group that is not well represented in the US and on the bone marrow registry.

Rock on, Johnny. Keep kicking @$$ and taking names, dude.

I'm on pace to greatly exceed my annual mileage goal this year. It will be by far my highest mileage total since going into remission. I'm also tearing it up on the soccer field. It's not my first season playing since remission, but I feel a LOT better than the first season I played. I was so unsteady that first season...tripping over myself all over the place. Now I'm stable enough that I can start being a bit more physical with my challenges for the ball, and actually winning some of them.


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## joeduda (Jan 4, 2013)

You're right, the minority groups, native American, etc. are a bigger challenge than the typical white guy or girl. They told me I had a 1 in 4 in one of my siblings being a match and I got lucky and had that 10/10 match with my brother. 

How long have you been in remission and did you have the stem cell transplant? My balance is still messed up I'm guessing from the chemo. Steep slow climbs are a lot harder for me to stay on track now. I'm hoping that it will improve with time. Congrats on your success with the bike and soccer and your survival.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

I hit the 5 year mark in April. I didn't have any transplants...just aggressive chemo. My platelets are still pretty jacked. Otherwise things are starting to normalize. Even a lot of the little stuff. 

I noticed that ALL of my allergies went away for a number of years after chemo. They're starting to come back. Not as severe, but they're there.

My sleep patterns are starting to normalize. It used to be a struggle for me to wake up at 10am, even with multiple alarms. Nowadays, I wake up before 10am on my days off without an alarm. I fall asleep easier. I was fortunate that I never really felt "exhausted" through treatment. Maybe had something to do with being pretty fit beforehand. Body weight and muscle mass/tone are getting back to where I want them.

The Salsa Bucksaw was announced exactly the day of my 5yr remission anniversary. That, and it being a really f'ing cool bike that fits a lot of the categories I want out of a new bike have convinced me to start saving for one. I will name it Harold, after the brain stem lesion I had as a result of the leukemia crossing the blood/brain barrier.


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## Old Ray (Sep 5, 2010)

NateHawk said:


> I hit the 5 year mark in April. I didn't have any transplants...just aggressive chemo. My platelets are still pretty jacked. Otherwise things are starting to normalize. Even a lot of the little stuff.
> 
> I noticed that ALL of my allergies went away for a number of years after chemo. They're starting to come back. Not as severe, but they're there.
> 
> ...


Harold.....that's classic!


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Harold was like a bad houseguest, who snoops in your medicine cabinet and doesn't put stuff back where it's supposed to be.


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## joeduda (Jan 4, 2013)

5 years, you've got it beat according to my p.a. I had aml with the flt3 mutation so that is what put me in the high risk category and forced me to transplant. I've heard that the platelets can be screwed for years, I was at 192 a week ago, so well within the normal range. I start my immunizations next week, when you get the transplant it is like starting all over again, everything that was there is wiped out. 

Thanks for posting the response it is great to hear the success stories instead of the doom and gloom. And Harold sounds like a damn good name for the new bike!!


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

I had a translocation of chromosomes 8 and 21, which tends to have better outcomes. I guess since I had a lower risk mutation, transplant was discussed as more of a last resort type of option in the event of a relapse.

I've been hovering between 100k and 110k platelets for years. They're at least larger than normal, which helps keep my clotting times reasonable. I have a larger risk of bleeding in an injury, but not excessively so.

I think the course of my disease affected the way I responded to treatment. I received induction chemo as I was recovering from kidney and liver failure. That first dose stayed in my system longer, and it was after this dose that I went into remission (along with the smaller intrathecal dose). All the rest of them (8 more over the course of about 9 mo) were to ensure that I STAYED in remission. So far that seems to have worked well for me, in spite of the fact that one of the chemo drugs I received was pulled from the market by the manufacturer after a couple of studies showed patients who received it had worse outcomes.


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## tim208 (Apr 23, 2010)

I have had a lot of fun in my life. to many close calls to type them all. But surfing out a big avalanche was one of the more scarier moments. I have also been pinned in a class v rapid above a 15 foot waterfall. still here.


I do need to say cancer sucks. rip dad, wifey may you stay in remission.


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## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

JonnyB76 said:


> I'm still kicking and i have gotten out for 3 micro rides sub 5 miles ON SINGLE TRACK!!!
> 
> WOO HOO!!
> 
> ...


Damn what a great inspiring read your story has been through this thread. Keep it up man. 

Keep us posted too!


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## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

Nomad1972 said:


> I hope that my story isn't an almost died story but.....
> 
> I crashed pretty badly Sunday and went to to the local ER to check out my concussion so they gave me a ct scan.
> 
> ...


Any update on Nomad? Saw his last post was a few days after this and it got me thinking. Hope you're alright buddy!


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

Good point! Nomad if your out there how are you doing and how's the new full squish bike!


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## richulr (Jan 27, 2010)

After hearing stories like JonnyB76's, I wish a bike company would see it on here and give him a bike or something. They have got to have some spares lying around. They could even do a story about hooking Jonny up on here and get some good publicity.


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## Duckman (Jan 12, 2004)

Had several issues.. Crashed roadracing while leading at Tally on the FRZ1000 superbike, back in 89. Lost the front pads out of one of the calipers, so I literally got off the bike on the back straight at 135mph. Destroyed the bike. I got off just a broken collarbone, ankle, ribs, some road rash.

Accute pancraitus in 02 back when I drank too much. 32 days in the hosptial/ICU.

1.5yr ago I crashed the track duty 07 GSXR750, and broke my back in 7 places, 2 in the neck, both lungs punctured, every rib on 1 side, most on the other, lacerated kidney and liver, broken right hand, knocked my 6 front teeth out(yes I was wearing full 1 pc leathers, full cov helmet, etc), broken eye socket. Life flight(twice actually flown out over the last 3yrs). That one was 3+ months in ICU/on a ventilator/hospital/Care Partners rehab, bed ridden most of that, and wearing a friggin body brace and halo bolted to my skull. Not fun. I'm training hard the last yr to get back into racing mtbs currently. Almost there. Had have my throat opperated on, since they messed it up doing the trake at the crash site. Too much scar tissue for me to be able to breath right for mtb racing. Its fixed now, for the most part. Lost most of my voice tho, sound very hoarse now.

Here I am after I was stabilized from the above crash in Oct 2012. They said I was 50/50 on this one. 


I used to roadrace(WERA national champ in 87 in BSB) when I was younger. Heres multi world champ/Daytona winner Scott Russell(#22) and I(#18) dicing at Tally back in the late 80s. I was 2nd that day, of course haha. 


But I crashed in the mtns(I live next door to the Tail of the Dragon). I went off the mtn after hitting this oil from a previous car/bike head on. Here I come thru 20 minutes later. If someone hadn't seen me go off, I'd have died right there from the 2 punctured lungs. 


I'm 53 in this pic, on the 750 playing around on the Dragon. This is the bike I crashed ("sniff sob"). 


I got where I could drift it at Will on that road. Not many grandpaws doing this chit. Most are smarter then that. haha




Then theres the supermoto. Mid 50s age in this pic too. It was the other life flight from a seperate crash/broken vertabra just a yr before in 2011 . Hence why I stopped posting here for a couple yrs. 

I still have it, but I ride more dual sport now.


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

Holy **** Duckman!!!! now mine doesn't seem so bad!

Update No evidence of Disease!!!!! Time for my Bone Marrow Transplant!!!
my check in at the hospital is first week in september!!!!

ROCK!!!!

Keep the wheels rolling and the rubber side down Guys and Gals and rip some singletrack for me!!!!


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

*Need some Help!!*

Help me to be able to keep riding my pivot mach 5 for a while longer!!!!

Enlist your friends!!!:thumbsup:

Jon's Bone Marrow Transplant by Jon Bradstreet - GoFundMe


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

I check into the hospital this friday for my BMT!!!

Keep posting the brushes with death and keep the rubber side down and ripping the single track for me!!!!!


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

JonnyB76 said:


> I check into the hospital this friday for my BMT!!!
> 
> Keep posting the brushes with death and keep the rubber side down and ripping the single track for me!!!!!


Sounds like you'll be posting from the hospital quite a bit in coming months. I wish you well on your BMT.


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## joeduda (Jan 4, 2013)

congrats on the remission jonny. I'm 8 months post transplant and feel great!! I think I read that your sister was a match, is she your donor or did you have to go to the registry? The conditioning chemo isn't as bad as the induction chemo you would have had when 1st diagnosed but its still a *****. Use the mouthwash they give you to help prevent the mouth sores, and keep eating and walking and you will do fine. The transplant itself is pretty much an non event, it is the same as getting a transfusion. 
I was out in 4 weeks. Keep us posted on your progress, on to a healthy and normal life!!


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## MSU Alum (Aug 8, 2009)

1971, almost froze to death climbing the Grand Teton
1978, had to eject out of a navy A-4 when my wingman decided he needed to run into me at 350 miles per hour
2013, diagnosed with malignant choroidal melanoma. This is the cancer to get, I suppose, as it's contained in the eye. That didn't almost kill me, though. I decided to see what it would be like to ride with one eye, so I put one hand over my eye while riding. Turns out, riding with one eye isn't so bad (I didn't lose mine) but riding with one eye AND one hand is deadly. And stupid. The resulting fall was complete carnage.


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## joeduda (Jan 4, 2013)

ya know you could have just closed one eye :madman:


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

Thanks everyone! I'm making it. It's been rough but not the worst! Keep posting close calls and ripping the sweet single track for me! ProTip keep the rubber side down!
😆


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## Duckman (Jan 12, 2004)

haha I broke my lower right arm riding10 days ago. The humanity. 

Still doing almost daily, road hill repeats/rides. Jut riding 1 handed alot. I've had to do worse to ride.


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## rockhopper97 (Jul 30, 2014)

I had a gran mal seizure oct 8 2012, l was walking down the hallway at home and landed on my back and aspirated the contents of my stomach into my lungs....I was not breathing and turning blue when my wife came out of the bedroom after hearing the thud of me hitting the floor.... got rushed to the hospital, was in a coma for 4 days and in the hospital for a week.....walked with a walker for the first 2 days and walked with a cane for 6 months.......was a year before I rode my bike... I had a few seizures when I was 17 and 1 in 2010..... they alsways came up with some BS reason I was having them....was on meds from age 17 to age 22 .... they sent me to a neurologist this time and he said I have had epilepsy all my life..... my trigger is stress..... I havent had a steady job since 2010 but am working with voc rehab to get working again


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

Well I really came close during my bmt. Got VOD double organ failure, liver and kidneys. They gave my a drug that reversed it and am good now! Slowly getting back to ride worthy shape. Lost a lot of weight went from 280 to 220. But I'm doing good! Itching for good weather so I can start road riding and rail trail riding!


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## richulr (Jan 27, 2010)

You'll be much quicker after dropping all that weight!

Glad to hear you are doing ok man. You'll be back on the trails before you know it. Keep fighting the good fight. 

I still think a company should send you a bike and have mtbr do a story on it. It would be good press for the company and you'd get a cool bonus for all that you've been through.


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## sullivan17 (Jan 28, 2014)

Just read through this whole thread and man it's good to hear you're doing well Jonny B. I second the company sending you a bike idea. 

I haven't had any real brushes with death. I was an accident prone child that caused quite a few situations but I was too young to remember most. One of the only things I remember is getting two concussions in two days playing soccer when I was in high school. I ended up spending a month in my bedroom with the lights off and another couple of months not able to do anything other than go to school and come home. Even at school I couldn't read (not doctors orders, just couldn't focus my eyes well enough without falling out of my seat cause I was too dizzy). The doctors told me after recovery that I was lucky to not have any major permanent effects.

Scariest thing for me though was on a 5 day bike tour with my girlfriend I went up a hill and stopped at the top waiting for her. I looked back and she was walking which wasn't unusual. As she got closer I noticed she was crying. I ran to her to find out that she couldn't breath. I stood there in the middle of the woods and the only thing I could do was get her to look me in the eye, calm down, and focus on slow deep breaths. I finally got her calmed down and breathing but not before her vision started to go. We biked another couple miles and camped about 20 miles short of our goal for the day and headed back the next day. We found out she had asthma after we got back.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

JonnyB76 said:


> Well I really came close during my bmt. Got VOD double organ failure, liver and kidneys. They gave my a drug that reversed it and am good now! Slowly getting back to ride worthy shape. Lost a lot of weight went from 280 to 220. But I'm doing good! Itching for good weather so I can start road riding and rail trail riding!


I'd been wondering about you. Good to hear you pulled through the organ failure. I had some acute liver and kidney failure that was resolved. My kidneys aren't quite the same. Kidney values are still within "normal" parameters, but I pee a LOT more than I used to, and staying hydrated is a little bit more of a concern for me. I have to be a little more diligent about my electrolyte consumption during sweaty rides, too. Speaking of which, I probably ought to stock up for the season. I've tried a bunch of different products, but I am preferring the capsules (Hammer Endurolytes) right now. I stay away from the super high sodium stuff, because sodium isn't a problem for me. I am more concerned with magnesium, and I will get the shakes when my magnesium is low. I also get splitting headaches if my electrolytes are low, but I haven't figured out WHICH one causes that. That's been an issue since college, so unrelated to my kidney failure. I just know that even the low sodium stuff addresses that problem, so I don't worry about sodium content in my electrolytes. Some people get practically religious about sodium content.


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## joeduda (Jan 4, 2013)

I've been wondering how you were doing also. Glad you pulled it out ok. You are past the 100 day mark right? No GVHD? Glad you are :edit: (will be) getting back out there and riding, keep at it, you will get stronger and it will take away the normal fatigue that most bmt survivors suffer from. And help with the mental coping of all you have been through.

Harold are you taking these?

MG Plus Protein

They will keep your magnesium level where it ought to be and one good effect I've found is that they eliminate muscle cramping for me.


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## 779334 (Oct 10, 2014)

Had a stomach ulcer back in 2006. Lost about 80% of my blood. By the time I got in the ambulance, I was having problems with my breathing. Had I stayed home 30 extra minutes, I'd be gone. God is great!


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## k s (May 13, 2006)

Was doing a mtb ride for ms in 1996. Remember riding into the trail. Then coming home from the hospital 3 or 4 days later. From what we were told I got cut off on a down hill section and went over the bars and landed on my head. Yes I was wearing a helmet. I was unconscious and had the tube shoved down my throat to breathe and Bleeding on the brain. Was taken from the trail by helicopter. The doctors were telling my parents at the time was that it wasn't looking good for me.


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## Cayenne_Pepa (Dec 18, 2007)

Almost died being on meth for 22 non-stop years. When I started, I was a successful Stockbroker who found out dope gave me the edge over my competition. I had enough money to stay high 24/7. But, that soon ran out, as my consumption increased tenfold, as 15 sudden "groupies" appeared before me. 

While suffering from the effects of congestive heart failure(CHF) I was homeless and destitute. The bike actually saved my life. Ask me how I know....


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

I hear ya on the electrolytes! I just use nuun. But it makes a huge difference on a super sweaty ride drinking nuun vs water. Plus nuun is very low calorie. I've been out for a couple 2 mile excursions on the bike ! Man did it feel good to be back on my bike! Keep adding to the brushes with death folks! There are some pretty amazing ones on this thread!


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## KevinGT (Dec 25, 2012)

Posted a few years ago but fitting for this topic:

I consider myself a pretty smart guy. I've got some book smarts -- an engineering degree from one of the world's top engineering schools. I've got some real world smarts -- having built a 20+ year business career around leading high performing teams.

Those thoughts rushed through my head right before I realized that a stupid decision made last Sunday almost cost me my life.

"I can't believe someone as smart as me is going to die of *drowning *on a goddam mountain bike ride."

That's what I said, OUT LOUD, while approaching an ominous set of rapids in what used to be a routine creek crossing on one of my favorite bike trails. I was on my back, floating in that position that whitewater rafting guides tell you to assume if you get tossed from the boat in a rapid. Face up, feet downstream, ready to push off any rocks or debris. My right hand had a tenuous grip on my 3 week old, $4500 Yeti ASR-5 as it floated downstream of me. I had no idea what was downstream but I could hear the roar of rapids and see thick mist coming from the drop ahead of me.

I couldn't stand up. The stream bed, which was now a Class IV rapid, is solid rock and my Sidi shoes had no hope of gaining traction while the water pushed me down and pulled my bike. It was only waist to chest deep but it was plenty deep enough to prevent me from being able to stand or get to a bank. I was surprisingly calm. I was more shocked at how stupid a decision I had made 10 seconds earlier when I decided to try to ride over the stream that no longer remotely resembled a stream.

Oh, and I was alone, too.

Finally, I managed to find a rock big enough to brace against and stopped my approach to what was either a big rapid or a huge log/debris jam on the other side of the drop. With my momentum stopped, I managed to crawl/swim/claw my way to the bank. In waist deep water, I pulled myself and my bike through the mud and thorn bushes as thick as I had ever seen. Panting, soaking wet, and bleeding from dozens of thorn cuts on my legs, I hunched over my bike and told myself that I almost ended up on the evening news, the Darwin Awards, and probably a new internet meme for being, at that moment, the Dumbest Human on the Planet.

Accepting my new role with gusto, I tossed my bike back in the river, forded across at a slower moving spot, and rode for another 90 minutes.


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

Nice 1 KevinGT as a fellow engineer it's safe to say every once in a while we can be moronic! 😃


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## Cayenne_Pepa (Dec 18, 2007)

Dying is about the scariest reality, for a Mountain Biker. In 2004 - we lost fellow biker, who happened to be a veteran 15-year rider, with tons of experience. A simple high-speed front wheel washout sent our friend into a dead Manzanita tree, and underlying bushes. A stray branch gored him through his neck, severing his jugular. Helplessly watch him bleed-out was a humbling experience....


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## CHIEF500 (Aug 30, 2012)

Some interesting stories in this thread. As a volunteer firefighter /officer for 40+ years there were a few. I had a roof drop out from under me as I lifted my leg over a parapet at a well involved building fire, at another call I was blown down a half set of steps and out a 2nd floor window to drop to the alley below after a 5 gal gas can exploded on the 3rd floor or falling into the basement at a house fire that was under construction as I walked through the studded unsheet-rocked walls and into the basement opening. I knocked myself out on the other side of the basement step opening. I came to and heard the engine company making the interior attack above me asking where the Chief was. Not dead or near dead but some serious injuries.

I've also been involved on the other side of it. I've been lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time to help a few individuals out of harm's way in building and dwelling fires. I watched a good friend pass away in front of me as a heroin OD, did CPR, brought him back and then watched as the Narcan was administered and he basically sat up and started fighting us to leave him alone.

The second part is much more rewarding.


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

Pretty crazy CHIEF500. A big thanks to your years of service!


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

Zachariah that's horrifying! I'm so sorry for your loss!


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## Clyde250 (Oct 18, 2013)

KevinGT said:


> Posted a few years ago but fitting for this topic:
> 
> I consider myself a pretty smart guy. I've got some book smarts -- an engineering degree from one of the world's top engineering schools. I've got some real world smarts -- having built a 20+ year business career around leading high performing teams.
> 
> ...


So... Was the bike OK?


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## big_slacker (Feb 16, 2004)

Clyde250 said:


> So... Was the bike OK?


Probably cleaned it off really good for him. 

Glad you're still with us! Smart or not sometimes it just takes one bad call.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Not me...but a LOT of parallels with my story. I'm sure a number of others here will relate.


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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

Zachariah said:


> Dying is about the scariest reality, for a Mountain Biker. In 2004 - we lost fellow biker, who happened to be a veteran 15-year rider, with tons of experience. A simple high-speed front wheel washout sent our friend into a dead Manzanita tree, and underlying bushes. A stray branch gored him through his neck, severing his jugular. Helplessly watch him bleed-out was a humbling experience....


Wow! Sorry for your loss and traumatic experience.


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## joeduda (Jan 4, 2013)

Harold said:


> Not me...but a LOT of parallels with my story. I'm sure a number of others here will relate.


Yes, been there, done that. Except later in life. Heartbreaking for young kids like this. I do believe with the new imuneo therapy drugs they are on the verge of a cure.


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## IFallDown (Mar 2, 2014)

Harold said:


> Not me...but a LOT of parallels with my story. I'm sure a number of others here will relate.


Great Video


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## Bruce in SoCal (Apr 21, 2013)

I'm coming up on the 2 year anniversary of my little mishap. I was riding on a single track that traversed a steep hillside. There was lots of debris on the trail. I got concerned and slowed down to be extra careful. Unfortunately, that robbed me of momentum and I went over. The bike and I parted company almost instantly. I slid downhill on my back. My backpack saved my back and my helmet saved my head. I kept expecting that bushes or a tree would stop me, but I found the only bare spot on the mountain to fall. Other riders worked their way down to me. One applied a tourniquet above my right knee as I had a huge gash on my leg. We debated whether I could make it to the trail and then to a nearby spot from which I could either walk out or otherwise. However because of the way I was on the hillside, I risked sliding much further. One of the riders had cell service and called for help. I was airlifted from where I lay to a trauma hospital. 

I got real lucky. 

I still ride, but not single track traversing steep hills. I seem to be as strong as before. My leg is still swollen.

I was very lucky.


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## Cayenne_Pepa (Dec 18, 2007)

*Near-Death Crash*

I Became suddenly unclipped, descending @18mph, down a narrow mountain ridge. My saddle was at full, fixed extension(no dropper yet). The loss of balance sent my high saddle straight into my abdomen, with the unclipped leg helplessly dangling behind. Now weaving like an out-of-control snake - I struggled to regain steering control, as I saw a 150 foot dropoff fast approaching. I had no choice but to lay my beloved carbon bike down, in the prone "Superman" position. My right hand struck a jagged rock outcropping at speed, fingers first, ripping my middle finger clean off the #2 knuckle socket, as I initiated an Akido-style barrel roll. Once I stood up - I noticed the middle right finger dangling off the skin. Without thinking twice - I played stat chiropractor and jammed the wayward digit back into it's socket before the onset of swelling would make it nearly impossible to fix later. My body had road rash like a huge rotary cheese grater made a pass at my shoulders, knees, elbows and ribs. I was off the bike for a full month, recovering.

Next morning, the middle finger swelled to 4x it's normal size, looking like Jabba-the-Hut. After analyzing that crash over and over in my head - I realized a seat dropper would have greatly mitigated the circumstances. After trying nearly a dozen dropper posts, I got the KS LEV DX.


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## algs911 (Aug 5, 2014)

Riding a small mountain road 13 years ago. Sixteen year old new driver came around a blind corner on the wrong side of the road and hit me head on while I was on my road bicycle. Ouch! Major back surgery later and I'm back on the bike. No more riding on the road for me. I don't even own a road bike any longer.

I was sitting in the ER with my family around me, bleeding all over the place with many doctors around me wondering if I'd walk again, just grateful I'm still alive.

Close call. Reality set in when my three year old Son (we also had a six month old Son as well at the time) told me to be strong.

Glad everyone on this thread are still alive and slaying some single track.

Al


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## mca90guitar (Apr 2, 2015)

kinda counts, when I was about 6 I was bike riding with my dad on the side walk and I ended up hitting a sign and getting thrown into the road right when a car was coming by, they slammed their brakes and the tire stopped about a foot from my head.

Think we all crapped ourselves lol


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## pseudomugil (Mar 23, 2015)

When I was eight or nine, I had a seizure while swimming in a local lake, luckily I was wearing a life jacket. All I remember is waking up in a neighbors boat, and then in an ambulance


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

9/11/2015 is my one year Mark post transplant! And on that day I can return to slaying single track!! On my new 2016 Specialized Fat Boy Trail!! Boo Yah!! Let's get some more brushes with death!!

Sent by homing missile from my HTC one M8


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## joeduda (Jan 4, 2013)

I was wondering how you were doing, congrats on the one year mark. I'm 20 months post transplant and feel great, still have some gvhd problems like dry eyes, and occasional stomach problems but can't complain. 

You're gonna love the fatboy, I bought a Yampa and its all I ride anymore.


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

I'm doing ECP/pohotophresis for skin GVHD. I can't wait for the Fat Boy to land!! So looking forward to it!! Glad things are going ok with you too!!

Sent by homing missile from my HTC one M8


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## tubbnation (Jul 6, 2015)

At 16, I heard doctors tell me "you're never going to walk again", and then at 38, I heard "you shouldn't be alive right now".

I walked into urgent care one Sat morning, and said I had a weird feeling in my chest. 

Turned out that I had "widowmaker" heart attack - four blockages in my arteries, two at 70% and two at 100% (which required stents). Doctors were amazed that I was alive, let alone came walking in as I did while it was happening.

Genetic predisposition sucks.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Great to hear you're doing well, JohnnyB76!

You, too, joeduda.

woodchips, that's really frightening. A friend of mine just recently had some heart trouble. She was having some scar tissue buildup on some stents that were placed years ago, but she was starting to have some of the early "heart attack" symptoms - thankfully, that's not what she actually had. She was terrified that her cardiac health was regressing after her huge gains in losing weight and building fitness through running and biking.


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## 2ridealot (Jun 15, 2004)

...


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## tubbnation (Jul 6, 2015)

Harold said:


> Great to hear you're doing well, JohnnyB76!
> 
> You, too, joeduda.
> 
> woodchips, that's really frightening. A friend of mine just recently had some heart trouble. She was having some scar tissue buildup on some stents that were placed years ago, but she was starting to have some of the early "heart attack" symptoms - thankfully, that's not what she actually had. She was terrified that her cardiac health was regressing after her huge gains in losing weight and building fitness through running and biking.


So, she's doing fine now, right?

I get regular checkups, and things have been great for 10yrs, but stent issues happen. Maybe I will be fortunate, and not experience any issues.


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

Yikes Woodchips! That would make me crap my pants! Last thing i need now is a problem with my ticker! And thanks guys im so stoked to be able to get the Fat Boy Trail And get back on single track!! I'm doing awesome, not 100% but a hell of a lot better than right after transplant! Still sure im gonna need an o2 mask for hills but we'll cross that gap when we need too.

Sent from my SM-T310 using Tapatalk


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## joeduda (Jan 4, 2013)

I think you will be pleasantly surprised how well you will do when you get back out there. I know I was. I lost so much damn weight that the hills were a whole lot easier. Let us know how it goes.


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

Joe I'm 50lbs lighter but I permanently lost 40% of my lungs capacity from radiation Pneumonitis. My o2 saturation takes a massive hit when I'm really pushing it. I have been riding on paved rail trail. 7+ miles each time! But no crazy hills.

Sent by homing missile from my HTC one M8


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## joeduda (Jan 4, 2013)

Damn it man, sorry to hear that, I didn't have to go through the radiation, just very aggressive chemo. But any riding is better than none for sure, every ones a bonus!! And that fatboy is just gonna make each one even better.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

woodchips said:


> So, she's doing fine now, right?
> 
> I get regular checkups, and things have been great for 10yrs, but stent issues happen. Maybe I will be fortunate, and not experience any issues.


She's okay. Her fitness took a hit while she recovers from her recent procedure though. Mostly scared and fighting some heavy discouragement.


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

Joe trust me I ride like a lunatic! Harold I'll send some Positive Karma to your friend!

Sent by homing missile from my HTC one M8


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## tubbnation (Jul 6, 2015)

Harold said:


> She's okay. Her fitness took a hit while she recovers from her recent procedure though. Mostly scared and fighting some heavy discouragement.


Glad she seems to be doing fine, physically... but I will throw some good mental vibes her way! I know if I think too much, I can scare the crap out of myself...


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## Curveball (Aug 10, 2015)

I was almost murdered when my wife found out how much I spent on my last bike.


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

Nice 1 Curveball! I think we have all experienced that one😉

Sent by homing missile from my HTC one M8


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## Fuzzle (Mar 31, 2015)

*Hello!*

I'm so glad I found this thread!!! I will try to keep this short.

First of all, you guys are such an inspiration to me. I really loved hearing your stories.

In 2008 I was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor which almost killed me because it was huge!!!

Long story short they couldn't get it all because it was pushing up against a major sinus. If they cut it I would not be here. The first surgery was very risky.

Even though these tumors are benign they like to grow. Since they couldn't get it all it started to grow. 3 years ago I had 2 more surgeries and radiation. I lost a lot of hair but now I have a collection of fabulous wigs...ha ha!

I recovered from the surgeries but sufferer bad PTSD which started soon after the first surgery. I was prescribed Ativan which I became dependent on, developed a tolerance too and I'm sickly all the time.

I took Ativan all these years not knowing it was addictive. Stupid doctors never told me. I'm tapering off now and I crossed over to Valium because it is longer acting but, I feel sooo sick, anxious and tired all the time it's even hard to work.

These medications you have to taper very slow and it takes forever.

I'm at the 3 year mark since my radiation. I have MRI's every 6 monthes and can go a year at the 5 year mark.

I have one coming up in a week or two. Yuck!!!

So that's my little story. It's better to share with other riders who seek support in this positive way. I was on a Benzodiazipine withdrawal thread not to long ago.

I don't mean to judge but, many seemed to only focus on the negative aspects of their lives and I was going to that place too.

When I can ride my road or mountain bike for a hour once in a while, it gives me hope and makes me happy. I started road riding back in the 80's so I have a long love affair with this sport.

So now even if I can't ride I can come here.

Thanks for listening


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## Fuzzle (Mar 31, 2015)

One more thing...JohnnyB and joeduda, I too am glad to hear you're both doing good. What I'm going through can't compare to you guys and many here. Lot's of stories.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Fuzzle said:


> What I'm going through can't compare to you guys and many here. Lot's of stories.


Don't diminish your own circumstances by getting caught comparing yourself to others.

Everybody in this thread has been through something that's been extremely difficult and challenging. There are many similarities, but also a lot of differences.


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## Fuzzle (Mar 31, 2015)

Thank you Harold .


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

Fuzzle said:


> Thank you Harold .


I agree with Harold! By no means is yours any less significant!! Keep your head up and the rubber side down! ✌❤

Sent by homing missile from my HTC one M8


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## Fuzzle (Mar 31, 2015)

JonnyB76 said:


> I agree with Harold! By no means is yours any less significant!! Keep your head up and the rubber side down! ✌❤
> 
> Sent by homing missile from my HTC one M8


You guys are are so sweet!!! You made my day ❤


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## joeduda (Jan 4, 2013)

Fuzzle said:


> One more thing...JohnnyB and joeduda, I too am glad to hear you're both doing good. What I'm going through can't compare to you guys and many here. Lot's of stories.


thanks Fuzzle, and yes on what Harold and JohnnyB said. We all have our struggles, and oddly enough, if given the chance to go back and have taken mine away I wouldn't do it. Even if it does end up killing me.

I was also taking the Ativan during my treatments but it was for stomach problems, and they also did not tell me it was addictive. Wishing you well, and to keep that tumor under control.


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## tubbnation (Jul 6, 2015)

Fuzzle said:


> You guys are are so sweet!!! You made my day ❤


Your name made my day!

Props to all in this common thread we share - keep kicking ass and taking names, we're not dead yet!


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## Fuzzle (Mar 31, 2015)

I agree it's nice to have this thread. 

Your right woodchips. We aren't dead yet!


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## Fuzzle (Mar 31, 2015)

joeduda said:


> thanks Fuzzle, and yes on what Harold and JohnnyB said. We all have our struggles, and oddly enough, if given the chance to go back and have taken mine away I wouldn't do it. Even if it does end up killing me.
> 
> I was also taking the Ativan during my treatments but it was for stomach problems, and they also did not tell me it was addictive. Wishing you well, and to keep that tumor under control.


I like how you think. Acceptance and realizing everything happens for a reason is key. Now that I'm trying to get back on the bike I will get to the place you guys are. Looking ahead down the trail instead I living in my head...:eekster:

I agree about the medical challenges. It's made me a better person in many ways.

The Ativan is another story :madmax:.


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## misterbill (Aug 13, 2014)

My wife had a tumor on her leg. They told her the smart thing to do would be to cut her leg off but she is going to die anyway so why bother. I think that was six years ago. I don't think in 25 years of being married that I have ever met anyone who didn't like her. We're all glad she is still here.


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## Fuzzle (Mar 31, 2015)

misterbill , I thought I replied to your post last night but, I still get confused sometimes. I wanted to tell you that your wife is one tough lady. Sounds to me like two will grow very old together .

I hope I didn't post twice. That would be embarrassing .


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## misterbill (Aug 13, 2014)

Thank you. They decided to give her high dose radiation instead of removing her leg-wanted to make sure I made that clear. I do not communicate very well.


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

Misterbill, I had Radiation to my neck. Totally nucked my throat, made swallowing anything, problematic. 😉 Glad it has kept her around! ✌❤

Sent by homing missile from my HTC one M8


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## Fuzzle (Mar 31, 2015)

JonnyB76 said:


> Misterbill, I had Radiation to my neck. Totally nucked my throat, made swallowing anything, problematic.  Glad it has kept her around! ✌❤
> 
> Sent by homing missile from my HTC one M8


JonnyB76, I have been thinking about you. How are you?


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

I'm kicking ass and taking names! In August the wife let me get a Specialized Fat Boy Trail for our 10th wedding anniversary present! I went back to work full time on September 11th and my one year PET/CT was clean as a whistle! And I got the green light for riding on glorious single track!

Sent by homing missile from my HTC one M8


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## joeduda (Jan 4, 2013)

That is great news man, glad to hear it!! I bought a Yampa and it is all I ride now, hooked on the fat bike and looking forward some snow riding coming up.


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

Sent by homing missile from my HTC one M8


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## joeduda (Jan 4, 2013)

Good looking fat boy, here's mine.


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## Fuzzle (Mar 31, 2015)

Yay! Nice bikes guys. I'm so happy for you JonnyB. You too Joe. 

Still struggling with the withdrawal symptoms so I don't ride MTB much. 

I bummed that I have to go for brain MRI's every 6 months for 3 more years when I thought I was at the 1 year mark. 

Good news is I'm looking for a new ride for next year. Life is still good 
and planning for more 

Happy Trails.


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

Kick Ass!! Nothing better than a new ride! ✌❤

Sent by homing missile from my HTC one M8


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## joeduda (Jan 4, 2013)

Fuzzle said:


> Yay! Nice bikes guys. I'm so happy for you JonnyB. You too Joe.
> 
> Still struggling with the withdrawal symptoms so I don't ride MTB much.
> 
> ...


I can highly recommend a Borealis . You can make it through those MRI's no problem, more of an inconvenience than anything. I'm down to 3 month visits now to check the blood and finally got my port removed. Hope your symptoms subside quickly so you can get back on the dirt. Thanks to you and JonnyB, you have made my day, happy to see everyone doing well.


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## Fuzzle (Mar 31, 2015)

(((hugs)))!


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

Right back at ya!!!! ✌❤

Sent by homing missile from my HTC one M8


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## misterbill (Aug 13, 2014)

JonnyB76 said:


> Misterbill, I had Radiation to my neck. Totally nucked my throat, made swallowing anything, problematic.


My wife and I have a running argument(sort of). She had at least 20 churches praying for her. I say it was the prayers and the radiation. She has nothing good to say about radiation. Think it messed up her heart, got really bad veins in her legs she needed surgery for(the radiation messed up the valves in the veins)and her leg was very very sore for probably four years. They removed 'most' of the tumor, they had to scrape it off of a nerve or something. I do not deny that she is a HUGE miracle, but she has nothing good to say about any kind of cancer treatments.


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

It's called collateral damage, if she hadn't had the treatment she more then likely would not be here, no matter how much prayer there was. I'm no fan of the 10 different kinds of treatment I went through but I appreciate the fact I'm still here because of it! And prayers and positive karma don't hurt!

Sent by homing missile from my HTC one M8


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## Ericmopar (Aug 23, 2003)

Fuzzle said:


> Yay! Nice bikes guys. I'm so happy for you JonnyB. You too Joe.
> 
> Still struggling with the withdrawal symptoms so I don't ride MTB much.
> 
> ...


Keep going Fuzzlenator.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

JonnyB76 said:


> I'm kicking ass and taking names! In August the wife let me get a Specialized Fat Boy Trail for our 10th wedding anniversary present! I went back to work full time on September 11th and my one year PET/CT was clean as a whistle! And I got the green light for riding on glorious single track!
> 
> Sent by homing missile from my HTC one M8


Congrats on the new wheels, and even more congrats on getting the green light to ride singletrack! Man, was I happy when I got the green light to do what I wanted.



misterbill said:


> My wife and I have a running argument(sort of). She had at least 20 churches praying for her. I say it was the prayers and the radiation. She has nothing good to say about radiation. Think it messed up her heart, got really bad veins in her legs she needed surgery for(the radiation messed up the valves in the veins)and her leg was very very sore for probably four years. They removed 'most' of the tumor, they had to scrape it off of a nerve or something. I do not deny that she is a HUGE miracle, but she has nothing good to say about any kind of cancer treatments.


Unfortunately, you're both somewhat right. Yeah, the radiation probably did at least part of the work of keeping her around. But radiation is no joke when it comes to side effects/collateral damage. My docs had it on the list for me, but when I responded well to chemo, they held back. I was able to keep the side effects from chemo mostly under control so I handled that well. It's not so easy to do that for the side effects of radiation, and for me, it would have been full brain radiation. THAT would have had some problematic collateral damage.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Fuzzle said:


> Yay! Nice bikes guys. I'm so happy for you JonnyB. You too Joe.
> 
> Still struggling with the withdrawal symptoms so I don't ride MTB much.
> 
> ...


That's definitely not as rough as it could be. Just think of it this way: at least those MRI's aren't painful (minus the noise).


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## Fuzzle (Mar 31, 2015)

Ericmopar said:


> Keep going Fuzzlenator.


Eric, The fact that you are around for me to mentally torment is what keeps me going .



Harold said:


> That's definitely not as rough as it could be. Just think of it this way: at least those MRI's aren't painful (minus the noise).


So very true my friend .


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## Reallytho (Jul 30, 2015)

I went on a long trail trip into the forest sometime in september. I didn't bring nearly enough food (lesson learned). As I was heading back home I was seriously fatigued at the point where I couldn't pedal my bike anymore. I was on the verge of passing out. I think I walked around 3km before I spotted a blueberry field. Put my bike down and filled my water bottle up with blueberries. Gave me enough power to pedal out of the woods and to the nearest pizza place as it was closer than going all the way home. Ate an entire medium pepperoni pizza in 10 minutes. Doesn't sound too bad, but I was pretty scared I wouldn't make it home that day.

Also nearly died from an asthma attack as a kid when I hadn't been diagnosed. Luckily I'm nearly symptom free today as long as I work out. 

Doesn't compare to all the stories in this thread though. Makes you realize how mortal we all are and how valuable each one of us are. Glad to see you guys still shredding trails or roads or whatevever floats your boat hehe.


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## Fuzzle (Mar 31, 2015)

Reallytho said:


> I went on a long trail trip into the forest sometime in september. I didn't bring nearly enough food (lesson learned). As I was heading back home I was seriously fatigued at the point where I couldn't pedal my bike anymore. I was on the verge of passing out. I think I walked around 3km before I spotted a blueberry field. Put my bike down and filled my water bottle up with blueberries. Gave me enough power to pedal out of the woods and to the nearest pizza place as it was closer than going all the way home. Ate an entire medium pepperoni pizza in 10 minutes. Doesn't sound too bad, but I was pretty scared I wouldn't make it home that day.
> 
> Also nearly died from an asthma attack as a kid when I hadn't been diagnosed. Luckily I'm nearly symptom free today as long as I work out.
> 
> Doesn't compare to all the stories in this thread though. Makes you realize how mortal we all are and how valuable each one of us are. Glad to see you guys still shredding trails or roads or whatevever floats your boat hehe.


Hi Reallytho ,

I said the same thing when I first posted here. You had a life threatening experience and you shouldn't minimize it. It's good that you came on here to shared your story. Now someone else can learn from your experience.

Pepperoni pizza actually sounds pretty good now .


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## grumpy old biker (Jul 29, 2014)

3 times I have flied off from passenger seat of the car when car rolls over, each time my heart had stop but I have been revived, odds are quite small for that, but in my life everything seem to have small odds.

Twice stabbed to chest, bleed quite badly and woke up in hospital.

Strangled to concussion more than 50 times when kid, my childhood was not very nice, but for some reason I refused to die.

ATV accident where 3 wheeler rolled over and rolled with it, after I woke up, I noticed broken arm, bruises cuts and my head touching flat rock where were marks of 3 wheeler landing hard. 

Once I had a girlfriend, one true love, we were walking at side of road, all of sudden I found myself at the ditch and my arm was hurting, some drunk with motorbike had decided to have fun on twisty road and hit my girlfriend that died immediately, of course drunk did not get even jail time from that. 

Someone might say I'm incredibly lucky, I say that if there is hell, I must be quite close to it.


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## Pa. Patroller (Sep 19, 2014)

Omg I'm so sorry for your life experiences. You deserve for life to get easier. 



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Wherewolf (Jan 17, 2004)

*Sorry I have to post here again*

I'm lucky to be alive after a fall at Tahoe yesterday. Instead of re-posting here, here is the story.


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

Holy ****!! I'd say that counts!

Sent by homing missile from my HTC one M8


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

Anyone got a new near death experience! Currently I'm living the dream with my fatty!









Sent by homing missile from my HTC one M8


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## joeduda (Jan 4, 2013)

Good to see, I am also living the dream on the fat bike, just passed my 2 year post transplant mark a couple of weeks ago. Keep it rollin!!


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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

We are most fortunate to be enjoying this sport given some of the possible consequences. 

Safe Journeys everyone!


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## Fuzzle (Mar 31, 2015)

I did something really stupid Monday. I went for my 6 month MRI. I've had good scans from my radiation treatment in 2013 from a benign brain tumor.

The last visit with my oncologist he said the tumor may have shrank when back when I had my first check up. He didnt admit for a while. 

So back to the dumb thing I did. When I was leaving from my MRI and passing the monitor I looked back when I told myself not to.

I looked like it grew! I has the contrast so it was a clear image. I remember seeing a large black thing which looked like it may have grown a bit.

I this puppy grows I will have to see a specialist. The tumor is lying on my sagiittal sinus which is a like major artery. There is also lots of scar tissue. This wood be my fourth surgery. The good is the sinus could be blocked off and the only issue could be scar tissue.

If it not blocked I would need a bypass. This could be risky.

I'm the paranoid black and white thinker. Worst case scenario kind of person who always goes to the dark place so here is my worst fear.

Death is not what scares me most. Of course I don't want to see other suffer or die. 

My own is not the issue. It's being diabled and being a burden to my husband and having my kids suffer too.

Of course thay want me around and that's selfish of me to rather not be here. I see others over come being disabled but a stroke if nut treated well could not be good.

I've seen it all so I get images that won't leave me. 

So back to what I saw. The dark spot which looked bigger. was it a tumor or something else?

One of the people who was assisting the tech said I was seeing the metal plates. She claims it was so the Radiologist could see where that are. I've had health care professionals be wrong before.

I googled this yesterday and couldn't find any evidence of this. I looked up images and saw only tissue and lesions. No metal plates on a MRI. 

I see the RO at !0:00. I writing this to vent.

Thanks for having this thread brave ones.

(((HUGS)))!

- Carolyn


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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

^^^^^ May the force be with you. Heart and soul.


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## shoal (Apr 26, 2012)

^^^^ mris are very difficult to read. even as a trained ER doc i cannot always discern what im looking at. not a good move to look at the images without radiology. you are probably just freaking yourself out. 

good luck

Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk


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## Fuzzle (Mar 31, 2015)

shoal said:


> ^^^^ mris are very difficult to read. even as a trained ER doc i cannot always discern what im looking at. not a good move to look at the images without radiology. you are probably just freaking yourself out.
> 
> good luck
> 
> Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk


Thanks for so much for your quick response. It was a comfort. Everything is ok.

To be honest my RO has always left me worried by giving me mixed messages.

The people around me during the MRI acting like something was wrong really didn't help.

This time the visit was more and positive and I got some questions answered. Now I can move forward.


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## Bruce in SoCal (Apr 21, 2013)

Fuzzle said:


> Thanks for so much for your quick response. It was a comfort. Everything is ok.
> 
> To be honest my RO has always left me worried by giving me mixed messages.
> 
> ...


Glad to hear the visit was more positive. Our hopes and prayers are still with you.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

always stay away from Dr. Google. Dr. Google will only ever make you more worried.

I have all of my old brain MRI scans on a DVD for giggles. I couldn't tell you what my doctors considered a lesion or not, and it's been pointed out to me before. For months, my doctors were also pretty wishy-washy on giving any kinds of conclusions. All I was ever clear about was that not all of them agreed. So when they finally did agree that it was nothing of concern anymore, I could put it out of my mind completely.

But up until then, I had to make a conscious decision every day not to worry about it. If anything, worrying creates more problems than it solves (seriously, worrying releases all kinds of stress hormones that have negative repercussions over the long term).


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## Fuzzle (Mar 31, 2015)

Harold said:


> always stay away from Dr. Google. Dr. Google will only ever make you more worried.
> 
> I have all of my old brain MRI scans on a DVD for giggles. I couldn't tell you what my doctors considered a lesion or not, and it's been pointed out to me before. For months, my doctors were also pretty wishy-washy on giving any kinds of conclusions. All I was ever clear about was that not all of them agreed. So when they finally did agree that it was nothing of concern anymore, I could put it out of my mind completely.
> 
> But up until then, I had to make a conscious decision every day not to worry about it. If anything, worrying creates more problems than it solves (seriously, worrying releases all kinds of stress hormones that have negative repercussions over the long term).


Thanks for the good advice Harold .

Yeah, what's up with that wishy washy bull? This morning I finally heard what I needed to hear after 3 years of agony . So I am not worried anymore.

I wish I had it in me not to worry. Even though I'm not worried about my tiny little pea brain anymore I'm sure I will find something else to worry about by tomorrow .


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## Curveball (Aug 10, 2015)

Wherewolf said:


> I'm lucky to be alive after a fall at Tahoe yesterday. Instead of re
> 
> Oh, this makes me sad in light of his recent passing.


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## Doublebase (Aug 29, 2015)

Excellent thread! Some real inspirational stories on here.

Myself, I had a DVT in my calf about four years ago. I didn't realize what it was...thought I tore something, so I kept training on it (running, etc). Well the pain eventually went away after two weeks, then shortness of breath came while exercising. At the time I was in great shape so I thought...this is weird. I pushed through that for a week before deciding to go to the ER. Lucky I did, I had a bilateral pulmonary embolism, with partially collapsed lungs on the bottom. I had never even heard of such a thing, come to find out it's the third leading killer in the U.S. 

I was put on Coumadin and I was told I was extremely lucky to even be alive. Coumadin is a ***** of a drug to monitor, you have to avoid eating foods with vitamin K, and you have to avoid alcohol...two things I didn't like doing. And if I ever crashed my mountain bike there was a good chance I'd die...and crashing is something I do very well. I took myself off the Coumadin 9 months ago...so far so good...I pray it stays that way.

They also found lung nodules during my cat scan, that scared the crap out of me. I had to go back for cat scans every 6 months to see if they would grow. They didn't.

I find that when something like this happens to you, it changes you. At least it did for me - and not all of it was positive - I became scared for my health for the first time in my life...and I still am. Google has become my worst nightmare...every ache is investigated by a Google search...and every Google search makes you think you're dying. I will say that I don't take anything for granted anymore, I live for today.


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## LaloKera (Jul 31, 2015)

Doublebase said:


> Excellent thread! Some real inspirational stories on here.
> 
> Myself, I had a DVT in my calf about four years ago. I didn't realize what it was...thought I tore something, so I kept training on it (running, etc). Well the pain eventually went away after two weeks, then shortness of breath came while exercising. At the time I was in great shape so I thought...this is weird. I pushed through that for a week before deciding to go to the ER. Lucky I did, I had a bilateral pulmonary embolism, with partially collapsed lungs on the bottom. I had never even heard of such a thing, come to find out it's the third leading killer in the U.S.
> 
> ...


. You mentioning Google reminded me.

I was invincible until I was 31.
Had an emergency where my heart started racing at past 200bpm and would not stop. 
Ended up in the ER and Iong story short, spent 2 years after that with shot nerves. I recall that a beer once sent me to the hospital I was that bad. Spent those two years constantly on Google trying to diagnose every small pain I felt and Landed in ER maybe 4 times in that time span. Thought I was dying. 
Then I got back on my bike and everything is good now. Anxiety is a *****.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk


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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

Google can be your best friend but can also be your worst enemy.

Don't believe everything you read on the Internet. Especially when it comes to your health issues.


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## happel (Apr 13, 2016)

I may as well add to this. I had open heart surgery at 18 months. Not sure how close I was to dying, but surgery like that on that on a weaker-than-normal baby surely had its set of risks. I still have a scar about 12" long on my chest. I still feel the staples sometimes they used to close my up. The kicker is the doctors told me I wouldn't have to worry about my kids potentially inheriting the condition that caused me to have my surgery. Low and behold, my wife got pregnant with twins, one of them came out with a hole in her heart, same thing I had. We got very fortunate however with her, the hole was small enough and closed on its own and never required surgery. 

A few years later I developed severe epilepsy. I think this actually got closer to causing real damage. I remember waking up in the middle of the night and telling my mom I had seen a ghost. Next thing I remember I woke up in ah helicopter being flown to one of the biggest hospitals in the state, complaining about the oxygen mask. Turns out I never actually woke up thinking I had seen a ghost, that part was in my head. Don't know what actually happened. I was on medication for the next 5 or 6 years and the doctors told me I would be on it for life. I had a few more seizures, but eventually they subsided and I was able to get off medication around 13 I think. The only long term effect is they advised against contact sports, aka football, which was kind of a bummer, but in hindsight was a small price to pay compared to what could have happened.


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## Energetik (Feb 7, 2008)

I have two stories. Neither is anywhere near as bad as some of these. You guys are all awesome to be sure. Keep on keeping on...

First is a short one. The trails I was riding wound around a mountain and when you got to the top there was an old pavilion surrounded by weeds that the locals called Witch Hat because of the shape of the roof. From there you can hit a number of spots around the mountain. (Neversink Mtn in Reading, PA) I spent about 4 hours riding around the various trails and I decided to head back. One way takes you across a hard packed clay lot for a local building dump. (used bricks, wood, glass, concrete etc) Well it was 95*F that day and I decided to cut across this lot. It was several hundred yards across from where I came out to where the trail picked up again. The clay acted like a heat reflector and by the time I was halfway across I felt myself get weak, my vision blurred, I got very dizzy, and I felt like my head was boiling. I recognized the signs as heat exhaustion or stroke and luckily there was a shady tree spot nearby that I could crash under. I did that and poured most of my Camelbak over my head. That was enough to cool me down. I walked through the shady areas as much as I could and it was a nice easy descent back to my car where I camped out in the AC for a while. I was sick for the next day or two and could not stop pounding water. I believe that if I'd tried to push through I would've passed out and cooked right there. 

The second one was a time I crashed my bike at fairly high speed and ended up leaving by helo. It was at DirtFest 2014 at the Allegripis trails at Raystown lake in Pennsylvania. That's a fairly large local festival with bike demos, food, camping etc. A lot of people came from all over. I'd completed 1 loop on my bike and I wanted to demo something. Nothing I wanted was available so I went for a second loop about an hour later. There is a very fast and swoopy trail there with rollers and such called Osprey. I was on an XC HT and not familiar with some of the features there. I'm not sure what happened. I think I managed to lock my front brake and endo. (old st of M535s at the time) I have a vague memory of falling off to the left.

My memories begin as the EMTs closed the ambulance door. I did a spot check by moving my feet and feeling what hurt or was bleeding. They asked me questions etc. The EMT working on me told me I was out for 8-10 minutes, and barely awake until they slammed the door. I had trail rash all over and bruises on my knees, butt, elbows etc. I had a gash from above my left eye down along half my eyebrow to just about the middle or below my eye. 

They flew me to Altoona, PA, about an hour or so away by car, and I got 5 scans. They wouldn't let me move until they came back and I really had to pee. The dye they use didn't help that at all. There was no way to do so without making a mess even with one of the external bottles they give you. Funny but it was actually more painful than the head injury at the time. Adrenaline for the win there. 

All told I walked out of there with 5 stitches, a monster headache, and a huge bill. The concussion set in fully on the long ride home. My head hurt so bad I was crying. That's how amped up on adrenaline I must've been. I was actually euphoric for the whole trip until then.

IF I had not been wearing my helmet I would've been dead or a veggie for sure. When we got back, stopping to let me barf a few times, I took a percoset and crashed in bed for a while. That helped a lot.

Later I got my bike back (no real damage!!) and looked at my helmet. It had a nice dent on the lower left of the helmet and it was covered in blood. (2 yrs later I still have the helmet complete with dried blood. It's a war trophy. I replaced it with a better one right away) My guess is the helmet took the brunt and then slid up just enough for my head to plant and slide on the ground a little bit causing the gash and the head injury. Again if I had not been wearing the helmet I think I'd be dead. I got very lucky as it was with being able to walk out of the hospital that same day. I get headaches now and then behind the spot where my head hit the dirt. (upper left orbital) I have a barely noticeable scar there and luckily my eye brow grew back fully. No real feeling along the scar line but I don't miss that. It took me a while to get back on the bike and to feel secure on it again but that is to be expected.

So both potentials could've been my fault. Aside from some car accident close calls that's it for me. Not too bad in the end but pretty scary or painful at the time.


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## jfudge02 (Mar 24, 2016)

*The "I almost died" Thread*

I don't see any reason to ever ride without a mx helmet and full chest armor/ leg pads. Yesterday I fell over after uncoupling the wrong foot on an steep uphill b**** that I just barely stopped short on. Didn't wear my elbow pads. Now I have a scrape and a bruise, and all because I had a "this is an easy trail I've done many times" cocky thought after doing Telonics beforehand. 
I understand this is not near death, i don't hero on exposed trails and haven't been biking that long so havent had a chance to almost die yet other than almost hitting trees at high speed.. But in my experience it's the dumb everyday mishaps that end up being the most annoying on the daily.

Anyways. Pads pads pads it's just dumb not to-- I've never trusted those half head helmets to stay on properly during a crash.. And even if it does you still risk facial reconstructive surgery


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

Bump! anyone got some new near death events?


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## dirtrider76 (Sep 19, 2012)

Early August I crashed going pretty fast. Something sent me OTB and we still aren't sure what. I flew knew it was going bad and tucked to roll. Landed rolling and took out my shoulder with a hit to the back of it. Here's the thing that always got me. There's a giant tree there so close to the trail numerous people have clipped it with bar ends and shoulders. I somehow missed it and came up on the other side. I was literally going break neck speed right at a giant tree and somehow missed it.


I walked away with a grade 3 shoulder separation and torn pectoral muscle and a bunch of rock rash on my back and right hand. I seriously doubt I'd have walked away had I hit that tree.


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## BCTJ (Aug 22, 2011)

I almost got struck by lightning last year in Park City.

Here's the write-up on my blog.

On The Trail: Wasatch Crest attempt


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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

JonnyB76 said:


> Bump! anyone got some new near death events?


Not bike related but: In 2014 I flew a Harley Davidson full dress off a 200' cliff and lived to tell about it. Due to rain and hail with poor visibility I misjudged a curve in the mountains of Colorado. Luckily my many years of experience riding dirt bikes kicked in and my instincts were to get rid of the bike mid air. Separate myself from the bike. I landed about 40' down and the bike landed a 150' down stuffed into an Aspen Grove. I climbed back up to the road and looked down at the bike in shock at what had just happened. The next thing I know a car comes around the curve and stops. He yells at me to get in so he can get me to a hospital. I said "no I'm fine". He insisted I get in. As I did I realized my helmet was still on. As I reached up to take it off I noticed blood all over his car. I apologized about bleeding all over his door. He said "yeah you've got a big gash on your chin", which I didn't even realize. He drove me to the closest town called Kremling. He pulled up and dropped me at the front door and said good luck. I insisted on getting his number, he did. Several days later I called to thank him and never got an answer or an active voicemail.

I walked into the hospital where they immediately recognized the situation and took me in. A good look over and many X-Rays later. I'm lying in a neck brace on a gurney when I over hear a nurse or doctor on the phone calling for life flight. I questioned the nurse hovering over me if that was for me? She responded "yes, and that I fractured my neck". I was being life flighted to a Denver hospital". I then learned that two of the wings on my vertebrae were chipped.

I was life flighted to Denver and a 4 day stay and 2 months out of work with physical therapy. I was lucky that the chipped bone healed and absorbed back into my system. I have no residual effects from it. My chin was sewn up with 8 stitches and im left with a small scar.

Fast forward:
Six months later I had a serious snow skiing accident. Late in the day with shadows I went off an unseen jump and landed on my head. The force of which shattered my clavicle where it meets the sternum. My sternum fractured down he center and I fractured two ribs. Another 2 months out of work and physical therapy with some residul effects. My clavicle protrudes out permanently a good Inch where it joins the sternum. And I had pain in my sternum for a year or so.

And thanks to technology I had a GoPro mounted to my chest so I can relive that crash deep into my old age.


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

DIRTJUNKIE said:


> Not bike related but: In 2014 I flew a Harley Davidson full dress off a 200' cliff and lived to tell about it. Due to rain and hail with poor visibility I misjudged a curve in the mountains of Colorado. Luckily my many years of experience riding dirt bikes kicked in and my instincts were to get rid of the bike mid air. Separate myself from the bike. I landed about 40' down and the bike landed a 150' down stuffed into an Aspen Grove. I climbed back up to the road and looked down at the bike in shock at what had just happened. The next thing I know a car comes around the curve and stops. He yells at me to get in so he can get me to a hospital. I said "no I'm fine". He insisted I get in. As I did I realized my helmet was still on. As I reached up to take it off I noticed blood all over his car. I apologized about bleeding all over his door. He said "yeah you've got a big gash on your chin", which I didn't even realize. He drove me to the closest town called Kremling. He pulled up and dropped me at the front door and said good luck. I insisted on getting his number, he did. Several days later I called to thank him and never got an answer or an active voicemail.
> 
> I walked into the hospital where they immediately recognized the situation and took me in. A good look over and many X-Rays later. I'm lying in a neck brace on a gurney when I over hear a nurse or doctor on the phone calling for life flight. I questioned the nurse hovering over me if that was for me? She responded "yes, and that I fractured my neck". I was being life flighted to a Denver hospital". I then learned that two of the wings on my vertebrae were chipped.
> 
> ...


Dear lord! That's nutz! Glad you're still with us and able to mash peddles still! Rock on!

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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

BCTJ said:


> I almost got struck by lightning last year in Park City.
> 
> Here's the write-up on my blog.
> 
> On The Trail: Wasatch Crest attempt


Yikes! I always am paranoid when a storm pops up when I'm riding! Craziness!

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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

dirtrider76 said:


> Early August I crashed going pretty fast. Something sent me OTB and we still aren't sure what. I flew knew it was going bad and tucked to roll. Landed rolling and took out my shoulder with a hit to the back of it. Here's the thing that always got me. There's a giant tree there so close to the trail numerous people have clipped it with bar ends and shoulders. I somehow missed it and came up on the other side. I was literally going break neck speed right at a giant tree and somehow missed it.
> 
> I walked away with a grade 3 shoulder separation and torn pectoral muscle and a bunch of rock rash on my back and right hand. I seriously doubt I'd have walked away had I hit that tree.


Damn! Your guardian angel stepped up on that one! Nuts!

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## BCTJ (Aug 22, 2011)

JonnyB76 said:


> Yikes! I always am paranoid when a storm pops up when I'm riding! Craziness!
> 
> Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk


Yes. I actually have lightning post-traumatic stress disorder now. Because, every time I see a storm developing, the memory of that bright lightning flashing and the huge roar afterwards comes into my mind. I actually cut a ride short last year just seeing storm clouds because of this experience.


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

BCTJ said:


> Yes. I actually have lightning post-traumatic stress disorder now. Because, every time I see a storm developing, the memory of that bright lightning flashing and the huge roar afterwards comes into my mind. I actually cut a ride short last year just seeing storm clouds because of this experience.


That really sucks! Sorry you have to deal with this!!✌❤

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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

Note to self...

don't travel with DJ or Tom Hanks.


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## chazpat (Sep 23, 2006)

Doublebase said:


> Excellent thread! Some real inspirational stories on here.
> 
> Myself, I had a DVT in my calf about four years ago. I didn't realize what it was...thought I tore something, so I kept training on it (running, etc). Well the pain eventually went away after two weeks, then shortness of breath came while exercising. At the time I was in great shape so I thought...this is weird. I pushed through that for a week before deciding to go to the ER. Lucky I did, I had a bilateral pulmonary embolism, with partially collapsed lungs on the bottom. I had never even heard of such a thing, come to find out it's the third leading killer in the U.S.
> 
> ...


A little late on this but&#8230;

I've had two DVTs. After the first at age 39 (53 now), they did a lot of testing and found I have a protein S deficiency, which makes me susceptible to clots, inherited from my dad. I always knew that I would have another some day as the doctor did not keep me on the Coumadin after the first clot. I had the second one something like 5 years ago. So now I am a lifer on Coumadin. You do not have to avoid eating foods with vitamin K, you just have to be consistent on how much K you eat, they adjust your Coumadin dosage to balance the K. I don't really feel like I am consistent but my levels stay within range. And though not a heavy drinker, I haven't stopped drinking. I get my blood tested every couple or months and haven't had my dosage changed in years. You are not supposed to participate in contact sports so I try really hard not to crash. A bad cut or concussion could be bad news. I don't seem to have bleeding problems but I do bruise pretty easily and they tend to be bigger than I would expect. Also, that leg is pretty ugly, it is bigger than the other one and I guess the loss of good blood flow killed a lot of the hair follicles.

In regards to almost dying, I did roll my dad's pickup when I was a kid. And between my blood clots and while off Coumadin, I crashed off a wooden bridge and was pile driven into the ground. I did not lose consciencness but was knocked pretty silly and my back felt really racked up. Took me a long time but I pushed my bike out of the woods, loaded it onto the back of my car, drove home, took a bath, ate dinner and then drove to the ER. X-rays revealed I had fractured a vertebra in my neck.


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## Flamingtaco (Mar 12, 2012)

*Sigh*

Got a late start out the door going to work and took a shortcut by hitting a lightly travelled thoroughfare that I ride a mile further along when I'm on my typical route. Almost no traffic, only one car turned into my lane, well behind me. Left-hand turn coming up, I check my rear, car still well behind me. I signal for a few seconds then start to turn, at the same time starting to recognize a quickly approaching wind. Apparently the nut bag thought my signal was a challenge, and decided to 'race the train'.

Blew past me in the opposing lane at maybe 55ish (in a 35). Got tapped by the side mirror. He didn't stop, I didn't get an apology. Hopefully there was enough light for the GoPro to get the license, I'll turn the jackwagon in as always if it did.


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## MattMay (Dec 24, 2013)

I actually did die. (Hence my signature) December 2015. Technically. On the trail. Flatlined. About a dozen lucky stars had to align for me to die, then live. Was out on the trail inside a month. Racing this year. Full story here:

https://medium.com/@MatthewEMay/to-die-and-live-in-l-a-a1560f47ae41#.vzusvft7q


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

Oh I forgot my latest, DVT got thrown into my lungs for a pulmonary embolism, overnight in the hospital and now on lovenox! Craziness! Found it 12/30/16

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## chazpat (Sep 23, 2006)

JonnyB76 said:


> Oh I forgot my latest, DVT got thrown into my lungs for a pulmonary embolism, overnight in the hospital and now on lovenox! Craziness! Found it 12/30/16
> 
> Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk


Why are you still on lovenox? Are you doing the injections yourself? I've had to do it a few times, fortunately a short needle into fatty tissue, one reason to have love handles I guess.

With my protein S deficiency, it's weird. They aren't supposed to start me on Coumadin right away like they normally would, apparently that could cause another clot. But now that I'm a lifer, I guess it doesn't matter.


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

chazpat said:


> Why are you still on lovenox? Are you doing the injections yourself? I've had to do it a few times, fortunately a short needle into fatty tissue, one reason to have love handles I guess.
> 
> With my protein S deficiency, it's weird. They aren't supposed to start me on Coumadin right away like they normally would, apparently that could cause another clot. But now that I'm a lifer, I guess it doesn't matter.


Yup, and Yup.

Look back through this thread to see my insane story.

Short version is I'm an epic cancer survivor.

I'm a Clydesdale so I have lots of tummy for injection sites 😉✌❤

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## chazpat (Sep 23, 2006)

MattMay said:


> I actually did die. (Hence my signature) December 2015. Technically. On the trail. Flatlined. About a dozen lucky stars had to align for me to die, then live. Was out on the trail inside a month. Racing this year. Full story here:
> 
> https://medium.com/@MatthewEMay/to-die-and-live-in-l-a-a1560f47ae41#.vzusvft7q


Glad you made it.

"The fact that I survived is attributed in good measure to my overall aerobic fitness" - great reason to keep riding.


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

MattMay said:


> I actually did die. (Hence my signature) December 2015. Technically. On the trail. Flatlined. About a dozen lucky stars had to align for me to die, then live. Was out on the trail inside a month. Racing this year. Full story here:
> 
> https://medium.com/@MatthewEMay/to-die-and-live-in-l-a-a1560f47ae41#.vzusvft7q


Holy, ****, Batman! This makes my fight for survival pale in comparison. You are one insanely Lucky guy!! Damn!

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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

JonnyB76 said:


> Dear lord! That's nutz! Glad you're still with us and able to mash peddles still! Rock on!
> 
> Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk


Thanks, I definitely had a couple close calls. I've had several others in my life involving motorcycles, skiing etc.



Cleared2land said:


> Note to self...
> 
> don't travel with DJ or Tom Hanks.


Lol
Yours and my humor is usually inline with eachother. I'm at a loss with the Tom Hanks reference. 

Catch up with rest of these near death experiences later. Yikers!


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

DIRTJUNKIE said:


> Thanks, I definitely had a couple close calls. I've had several others in my life involving motorcycles, skiing etc.
> 
> Lol
> Yours and my humor is usually inline with eachother. I'm at a loss with the Tom Hanks reference.
> ...


I'm thinking Tom Hanks is a reference to Survivor!?✌❤

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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

JonnyB76 said:


> I'm thinking Tom Hanks is a reference to Survivor!😏✌❤
> 
> Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk


You mean Cast Away? Or was there one called Survivor as well?


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

DIRTJUNKIE said:


> You mean Cast Away? Or was there one called Survivor as well?


You're right, my bad, (not a movie buff)

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## Jack Burns (Nov 18, 2005)

It's raining again and instead of getting wet and muddy I am on the couch with a blanket to build mountain bikes in the sky. Found Passion.

This thread. Posting to come back and read the whole thing eventually. 

Lots of hurt account here. Sympathy to all. Indomitable peeps too.

Last year I hurt myself riding. I didn't die, but could have. Not spectacular like some of the stories here.

Basically climbing single speed up something I should have walked up since I noted at the start of the section that I should walk but wanted to try anyway, after all - I can just keel over if can't make it - gave it my all and the rear wheel slipped out and started sliding backwards and then the front wheel goes off the edge while i try to fall on the uphill side, but somehow the bike jack knifes and pulls me down and over and my chest is dead center impaled on the handlebar end like I fell off a step ladder onto it.

My heart stopped, the sternum broke and hit my heart with the handlebar end.

I came to after an OBD and couldn't breathe at first. Gathered some pluck and rode 6 miles to a ranger station. 

It's just over a year ago now and I am good. Got a good scar and some wire in my chest.

I returned to riding 2 months after the accident. I had the reconstruction surgery a month after the accident. I should have had it right away. The month with the sternum moving around un-fixed was pretty bad.

The way I feel about it: Riding is what I do. If I can ride I will. 

We are like that here.





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## misterbill (Aug 13, 2014)

I rode my gravel bike on a nice little twelve mile ride. I went around a lake on a gravel road, took the bike path to a two and a half mile stretch of road, then a single track through a park, then downhill to my house. I was in no hurry. When I got home, now that I am on a social media(strava), I found out that this section was timed, and basically I was the slowest person in the state(240 out of 241). I decided that I needed to remedy that situation. I took my road bike down to the bike trail, had nothing on me except my license and my cellphone, did not even carry any water. Normally I stop and catch my breath whenever I get winded. I shifted into high gear and stood up for most of the uphill(85ft elev)two and a half miles. I was out of breath in the first thirty seconds, but I kept going anyway. My ribs hurt when I was done, and I still had not fully recovered when I got back to my car. I moved into 9th position, and spent the rest of the day trying to figure out how to shave off three more seconds and beat the next three people who were tied right below my name.

At one forty in the morning, I woke up my wife and told her I needed to go to the hospital. In the ER, my heart rate went down to 30bpm, I got hot and sweaty, and my legs started to spasm. They brought in the defibrillator. I became convinced that I was wasting their time, and that I had pulled muscles in my ribcage, and that was the source of my pain. This may be partially correct, the left side of my ribcage has a large bruise on it. I tried to explain this to all of them several times, even though they had all ready told me that I had a heart attack. One of the doctors said, “you don’t wake up at two in the morning and go to the hospital with muscle pain”. I think that if I thought that all of the pain I had in chest was my heart, I would not be able to handle it. The ultra sound of my heart was fine, the catscan looked alright, and the enzymes in my blood were only slightly elevated. About the time I thought they were going to send me home they walked over to me and told me they were going to run a scope up through my wrist to look at my heart, and with this procedure there was a risk of a stroke or death.
They found three blocked arteries, and put in four stents. This could explain why I have been running out of breath everytime I ride a bike. There was basically no damage to my heart. They all concluded that someone was watching over me.


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## misterbill (Aug 13, 2014)

Edit not working, should say moved up 9 positions from the bottom LOL


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## chazpat (Sep 23, 2006)

Gee Bill, glad to hear you are ok. Any idea if the bike excursion helped reveal this or if it was just a coincidence? Are you going to need to be off the bike for awhile or good to go?


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## misterbill (Aug 13, 2014)

chazpat said:


> Gee Bill, glad to hear you are ok. Any idea if the bike excursion helped reveal this or if it was just a coincidence? Are you going to need to be off the bike for awhile or good to go?


Yup, pretty sure it revealed the problem-also was good I could get right to the hospital(15min). They said take it easy for a while, just to recover from the surgery.


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## Streetdoctor (Oct 14, 2011)

On July 5th I nose cased a blind triple at 35mph at Trestle bike park. Landed on my head and shoulder. Didn't black out and initially thought I just bruised my shoulder and knocked the air out of myself. After trying to raise my arm I realized I broke my shoulder. Doctor initially thought I punctured a lung and broke a few ribs too. Turned out to be just the scapula, and luckily not near the joint. After seeing a handful of trauma ortho's they decided surgery wasn't necessary. I started passive PT last week and still have 100% ROM. Still in a sling 50% of the time but I can't raise my arm. Scapula should be healed by the end of August but I have to wait until 8/17 for an MRI to see if I tore anything. I landed on a tucked shoulder so I hope not. Really not looking forward to the 8 month recovery if I need surgery. If it's not torn I'll be riding in September. All the doctors I've spoke to can't believe I didn't break anything else including my neck. Brand new Fox Pro Carbon with MIPS did it's job.

I've already ordered a new helmet, leatt 6.5 neck brace, and some light body armor.


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## Doublebase (Aug 29, 2015)

misterbill said:


> I rode my gravel bike on a nice little twelve mile ride. I went around a lake on a gravel road, took the bike path to a two and a half mile stretch of road, then a single track through a park, then downhill to my house. I was in no hurry. When I got home, now that I am on a social media(strava), I found out that this section was timed, and basically I was the slowest person in the state(240 out of 241). I decided that I needed to remedy that situation. I took my road bike down to the bike trail, had nothing on me except my license and my cellphone, did not even carry any water. Normally I stop and catch my breath whenever I get winded. I shifted into high gear and stood up for most of the uphill(85ft elev)two and a half miles. I was out of breath in the first thirty seconds, but I kept going anyway. My ribs hurt when I was done, and I still had not fully recovered when I got back to my car. I moved into 9th position, and spent the rest of the day trying to figure out how to shave off three more seconds and beat the next three people who were tied right below my name.
> 
> At one forty in the morning, I woke up my wife and told her I needed to go to the hospital. In the ER, my heart rate went down to 30bpm, I got hot and sweaty, and my legs started to spasm. They brought in the defibrillator. I became convinced that I was wasting their time, and that I had pulled muscles in my ribcage, and that was the source of my pain. This may be partially correct, the left side of my ribcage has a large bruise on it. I tried to explain this to all of them several times, even though they had all ready told me that I had a heart attack. One of the doctors said, "you don't wake up at two in the morning and go to the hospital with muscle pain". I think that if I thought that all of the pain I had in chest was my heart, I would not be able to handle it. The ultra sound of my heart was fine, the catscan looked alright, and the enzymes in my blood were only slightly elevated. About the time I thought they were going to send me home they walked over to me and told me they were going to run a scope up through my wrist to look at my heart, and with this procedure there was a risk of a stroke or death.
> They found three blocked arteries, and put in four stents. This could explain why I have been running out of breath everytime I ride a bike. There was basically no damage to my heart. They all concluded that someone was watching over me.


You're lucky to be alive, seriously.

One thing that I've learned is that if you're having shortness of breath while exercising, there's a reason for it. Like if you can't seem to catch your breath and you're in shape, and it's unusual, there is something seriously wrong. You're not just having a "bad workout", you're in danger of dying. Happened to me once - had a little trouble breathing, couldn't seem to shake it, thought it'd just kind of work itself out - boy was I wrong. Pulmonary embolism. That's one most don't walk away from. Heart is another. We are both lucky.

If things seems strange, they are. Get yourself to a hospital.


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## Jack Burns (Nov 18, 2005)

Good Lord, everyone, these are some horrendous stories! Best wishes to all, and happy outcomes to all.

"If things seems strange, they are. Get yourself to a hospital."

This statement jogged my memory just now of 16 months ago when i was sitting at a picnic table in front of a ranger station unable to move because i was having a heart attack, but i didn't know what it was. What a strange experience. I might have detailed it on this thread already.

I had fallen on my handlebar with my sternum, and broke it dead center and punched my heart with bar end on.

There was 6 mile ride afterwards to the ranger station. I can still remember it like a video in my mind. Funny how I can remember that.

Never thought of it that way:

"If things seems strange, they are. Get yourself to a hospital."

At the time I was thinking I'll shake it off. I just need time.

It was a good thing I went to the ER.

BTW, I healed up well, eventually.

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## RobWel (Aug 28, 2017)

Geez... Some of stories are terrifying! Luckily, I've never had such dangerous situations happened with me. I think God watches over meh


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## Streetdoctor (Oct 14, 2011)

Rode 65 miles this weekend! I'm back.


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## Davide (Jan 29, 2004)

Harold said:


> Guess I should have asked if anyone actually died yet.
> 
> "I got better."


Does a heart attack count? there is a 40-50% mortality attached to it. I had a STEMI 100% block while on a easy MTB maintenance ride in Golden Gate Park. No warning signs of any sort, I am skinny, fit, cholesterol slightly elevated, vegetarian + fish every 10 days, never smoked, 2-3 drink/week ... kind of boring really. I did have a bad windsurfing accident a month earlier, probably cracked two ribs, and I took a lot of ibuprofen, that has been linked to increased risk of heart attack.

Anyway, after 3 days in the hospital and being told not to even wash dishes at home (it was Christmas), recovery was relatively quick, short walks, one two blocks, and than after a month I was back doing 30' rides in the same spot. After 3 months I was windsurfing.

But mentally it was a major blow and it took a long time to recover. At some level I still have not. I think the heart attack changed my perspective on life. I am not completely sure if for the best: facing mortality is disconcerting, and I kind of miss the delusional sense of immortality I had before the event.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Davide said:


> Does a heart attack count?
> 
> But mentally it was a major blow and it took a long time to recover. At some level I still have not. I think the heart attack changed my perspective on life. I am not completely sure if for the best: facing mortality is disconcerting, and I kind of miss the delusional sense of immortality I had before the event.


Sure, a heart attack counts.

I find that these experiences definitely change your outlook on life permanently. In my case, I don't really consider it a bad thing. In many ways, I take fewer risks in my riding, sure. But in some parts of my life, I actually take more. My experience taught me that life is short, and in response I would much rather build experiences and memories than to live a boring and secure life.

I have always wanted to live in an outdoor/mountain town, but didn't think it would ever really work out and have mostly been content with traveling. My wife and I had an opportunity and we took it this summer. We ended up in Asheville, NC. Lots of risk involved, but definitely part of building experiences and memories.

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## tkavan01 (Jun 1, 2004)

Tried to ride the art smith trail in June, first attempt on day two of vacation, 6:20am start, 101f temps... made it 4 miles in before abandoning bc of heat...

Second attempt two days later, 5:30 start, 100 ounces of water in pack, 4 frozen bottles of water extra... made it out to the road in 2 hours, used most of the water by then, turned around to head home and just limped the whole way, got bad cramps before final decent... had to stop and sit in only shady spot I could find for 25 minutes to "cool off" started going again, immediately had problems, but a hiker found me and gave me a bottle of water and scratched their hike to help me down, it was insane


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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

tkavan01 said:


> Tried to ride the art smith trail in June, first attempt on day two of vacation, 6:20am start, 101f temps... made it 4 miles in before abandoning bc of heat...
> 
> Second attempt two days later, 5:30 start, 100 ounces of water in pack, 4 frozen bottles of water extra... made it out to the road in 2 hours, used most of the water by then, turned around to head home and just limped the whole way, got bad cramps before final decent... had to stop and sit in only shady spot I could find for 25 minutes to "cool off" started going again, immediately had problems, but a hiker found me and gave me a bottle of water and scratched their hike to help me down, it was insane


I don't understand your last sentence. A hiker "Scratched their bike"?


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## tkavan01 (Jun 1, 2004)

DIRTJUNKIE said:


> I don't understand your last sentence. A hiker "Scratched their bike"?


"Scratched their hike" as in canceled the rest of heir hike to give me their water


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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

tkavan01 said:


> "Scratched their hike" as in canceled the rest of heir hike to give me their water


Got it, duh sorry. Sounds like quite a scary adventure.


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## chazpat (Sep 23, 2006)

DIRTJUNKIE said:


> Got it, duh sorry. Sounds like quite a scary adventure.


Wait a minute, you weren't joking?


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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

chazpat said:


> Wait a minute, you weren't joking?


Sadly no.


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## Jack Burns (Nov 18, 2005)

Seriously, it's all fun and games until the SHTF. 

I remember this one time way back when a large group of friends went up to ride down from Shut-eye Peak and then down 007 one day, and I was the group leader, and I volunteered to sweep the group. I would let them go and play catch up.

At one regroup where the trail crosses the dirt road lower down, a couple of my buddies got into a what I thought was a mock pissing contest about who was the faster rider. So one of the two said something like, don't try to catch me, because if you do might die trying.

I thought nothing of it. Just friendly sparring.

Well this was at the top of 007, and back in the day when everyone was on a hardtail pretty much.

I'll never forget coming up to the group, and seeing the 15 riders or so all looking wordlessly at me lining the trail as I rode up to the guy who chased the dude who laid down the challenge.

He was lying in the trail on his back writhing in pain, his bike cartwheeled off out of sight somewhere.

He broke his back. He couldn't do anything about it. Had to just lay there, writhe and moan.

This was in the days before everyone had a cellphone.

Anyway, the guy who got hurt, go better after a year, and rides expertly.

The guy who challenged him died from alcohol abuse, my diagnosis, but really he had some demons in him, about a decade ago now.

I love them both forever. Dead or alive.

But that day, turned to ash in that moment. It had been sunny in all ways, and all I can remember is it clouded over and became cold. It was still a long way down. I had a good old Nokia phone in the truck at the highway. My wife and I rode down the trail with amazing precision and had to drive a few miles to get a signal and call for back up.

Broken rider was taken out on a Stokes wheeled litter by our group taking turns down the bumpy trail, and later airlifted by helicopter from North Fork.

Since then, I have tried not to ride with a serious contest attitude. Yeah, it scared me.

But what I still take away, is how cold and indifferent the planet, the universe, or even the matrix really is. I think, in some way, before that event, I was mistakenly deluded about the stakes involved when playing on the ragged edge. I'll stop explicating on that part here.

Confidence based upon practice and skill is a real belief system, but vulnerability is a fact. Both of these guys are skilled riders.

I almost died rock climbing once.

Last year I had a heart attack when I fell and broke my sternum.

After these mild brushes with death, for as exampled everywhere, such as here on this thread, there are far worse things; it occurs to me how awesome life really is, and how precious the present of the moment is.

And I think that is one of the good things a recreational brush with death does to a person - that it re-frames existence and provides a higher baseline to continue to live from.

But sadly, as we see, weather, earthquakes, war, politics, poverty, and poor nutrition, are deadly. And it is to these causes of unnecessary and unjust death that my attention, post recreational near death experience, that causes even more pain to see, and makes me realize how precious the last mountain bike ride was.

Once upon a time I will confess, I would see an obese diabetic and cruelly feel self-righteous about how good my health was because "I took care of myself", whereas this fat specimen had decided not to eat better and get more exercise. 

Thankfully, it's been a long long time since I felt that way. I feel ashamed.

To those who say, "It's his own ****ing fault", I would reply, look at yourself in the mirror when you say that next time.






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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

*Still Kicking*

I'm still kicking, got some new wheels!
I'm in heaven!

Anyone have some new brushes with death?


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

Bump, Anyone got a new story to tell?

(9/11/19 is my 5 yr mark with my dance with cancer, i will officially be able to say I'm cured!)


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## joeduda (Jan 4, 2013)

JonnyB76 said:


> Bump, Anyone got a new story to tell?
> 
> (9/11/19 is my 5 yr mark with my dance with cancer, i will officially be able to say I'm cured!)


congrats, I was 5 years post transplant on 12-27-18. Ride on!


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

Kick Ass Joe! 

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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

10yrs post-diagnosis on 3/10. Though 4/10 is the day I celebrate because it's the day I was told I was in remission.


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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

Congrats. Harold, Joe and Jonny.


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

Rock On Harold!

thanks dirtjunkie! 

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## joeduda (Jan 4, 2013)

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to DIRTJUNKIE again.

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to JonnyB76 again.

Thanks guys.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Keep on kickin ass and takin names y'all.


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## driver bob (Oct 12, 2005)

Not riding related but I went in for a routine surgery and the anaesthetist was supposed to numb an area in my thigh so they could slice me open to run a vein shunt in to help a leaky valve.

He really messed up, rather than hitting muscle he injected it into a vein and the first muscle it hit was my heart. 

It was all very weird for me very quickly. I remember feeling really really lightheaded and saying "I don't feel very...." next thing I recall is a small light that got brighter, then noises I couldn't make out, then feeling like I was upside down, and then seeing black and white shapes that were vaguely humanoid before taking a massive breath and realizing I was indeed head down on a gurney with a full trauma team on me and my heart was going a million miles an hour and I was sweating like crazy.

That was the effect of the adrenaline shot they used to bring me back. Apparently I'd had a very very dodgy few minutes when things were not going in my favour.

A day surgery ended up with me in hospital for a few days while I was monitored. For something that happened about 18 years ago it's still very very vivid.

I went back in about six months later but this time they gave me a full surgical team and hooked me up to every machine going.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

that story had my heart racing. damn.


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

Holy Jesus DriverBob! 
That's nutz! 
Glad you're still here! 

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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

Bob was a fortunate individual that was given the opportunity to cheat death and try again at some point in the future. 

Safe journeys!


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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

Cleared2land said:


> Bob was a fortunate individual that was given the opportunity to cheat death and try again at some point in the future.
> 
> Safe journeys!


Indeed, thanks for sharing Bob. And I'm happy things turned out in your favor.


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## driver bob (Oct 12, 2005)

DIRTJUNKIE said:


> Indeed, thanks for sharing Bob. And I'm happy things turned out in your favor.


Me too...


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

I had a new brush with death in the woods!
it was Friday 4~19~19 at work i had 2 energy drinks and a big ol iced coffee to drink to be functional as i was dead tired. It was a gorgeous day so after work i felt compelled to ride my Mutz in the woods. My buddy was good to roll with me on the trails behind his house. I opted for the quick one mile loop as he had a small window of time to ride. At about the halfway point i start sucking air on a level way out of the norm. Get super light headed, tunle vision, hearing gets muffled. We waited a little bit then very slowly peddle back to his place, i pack up and sit down in my driver seat of my truck. We chat for a while then i head home. When i get home we checked my blood pressure and it's 90/55. Eventually decided to go to the Emergency Room. When they checked my blood samples the test for the enzymes that your heart releases during a heart attack it comes back slightly elevated. Fast forward a few days of testing while in patient we decided to do a heart cath. Thankfully nothing too major, two small veins were 80% blockage but are so small that they shouldn't bother me if they were 100%.
Long story short it appears that i was way dehydrated and over cafinated and pushed my heart way too hard. We now have me on lipitor for cholesterol, metoprolol and lisinapril for blood pressure. And iv been green lighted to resume cycling but make sure I'm well hydrated. My Bad 

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## joeduda (Jan 4, 2013)

Damn Jonny, glad it turned out ok, you've been through to much to have that take you out. I had a buddy that got airlifted out of a race for the exact same thing. Sleeping Bear Classic in Michigan way back in 88, he drank a crap load of coffee the morning of the race and virtually no water and went for it. No heart attack but they cleaned him out much like you.


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

Thanks Joeduda! I have a bad family history of heart problems, my dad at 40 had triple bypass surgery, and my dads dad had quadruple bypass surgery at 60 (aka my grandfather on my dads side) so i knew that I'd probably have heart issues at 40+.

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## chazpat (Sep 23, 2006)

Sorry, you probably don't want to hear this but: pass on the energy drinks. Drink water instead.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Those energy drinks are awful. I could tell after I drank just one of them back when I was in high school. Never again for me.


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

A very common side effect of Long cancer fights including bmt's is chronic fatigue. Caffeine is my crutch. When i get up for work at 5am i have espresso for my morning coffee. For some it's debilitating. I wouldn't be able to function anywhere near normal with out any. I am capping it at 300mg to 400mg, a typical Venti Star Bucks iced Coffee is 300mg. 

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## joeduda (Jan 4, 2013)

JonnyB76 said:


> A very common side effect of Long cancer fights including bmt's is chronic fatigue. Caffeine is my crutch. When i get up for work at 5am i have espresso for my morning coffee. For some it's debilitating. I wouldn't be able to function anywhere near normal with out any. I am capping it at 300mg to 400mg, a typical Venti Star Bucks iced Coffee is 300mg.
> 
> Sent from my HTC6545LVW using Tapatalk


ya, that is spot on, the transplants are life saving but usually not without a cost. Being active is a huge help with avoiding the fatigue but i know of others that can't walk 50 feet without being spent. Or can't return to work because they don't have the stamina anymore to do it. I never drank coffee until after my transplant. Now it is an every morning thing. I'm just grateful to turn a pedal and be in the woods anymore, it dims all of life's daily difficulties for me.


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

joeduda said:


> ya, that is spot on, the transplants are life saving but usually not without a cost. Being active is a huge help with avoiding the fatigue but i know of others that can't walk 50 feet without being spent. Or can't return to work because they don't have the stamina anymore to do it. I never drank coffee until after my transplant. Now it is an every morning thing. I'm just grateful to turn a pedal and be in the woods anymore, it dims all of life's daily difficulties for me.


Amen Joeduda, the fact i can still mash peddles in the woods is an amazing gift and is integral part of my happiness and sanity!!

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## chazpat (Sep 23, 2006)

Pedal on, gentlemen!


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

chazpat said:


> Pedal on, gentlemen!


Absolutely! I'll try my best to keep it rubber side down! 









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## Frs1661 (Jun 9, 2008)

The trails we ride in Northern New Mexico commonly come with some exposure in the form of a 100-1000 ft drop off a mesa into a canyon. I was riding home form work and beefed it, ended up on my butt with my feet dangling over the edge of the canyon with ~100 ft drop. One more bounce and I would have been in a bad way. My work laptop was in my frame pack and got scuffed up but is still functional 

This is not my video, but the spot where I fell is at 1:13: 




Grateful to have ridden my bike out of there and not a med-evac chopper


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

Good Lord I'd call that a close shave!
Glad you didn't bounce one bounce too many!

Keep it rubber side down!! 

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## milehi (Nov 2, 1997)

I posted this before years ago. I was camping on the Kern River and decided to ride up to Sherman pass at over 9000'. I'd been looking on a map and decided to take a little known trail that would pop me out on the highway above the campground.

It was hot, just under 110* and there was no breeze as I entered the canyon and began to climb saddle after saddle. I ran out of water quickly and knew I couldn't turn back. I also didn't know what was ahead, so I dropped down a drainage perpendicular to the trail that would run into the highway. After an hour of bushwhacking, I decided to ditch the bike. I'd stopped sweating a while back and my thought process was backwards. I trudged on through poison oak, stinging nettle, decending dry water falls

I got to think long and hard about a lot of things. If I didn't make it, I'd be that idiot in the local paper. I wondered if I should leave my body out for recovery, or wedge it under a rock so the critters wouldn't spread it around. Oddly, I was at peace knowing I may not make it out. I'd disassociated my body from my soul but I felt sad for my kids and at what a selfish **** I was for not telling anyone where I was. No one even knew I was out of town. The GF and I had fought so I threw my bike in the car and drove two and a half hours up to the river.

Then I saw the top of a telephone pole and knew I'd made it to the highway. I collapsed on the highway and laid down. I didn't know how long I'd been there, but a local picked me up, gave me water and drove me to the ER where I stayed for over a day. When I signed myself in to the ER, my signature looked like Sanskrit. I had no motor skills

I almost died again the next weekend when I hiked in with the GF to get the bike and she saw where I'd been and how remote it was. "WTF were you doing out here???" ^%(^^^$$$#@[email protected]@# (Umm, going for a ride)

I've had another severe bout with heat stroke in the Kern Valley, ending up in the same ER. I've had a head on with a dirt bike while DHing as fast as possible. I was easily going over 60mph. Went over a mountain cliff at speed in a car and landing in a river. It was so far down, they were going to leave it down there. This year was twenty years cancer free. 

That same weekend as the first story, I also was swept down the Kern about a mile before pulling myself out, then later that day was stung about 20 time by bees when I rode into their nest. Those two incidents shoul've been an omen.


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

Jesus Christ Vadar!! I hope you play the lottery! Your guardian angel is one crazy skilled angel! 

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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

*New update*

Found out my heart issues are radiation induced coronary artery disease caused by my old school 70's radiation technique I had in 2012. I now have mild angina that's not connected to stress (aka exercise) they put me on a vasodilator drug that's helped. But all in all I'm still cranking away on my Mutz whenever I get the chance.

Any one have any crazy new tales of dancing with El Morte


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

nothing crazy from me, but it seems like everybody on my dad's side of the family is dancing with the Big C right now.


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## chazpat (Sep 23, 2006)

Harold said:


> nothing crazy from me, but it seems like everybody on my dad's side of the family is dancing with the Big C right now.


I take it that's the traditional Big C and not the current one? Hope they all make it out the other side to health regardless.


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## tubby74 (Jun 2, 2012)

4 years ago today I went riding with my eldest kid. had finished radiation and initial chemo and an uncertain surgery was on monday and this was a last thing together for who knew how long. after they cut a huge chunk of my bowels out it was a bit worse than thought and I was given 50/50 to last 5 years. more chemo and blood clots and crapping in a pouch for a year. Today took my younger kid for the same ride, he was too young then at 4 to take to this trail. not out of the woods yet but its going as well as we could hope. some rides are just special things to share with the kids, took his elder brother on a 30km trail ride last weekend


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

chazpat said:


> I take it that's the traditional Big C and not the current one? Hope they all make it out the other side to health regardless.


yeah, not the current one. my family has been good at avoiding the 'Rona. I got my flu shot the other day because the last thing I want is to have the flu about now and become even more susceptible to covid.

my dad was just dx with prostate cancer. one of his sisters has a type I forget, which recently metastasized to her liver (she's been getting treatment for that one for awhile now). their mother had breast cancer awhile back. my mother had another cancerous skin lesion removed. one of my cousins has breast cancer.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

tubby74 said:


> some rides are just special things to share with the kids


keep living well!


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

Harold said:


> yeah, not the current one. my family has been good at avoiding the 'Rona. I got my flu shot the other day because the last thing I want is to have the flu about now and become even more susceptible to covid.
> 
> my dad was just dx with prostate cancer. one of his sisters has a type I forget, which recently metastasized to her liver (she's been getting treatment for that one for awhile now). their mother had breast cancer awhile back. my mother had another cancerous skin lesion removed. one of my cousins has breast cancer.


My Aunt is battling stage 3 colon cancer, she dropped that bomb Christmas Time. Harold I'm sorry so many of your family are walking the cancer journey 😓

No new near misses from me. Just bought a new blue Garbaruk 10x50 11spd drive train. It's Pretty 😍


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

JonnyB76 said:


> My Aunt is battling stage 3 colon cancer, she dropped that bomb Christmas Time. Harold I'm sorry so many of your family are walking the cancer journey 😓
> 
> No new near misses from me. Just bought a new blue Garbaruk 10x50 11spd drive train. It's Pretty 😍


my aunt ended up passing. a friend and former coworker had a sudden relapse of prostate cancer and passed very quickly, too (he had kept the first round with it pretty private and I didn't know about it).

my father is doing reasonably well. he doesn't talk about that stuff much, so I can only assume that the status hasn't changed since he last talked about it. not sure how my cousin is doing. pretty sure her planned trip out this way during the holidays was cancelled because of covid.


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## JonnyB76 (Nov 13, 2009)

Harold said:


> my aunt ended up passing. a friend and former coworker had a sudden relapse of prostate cancer and passed very quickly, too (he had kept the first round with it pretty private and I didn't know about it).
> 
> my father is doing reasonably well. he doesn't talk about that stuff much, so I can only assume that the status hasn't changed since he last talked about it. not sure how my cousin is doing. pretty sure her planned trip out this way during the holidays was cancelled because of covid.


My aunt failed treatment has been labeled terminal, they gave her 4-6 months. me and the wife have managed to avoid the 'rona so far, my wife ended up having a new tumor pop up spring '21 and had to do 3 more rounds of Chemo, during that time we found out my donor immune system was attacking my kidneys to the point i was loosing more proteins out my urine than I was intaking, the solution entertainingly is chemo so I went through three more rounds of chemo just when my wife had finished hers. I've completely healed like nothing ever happened, the wife just had a scan and her tumor has shrunk massively even months after her chemo. I'm currently dealing with really bad (even for me) fatigue so i haven't ridden much 2021 has been a rough year hopefully 2020 too is a better year🤷‍♂️

Anyone have a new crazy brush with death in '21 or is a new member with and insane tale from the past??


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

JonnyB76 said:


> My aunt failed treatment has been labeled terminal, they gave her 4-6 months. me and the wife have managed to avoid the 'rona so far, my wife ended up having a new tumor pop up spring '21 and had to do 3 more rounds of Chemo, during that time we found out my donor immune system was attacking my kidneys to the point i was loosing more proteins out my urine than I was intaking, the solution entertainingly is chemo so I went through three more rounds of chemo just when my wife had finished hers. I've completely healed like nothing ever happened, the wife just had a scan and her tumor has shrunk massively even months after her chemo. I'm currently dealing with really bad (even for me) fatigue so i haven't ridden much 2021 has been a rough year hopefully 2020 too is a better year🤷‍♂️
> 
> Anyone have a new crazy brush with death in '21 or is a new member with and insane tale from the past??


condolences about your aunt. you and your wife have had a wild ride. glad to hear you're both on the upswing.

haven't managed to avoid the rona in my household. my wife got a breakthrough case from work (coworker came to work sick and infected her because their work makes it impossible to social distance) in October. I may or may not have had a breakthrough case just before Christmas. My symptoms matched (even some loss of taste), but it was several days after symptoms started before I managed to get a test scheduled and my test came back negative.

Nothing new regarding my father's case. But my last surviving grandfather developed cancer and passed away recently. I wasn't close to him. In fact, I think I might have only even met him once in my life and then spoke to him via e-mail on one other occasion a few years ago.

Nothing new for me personally, unless you count climbing a ladder to hang a nest box for owls in my backyard (I HATE climbing ladders).


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