That's one way to lose 20 lbs

[sbrguy]

like you said you have to be very thankful that you did not get any more catastrophic injuries such as head injury/paralysis/loss of limbs or any loss of sense like vision, hearing, etc.

do what you feel is right.

good to hear that the outcome of the accident, which was by all accounts extremely serious and life threatening, did not turn out to be as catastrophic as it could have  been.

stay safe.

[NorDog]

Dante,

Your accident is a terrible thing, and I hate hearing of it.

Also, I can relate.  In 1990 I had a similar experience, only I hit the passenger side.  I broke four ribs (broke; not cracked) and cracked a fifth.  Furtunately for me my internal bleeding was minimal.  Still, I spent 6 days in the hospital.

Naturally I worried that I wouldn't be up to riding again, but in time I couldn't stay away.

Perhaps in time you will decide you can't stay away from riding either.

Or perhaps you will decide that riding is not worth the risk.

Either way, the imporatant things are your health and your loved ones.  Keep as firm a grip as possible on both.

In the big picture, everything else is nothing.

God bless and godspeed to your recovery.

P.S.
I live very close to Loz Feliz, and must say that riding around there can be very, ah, exciting at times.

[fastwin]

That is a great diet! I lost 23 lbs when I was in the hospital for two and a half weeks with my four crushed neck vertebrae in 2007. God damn stupid turkey!! Almost as stupid as the driver who pulled in front of you. At least the turkey was a dumb wild animal and didn't have to pass a driving test!

Seriously, thank God you were quickly taken care of and rushed to a top flight ER. At least I wasn't bleeding to death! I was in the middle of south east Oklahoma country heading for Arkansas. Took awhile for them to shut down the highway and get me evac'd by med-chopper to a hospital in Arkansas. Don't remember a thing about it. Nothing, zip, nada... Last thing I remember was gassing up in Antlers, OK with my DML buddies 36 miles back up the road. Lost a whole week and a half out of my life. Sometimes I think that's not a bad thing.

Everyone handles these tragedies differently. You are not right or wrong. Do only what makes you feel safe and comfortable. You want to buy an Abrams tank for commuting then do so. You want to give up scooters for a while, no problem. Being the genius I am ( ) and being heavily sedated I apparently told my completely freaked out wife who thought I was going to be paralyzed from the neck down that "Don't think that this is going to stop me from riding". I don't remember that but supposedly the hospital room went quiet and she starting crying. I figured when I got home all my bikes would be piled up on the sidewalk for bulk garbage pick up! Luckily for me they were heavily locked and cabled and she didn't know where the keys were!

Again, I'm so glad you are OK and I hope your healing goes well. Don't worry about motorcycles. If you feel the interest again down the road they will still be here and I don't see any of us going anywhere. As if we had something better to do!

Take care and heal up!!

Brian

[Betty]

Dante,

Just to reiterate or paraphrase all the points above ... don't put pressure on yourself. At the moment use your energy to recover properly.

The Boss (yes my wife) was involved in a similar incident last year. She almost got around so her injuries weren't from the collision. But like you she did require an emergency spleenectomy only they didn't realise until she had been internally bleeding for 6 or 7 hours. She was laid up in a foreign hospital for a week.

I don't remember discussing it in the early stages (only when she stood up at the scene trying to continue riding) but we really didn't focus on riding for a while.

First thing was to become physically well again. Eventually she got back on the bike supported by the OzMonster DMF members and the recovery party they threw for her. She gradually built confidence on roads she knew well and was very apprehensive to start with. Then one day it just clicked and she was back to kicking my arse.

But as it turns out she never really doubted she would get back on the bike. Although I don't think she will ride in Italy again and she has a particular distrust of Audi drivers. I think you are trying to rush, or pre-empt a decision you are not yet ready to make. You may ride again or you may not but it is something you don't need to concern yourself with at the moment.

Give it time, recuperate and think about these things later.

All the best for a rapid recovery.

[Rob Hilding]

Ditto on all the good wishes  - and for a speedy full recovery.

Let us know if you need anything - there are lots of generous people on this board - ready to help if we can.

[orangelion03]

Dante, my sincerest wishes for continued and rapid recovery.  Relieved that you didnt suffer worse.  Disappointed that I may not get to meet another local Monster rider. 

And I thought passing a kidney stone was a great way to loose weight...

[Goat_Herder]

Man...  that's terrible.  There are just too many of these stories.  I am glad you made it.  How's your recovery coming along?

[Veloce-Fino]

Damn,

prepare for the multiple difficult stages of coping. After my near death on 2007 I was a different person for a few months.

Good luck, feel better

[DoubleEagle]

Dante, I can't tell you how sad this makes me feel.

It's as though I'm reliving the accident w, you since I have had 2 major crashes .

One that involved 7 broken ribs and laid me up for 12 weeks and also involved a Thoracotomy ( which is repairing a hole in my Lung ) which was filling up w, blood and fluids.

6 days in the Hospital.

2nd crash was in some ways worse .

I broke all my Ribs on my right side , crushed my right Elbow and right Ankle ,snapped 2 Tendons in my middle and ring Fingers of my left hand, badly bruised my right Knee and Shoulder , broke a Vertebrae ( spent 3 days in a Trauma Center ),  got knocked out after my Helmet split 6 inches from my S4Rs going airborne while trying to avoid a Truck that was blocking most of the road .

As I tried to miss the Truck , I hit something that sent my bike into the air and the bike turned over and came down on top of me and we slid 300 feet in the middle of the road.

I was out of action for almost 5 months .

Ended up w, a Staff infection of my right Calf and Ankle which took 7 weeks to get rid of plus Surgery and 5 days in the Hospital.

I thought I was going to die w, the 1st crash because of the lingering pain. I just didn't seem to be getting any better for weeks and the Surgeon was cutting off my pain meds.

The 2nd crash I was doped up for 5 months so I some how got through it better than I thought I would.

For some reason I didn't hesitate to get back on my bikes when I was well enough to ride.

Maybe it was because I felt that the 2 crashes were avoidable and I learned valuable lessons that I wouldn't repeat.

Maybe it was because I just love riding so much.

Your 1st crash , especially one as bad as yours , is so very traumatic.

It has such a impact on your psyche and it wounds not just your body but your soul.

You have to get over both wounds.

Like the lose of a family member or a divorce or breakup w, a S/O it takes time to get over the hurt to your soul.

Heal your body and time will heal your soul.

One thing about pain, as time goes by we tend to forget the intensity of the pain.

For now just concentrate on doing what you need to do to heal your body Dante.

You will with time assimilate back into the world of travel in one way or another.

God bless.

Dolph      

[Duc796canada]

Heal up man, get out and about I know it can get depressing being immobile while healing(had a few hospital trips from my MX days).

[bunnyman666]

I always hate to hear stories like this, and it freaks me out just a teeny bit more when it is a person whom I read their posts.

I wish those stupid kids who put their phones into their laps to text their friends would read stuff like this.

Get your body and head healed.

[The Bacon Junkie]

Dante - sent you a pm   

[Monster Dave]

Dante,

First - glad that you're alive. Given that it's only been a few weeks since the date of the accident, I'd be patient with yourself and any thought of getting back on a bike. I'd imagine that your hesitation is normal for what you went through, but only time will tell if you'll be able to find that comfort zone that you had before when you'd ride. Just don't rush it.

Rest, heal, and get well. 

[fastwin]

My friends like to say that I have now been "pre-disastered" and I'm now safe on the road... then there is the reality of Dolph's stories. Now matter what, or how good a rider you are bad juju can happen more than once, twice, etc. But all the comments are right, forget the riding decision right now, you have better things to do like heal up.

[r_ciao]

i hope you have a full and speedy recovery.  now you gotta listen to what your head says vs. what your heart says.  either way, glad to hear it wasn't worse.

Ciao!