Originally Posted by
Machka
Thank you all for your concerns, thoughts,and prayers.
An update ...
They are just starting to ease the sedation off and he has been responding tovoice (people calling his name) by opening his eyes a tiny bit. He's not seeingor focusing ... it's just a subtle little response.
They cannot assess him and his brain function until he is fully awake.
There is still a long way to go.
And I'm tired.
Meanwhile, I've got a heap of things to do regarding all this ... paperwork, forms,meetings, appointments.
And since the accident I haven't been able to face the idea of cycling. Theaccident wasn't cycling-related but it is what we do together, and we were justabout to go into two weekends of long distance events. We were packing and getting ready to go.
Originally Posted by
79pmooney
Hang in there Machka. If this is like the TBIs I've witnessed, both as observer and participant (I was in Rowan's shoes), this is going to be a lot harder for you than Rowan for quite a while.
(I got my first awareness of the severity when I came home to my parents and saw how haggard my mom was.)
This will change very slowly as he comes well along in recovery and appears to be doing far better.You will be thinking the best but he will be slowly starting to put together just how much he has lost…
Ben
Hi Machka,
Thanks for your moving update. I hope you read my previous note (link) of commiseration, including about my personal TBI in high school.
It seems that Ben and I have a few experiences in common, as I have previously posted.
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
BTW @
79pmooney, you may recall we have both lived and cycled in Ann Arbor, MI and Boston.
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
…
I was also in a cycling accident three years ago, that kept me off work for three months and off the bike for five. I have pretty much recovered to a new normal, and work and family life are pretty comparable to as before.
I did have a lot of support in recovery, especially from my wife. I was particularly made aware of the toll it took on her when she gave a victim impact statement at the sentencing of the driver.
I am cycling again with her OK, but in large measure since she herself was a cycling companion early and for a long time in our relationship, and is not so fearful about the dangers. Also I have pretty safe routes.
I wanted to write something in response to your serious letter, as a fellow cycling lifestyle enthusiast and accident sufferer, but it seems to me that our circumstances are so different, that there’s not much I contribute except my best wishes for a good future. I am otherwise available on the Forums.
PS: FWIW, I posted to this thread on the Road Cycling Forum
”Coping with injuries and setbacks, how do you do it?”
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
…I just had to be patient and take time to heal, which was itself a consuming task. One-by-one I resumed the various activities, cycling being the last.
Going back to work certainly hastened the process, especially since cycle-commuting was a viable activity, as part of work. I am more enthusiastic about riding than ever, and may even be a better rider now too.
During that summer I kept up with Bike Forums, and got a lot of support from various subscribers, some with whom I had corresponded on or off the Board .I had had so much cycling experience over the years, that I always found topics to chat about.
BTW, this was one of my hospital experiences that gave me hope for the future:…[follow the link, if interested]
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 04-05-18 at 02:46 PM.