Bald Paul

The anecdotes are true. I was pretty doped up as they wheeled me into the OR for my knee surgery in 1976. Nurse began shaving my right leg. Problem was, it was my left knee that needed surgery. I tried to tell her, but just sort of mumbled and drooled, so I grabbed her hand and banged it against my left leg. Now, they ask you multiple times to verify where your surgery will be, and then write notes.

kaos joe

Mountain bike ride, 4/3/21. My first words were "THIS is getting X-rayed today". My friends thought I was joking, as it was a "nothing" fall. Right radius distal FX, dominant hand of course. I have't ridden yet, still have poor grip strength and dexterity. I can't make a fist yet but am assured "all in good time." I have more screws, total of 11 according to my surgeon.

Bearhawker

My wife, who essentially took her hand off her arm falling off a motorcycle has 2 tips for you:

1) soak your hand in warm water (IE: fill the sink, put your hand in) while working on making a fist. She swears the heat helps

2) buy a book on how to tie knots, get some thin rope (like paracord) and get busy. She took months off her projected recovery by filling her idle time with her new "hobby". Filled the house with monkey fist key chain fobs and all manner of other things. Got almost full use of her hand back where the specialist said less than 1/2 at best. He now suggests his patients find a hand-busy hobby and get at it during recovery - he was absolutely astounded.

DiabloScott

Wow... in the news today:

Man has wrong leg amputated in 'tragic' hospital mix-up

https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/21/healt...ntl/index.html

I'd estimate a high 6-figure settlement.

kaos joe

Bearhawker,

Thanks so much for the advice. I find heat helps as well, I use a hot compress multiple times a day. Glad to hear your wife did well, her injury was waaaaay worse than mine. My dexterity is impaired by the persistent swelling and tightness in the hand tendons which will take time but will resolve. My job involves manipulating small things which I can't do yet......I changed out a saddle on a bike today and dropped the Allen key a lot. A lot.

At least I can hold a fork......

Cougrrcj

My younger sister literally slipped on a banana peel as she walked by a dumpster in the dark on her way into work from the parking lot - and shattered her kneecap as well. The problem was she was 8-months preggers at the time, so that was a no-go for any surgery. That F'd her up but good! That several-week delay in surgery caused her to lose most of the mobility in that leg. 22 years later, she died in a house fire because she didn't have the mobility to exit through a upper floor window (second level of a bi-level house with the window threshold only 7' above ground...)

DiabloScott

The PT place I go to has some hand specialists and they have some interesting little toys that they have their patients use similar to tying knots... like those beads on wires where you have to make the bead go around a maze.

Today there was a guy next to me who had what looked like a very similar injury to mine, but he was about a month behind me in rehab... I tried to set a good example.

That's a shame. I think they allow anesthesia for pregnant patients with hardly any restrictions now.

10 Wheels

Size 13 for me.

big john

Oh, me too. I thought you had said you wore size 14.

TCollen

I decided I didn't want to fall down yet again so yesterday I switched from clipless to flat pedals. Then today I rode 36 miles wearing Walmart's $15 Converse knock offs, and felt that my pedaling did not suffer one bit.

Artmo 

Our son had an operation like that after slipping in the bathroom and splitting his kneecap.

Deal4Fuji

I wear size 14 - good for platforms

I've had some slippage from good quality running shoes, so I think you might find mountain bike shoes made for platforms a better option. They STAY grippy on platforms even in wet conditions where I think you'll find running shoes will become less grippy over time. I went a year ½ without falling from clipless but never felt any real benefit, just a lot of hassle changing shoes and approaching stops. After my 1st fall (as mentioned above, always with a crowd of onlookers) that bent my derailleur the clipless pedals came off and I have had no issues. I prefer no foot retention at all. probably helps to have big feet but I have no trouble standing on climbs or spinning for as much as I spin. I'm also a big ring masher, so that also helps make platforms a better option for me.

PeteHski

I agree, get a pair of Five Ten Freeride shoes. They grip the pedals like glue and the soles are much stiffer than running shoes, which feel too mushy when pedalling. I still prefer clipless pedals on my road bike, but use platforms on my mtb trail bike.

DiabloScott

Three 10km rides around the neighborhood this week! Riding like a granny, but it feels great. I took off my toeclip pedals and put on my flat pedals for easy escape. Accelerating from stop, and coming to a stop with a foot plant are the hardest things; I can't get out of the saddle to stand and pedal. Also, I switched the flip-flop rear wheel from FG to the SS side, and put on the big fat 35mm tires for comfort.


It was really clean, I don't think I'd ever used it in 7 years.

Pop N Wood

Used to ride toe clips back in the 80's before the clipless things were invented. I would ride loops in a park where guys would sit in their car flashing their brake lights at passing men. One day I hit a water fountain within view of all the parked cars. Usually wore short gym shorts (that was the style back then) and no shirt. When I went to ride off across the grass got one foot in a clip but struggled with the second. When I finally got fully clipped in realized I had lost all momentum and down I went, rolled upside down and turtled with the bike in the air above me. Once I finally regained my footing looked up to see 3 different guys had gotten out of their car and were looking at me.

I rode the other direction as fast as I could.

Haven't timbered since I got SPD clips that I set pretty loose. Super quick to snap out of. The look cleats on my road bike do require more thought.

BTW I've had two different surgeries in the last few years involving either a left or right part. In both cases the surgeon confirmed with me before anesthesia which side and signed his name on the offending appendage.

downtube42

My grandson experienced his first road rash this past weekend. He's 5, and just learned to ride a pedal bike. He was enthralled by watching his feet go round and round, and failed to notice the path curved. Afterwards I was showing him my scars. The story of my front wheel falling off during a wheelie was his favorite.

if I wanted a guarantee of no blood, I'd take up a different hobby. My wife has developed arthritis from knitting. One brother gardens but he weighs 300 lbs. Another diabetic brother fell down the stairs recently and broke his leg badly. Healing is slow and fraught with peril. I'll stick to cycling and fall on my butt from time to time.

fifty150

I fell over today and felt foolish. I just came to the top of a climb and unclipped my left foot. I normally always unclip both feet but a friend was standing there and went to fist bump me for finishing the hill. I started to fall to the right and all I could do was wait for the impact. Worried more about my new bike than my arm leg and hip. Put a scratch on my new 105 derailleur.

OldTryGuy

;,o( about the tip over. MAKE SURE to have the derailleur hanger (I'm assuming rear der. was scratched) checked for possibly being bent in.

CAT7RDR

I outdid myself yesterday morning. I struggled and finally believed I securely attached a new Cobb saddle on my 29er. Went over a mild bump while seated and my saddle assembly fell off. Try to unclip from SPD peddles without a seat and no practice. Predictably, I fell on my left hip and knee. At least, I did not break anything (bike included), scraped my knee and made a fool of myself for my neighbors.

Think I will find a better setup for the 29er as I have had previous issues with the saddle coming loose and this two bolt system is unlike others I have viewed on the interwebs.

No pics as I do not want to remove the second bandage.

Retro Grouch 

My best fall of that sort happened before clipless pedalsor bike helmets were common. At the time I was using toe clip pedals with shoe cleats. That particular combination required either good track stqnd skills or pre planning to put your foot down. My son was around 5 at the time and my mother-in-law had found a garage sale 3-speed Gitane derailleur bike with around 20 inch wheels and dropped handlebars. the two of us looked pretty racy.

While cruising around the neighborhood I spotted a friend of mine sitting on his porch. I decided to ride up his driveway to say hi overlooking my clipped in state. Timber! It was a long time before my son wanted to ride with me again and, even then, he always asked what shoes I was going to use.