Fractured neck and the season to come

September 8^th a car pulled into the bike lane to get around a car turning right. They didn’t look and I was heading past at a fair speed.  When they started to move my head was down, so when I looked up I was in a moment of terror. Travelling at 60kph, with no control over the situation and a crash imminent is not a nice place to be.

In the moments that followed there was contact with the car and then contact with the road on the top of my head. It wasn’t a big hit, but I was aware that a spine injury could be an issue at the time. I then landed seated, in shock and fighting to get some control of my breathing. It took what felt like a few minutes to get my breathing under control and a pain between my shoulder blades started to appear. I shuffled off the road, lied down and waited for the ambulance. Pain was ok and I could’ve probably got up, but after a crash at that speed I laid still.

The next few hours were just lying still, as the docs did their checks, x-rays and finally a CT scan which detected a fracture to C7 and a couple of compression fractures to T1 (the base of the neck). Having to break that news to Ange was quite hard as it was uncertain what was to come. I was transferred to Royal Perth from Fremantle and spent the next few days lying still while they decided how to treat my injury.

At Fremantle Emergency Room
 

 

A Miami JTO brace was the option they went with as my fractures were stable and there was no displacement. I was told the brace would be on for 12 weeks, only coming off for a few minutes each day to replace the pads after a shower (one of the simple pleasures you really miss while lying still on a bed for a few days). Apart from that the communication wasn’t great, so that is why I haven’t written a blog until now.

I had my 4 week check up and more x-rays on Monday and got some good news that the doc is happy and the brace should come off in 4-5 weeks. Which is excellent, I’ve been looked after amazingly well by Ange and if I can drive in a month when this brace is off it will be a lot easier on her. From feeding me in hospital, to driving me everywhere she has been great in a trying time. Thanks Babe, Love you!

Being feed by Ange and feeling completely useless
 

The doc said running wouldn’t be an issue; I was worried due to the impact, so looking forward that is another positive.

With a hip held together by 8 screws, a heart concern and a fractured neck, I’d be lying if I wasn’t considering giving up the sport when I was in hospital. Everyone has their limit and you have to consider the affect that an incident like this has on their life too. My mum for one would love to be reading this!

When I look at my goals I had in this sport

1.       Get the absolute maximum out of my body

2.       Win the State title at Bussleton half/70.3

3.       Sub 4hrs for a 70.3

I feel I’ve achieved no.1 in Busselton half/70.3 in 2008, 2012 and won the state title in 2012. Getting back from my hip injury was never in the plans, but I’m more proud of that than any of the above.

Sub 4hrs is still there, but more importantly is that I love what I do! I want to continue racing.

A return to racing is still a long way off and not in my mind much at the moment. I’m focused on recovery at present, but Busselton 70.3 is penciled in. Going forward I need to look after myself and recover. Once the brace is off, I’ll be in to see John Annear at SportsMed Subiaco and Sheldon at Bodyright Massage to make sure we can get everything working as it should and rebuild the muscles around my neck.

Train safe

Mikey