Another injury!!

[doc]

I just went for my first ride saturday after being off my bike from fracturing my sacrum in a bike wreck 6 weeks ago. It went great. I was on cloud nine. The next day I went to the gym to work out. After a great workout, I showered in the gym. As I was reaching up to get my towel, my hand brushed against the corner of the metal shelf in the shower. Next thing I know I'm bleeding all over the place. Long story short, I went from urgent care to the sunday orthopedic clinic to the operating room!!!

What a way to spend a beautiful sunday. It turns out that stupid shelf sliced through a few tendons and through the (PIP) joint capsule of my finger. Now it's 4am monday and I'm sitting here typing with one hand while my other hand throbs and is excruciating while I wait and pray that my pain med kicks in soon.

I think I'm going to wallow in self pity today. I'm so bummed.

Who knew showering was such a dangerous sport?

[crazycanuck]

Hey doc...OW...OW...OW...yes, who knew showers could be so mean...

Hope your finger heals fast and you can back on the wheels.

c

[pkq]

Get well soon! That is a strange way to get a strange injury. Ouch! What's the healing time on that? With winter coming, you won't miss too much riding.

[CorsairMac]

:( :( :( :( :(

oh doc my friend - I'm so sorry to hear about your latest misfortune! Bad shelf - bad bad. Sending healing thoughts your way and yes: what is the recovery time on this one?

and can you at least ride a trainer or stationary bike where you don't have to use that hand?

[Trekhawk]

I just went for my first ride saturday after being off my bike from fracturing my sacrum in a bike wreck 6 weeks ago. It went great. I was on cloud nine. The next day I went to the gym to work out. After a great workout, I showered in the gym. As I was reaching up to get my towel, my hand brushed against the corner of the metal shelf in the shower. Next thing I know I'm bleeding all over the place. Long story short, I went from urgent care to the sunday orthopedic clinic to the operating room!!!
What a way to spend a beautiful sunday. It turns out that stupid shelf sliced through a few tendons and through the (PIP) joint capsule of my finger. Now it's 4am monday and I'm sitting here typing with one hand while my other hand throbs and is excruciating while I wait and pray that my pain med kicks in soon.
I think I'm going to wallow in self pity today. I'm so bummed.
Who knew showering was such a dangerous sport?

Oh no you poor thing. Thats terrible news. You sit back relax and let your poor body heal the bike will wait (they are very patient breed).

Sending healing vibes your way.

Trek-feeling a little queasy after reading that-hawk.

[emily_in_nc]

OWWWWWW! I know that must hurt like h-e-double-toothpicks! I still remember going to a Halloween party the night after cutting my thumb pretty deeply (and getting five stitches) carving a jack-o-lantern at age 12. I was all bandaged up, and I remember being at the party and the thumb just throbbing away that night. You never forget unusual pain like that!

Sending healing wishes your way...

Emily

[doctorfrau]

OUch Doc!

You should at least warn the gym about that shelf too - so they can cover up the sharp edges. :confused:

[Jo-n-NY]

Hi Doc,

Does that stink just when you were getting back into the biking swing of things. I am now on my mtn bike on the trainer and although typing with two hands, I have to stand up because my shoulder gets too tired when lifting my arm for any period of time.

The last thing I would want when returning to riding is yet another injury. I feel so bad for you. Try hard to hang in there. I hope the pain goes away soon.

JoAnn

[Yasmin]

Sorry to hear about the #sacrum & then the finger, Doc. You have had a bad run, haven't you! Hope that's gonna be it for a while so you can get back to what you love doing best. Cheers. Y.

[doc]

Yasmin
How funny, I just wrote a response to you on another thread! Thanks for the well wishes. I got my splint off 2 days ago. Yea!!!!!

My finger is fat and purple and not very mobile. But it is getting noticeably better with just 2 days out of the splint. Not the appearance, but the mobility which is all that matters. You'd be surprised how much a righty uses her left middle finger.

[Trekhawk]

. You'd be surprised how much a righty uses her left middle finger.

Not for rude gestures I hope. :D :D :D

[doc]

LOL
It was splinted in a permanent rude gesture for 6 weeks after the surgery! I got away with murder ;)

[Yasmin]

LOL
It was splinted in a permanent rude gesture for 6 weeks after the surgery! I got away with murder ;)

Geez that would come in handy sometimes! :rolleyes:

[SalsaMTB]

Wow, that was one sharp corner you hit! Sorry to hear about another injury but glad to hear the recovery is coming along!

[bikerchick68]

Holy cow! Now that just plain ole stinks! Glad to hear your recovery is coming along... amazing how something that looks so inocuous can do so much damage huh?

keep us posted... hopefully the surgeons did a great job and you'll have full mobility before long... and LOL at the splint! I'm tempted to make one just so I can get away with murder too! :D

[Lise]

Good grief, that's wickedly horrible! I read about some Xterra race where the guy who won it did so with an enormous bleeding gash in some body part--caused by the sharp edge of the hard plastic Xterra race number on his bike.

That shower shelf edge must've been razor sharp to cut through tendons. I'll bet the gym's just hoping you don't sue them at this point! :eek:

And a fractured sacrum...sounds to me like you've got many great rides on soft warm days coming your way. Wishing you well in your healing,

Lise

[Geonz]

I *do* hope the gym is paying all expenses, plus pain and injury?

Seriously, that's a hazard that shouldn't be there. You could probably get lawyers begging you for the case...

[massbikebabe]

Oh Doc...

that's just plain awful. Good Luck on your recovery. If push comes to shove there is software out there that can help you write papers, e-mail etc.,
dictation software. I am using it now, and it didn't take long for the software
to ignore my Massachusetts accent.

karen

[RoadRaven]

Doc!

*cringes... *

Who'd have thought... glad cast is off

Have you been eating/drinking arnica? The cream would be no good on the cut, but taking it internally will help with the bruising and swelling... even so long after it first happened...

Hoping you are back on the bike REAL soon!