M.V.I. graphic photos.

by **72hours** » Tue May 22, 2012 3:31 pm

Hello folks.
Last Wednesday afternoon someone smashed our back window, avoided alarm sensors (we have since got more installed so there is no way for this to happen again) and stole everything they could get their hands on. Then as i was driving home on my scooter, things got much much worse.

I was driving two car lengths behind the car in front of me. They indicated and turned left (remember in New Zealand we drive on the left) and a car on that street pulled out without looking. When he saw me, rather than accelerating and moving out of the way, he hit the brakes and came to a stop blocking the whole lane. To avoid hitting oncoming traffic or slamming into his car and have the handlebars embed in my abdomen, I barked hard and came off the scooter at around 40km/h. I hit the asphalt face first, protected by my full face helmet. My armoured jacket kept my clavicle from breaking when my shoulder struck. I felt some pain in my hand as it hit, and then the whole force and weight of the scooter crashed down on the back of my knee, crushing it into the street.

Traffic stopped and I directed people to block the street with cars and got them to help me over to the sidewalk. As they assisted me, just a little weight was put on my injured leg and i could hear the broken bones grind together. No head injuries so my helmet came off and I quickly went into shock. Sweating and trembling, I got someone to call 111, and called my wife (home was just 200m away). Eventually police arrived, the driver was given a fine. Paramedics arrived and after administering some nitrous, they straightened and splinted my leg and loaded me up.

Lots of morphine, another bottle of nitrous, and some xrays (they didn't want to xray my hand but I insisted) it was determined that I had a Bennett's fracture in my hand. A large chip off the bottom of the carpal of my thumb that allowed it to continually dislocate. A comminuted tibial plateau fracture (the head of the tibia is shattered and the tibia is split and each half broken into pieces) that will require a lot of time and surgery to put back together.

My local hospital inserted a wire into my thumb to hold the carpal and chip in place to heal and put in a cast. Saturday morning i was strapped to a stretcher and loaded into a cessna fixed wing plane and my wife and I were flown to Auckland where one of the country's best bone specialists was waiting with a copy of my CT scan and a plan.

Monday morning they did the first surgery to attach an external fixator (a large metal frame drilled into my femur and tibia to make later surgeries easier and create more space from what i understand). There were a few complications during surgery. From what I can gather, after attaching the external fixator they began taking xrays and I started coming to. They must have given me more morphine to compensate and I nearly stopped breathing, was only taking 3 breaths per minute. Not sure what happened after that but I remember spitting out the o.p.a.or whatever it was, and the pain was overwhelming. I was screaming and crying for a half hour before they could get my pain level to a manageable level.

Now I am waiting for swelling to go down and am stuck on my back in the ortho ward until early next were when they plan to put my knee back together with plates and screws. Mrs.72 hours left Sunday night before my surgery so she could meet with the insurance people and arrange with her school and professors so she can come back to be with me. I am on a wide assortment of pain killers and injections. They are not sure how long until I can start putting weight on it or walking again. I have been told everything from 3 to 16 weeks but I guess only time will tell. I will upload my photos in my next post.

**Mods feel free to move this if it is in the wrong place. I guess I am hoping to get some useful advice from people who have been laid up for a long time after an accident, how they kept mentally resilient, or anything else people have to offer to help me through this...

by **BigDaddyTX** » Tue May 22, 2012 4:07 pm

Damn, sorry to hear all that happened on top of being robbed. Maybe it's just very American of me, but do you plan on suing the shit of the driver that caused the accident? Seems like a ticket and fine aren't the correct punishment for something like this happening to you.

by **72hours** » Tue May 22, 2012 4:19 pm

I would love to take him to court but I am not sure I can. I agree that a fine doesnt seem to be enough. Once I am out of hospital I will explore my options.
I couldn't get the photos resized using my phone (all our electronics were stolen)
Let me know if thus link works. Otherwise I will have to post them next week.

http://m749.photobucket.com/albumview/a ... g.html?o=0

by **72hours** » Tue May 22, 2012 4:21 pm

And thanks for the condolences BigDaddyTX .

by **Cheapshot** » Tue May 22, 2012 6:30 pm

Sorry to hear you went through all that. From personal experience with a bad car accident and having to have my hip and pelvic bone put back together so I wish you well. I just want to say keep a positive outlook on your recovery and follow the doctors instructions on your physical therapy. I made a full recovery in 4 months and my doctor told me that's the fastests he had ever seen with the type of injuries I experienced. Good luck and well wishes.

by **12_Gauge_Chimp** » Tue May 22, 2012 7:10 pm

Man, sorry to hear you got robbed and then got into a vehicle accident. That sucks big time.

by **72hours** » Tue May 22, 2012 7:30 pm

Thanks Cheapshot. I will definitely be putting my all into recovery. Its hard to feel sorry for myself when there's a guy who fell 2m and is paralysed from the neck down, laying in the bed across from me. I guess I won't be participating in the mock bugout this season!

by **72hours** » Tue May 22, 2012 8:17 pm

So are you folks able to view those pics?

by **Chase The hero** » Tue May 22, 2012 8:24 pm

Holy balls that sucks. Do you have any sort of insurance that will help cover some of the cost of your injuries, or will it have to come out of pocket? I wish you quick healing and a speedy recovery.

72hours wrote:So are you folks able to view those pics?

I can see them just fine.

by **SCBrian** » Tue May 22, 2012 8:35 pm

So - a little scratch is keeping you from the MBO? I thought you New Zealanders were a tougher bunch... :lol:

In all seriousness, Get well. It looks painful...

by **KentsOkay** » Tue May 22, 2012 8:54 pm

Your leg does not look in good shape. Wishing you a speedy recovery!

Tell us about how your .gov health care works out, cuz I just immigrate

by **72hours** » Tue May 22, 2012 9:23 pm

I just immigrated here a few years ago myself, so there is a lot i don't understand. But all my medical stuff is covered by a government program called ACC, accident coverage scheme. Apparently they even cover 80% of my wages until I am better. I think I need to pay for a part of prescriptions once I am out of hospital for. They also did a home consult with my wife yesterday. They are installing a ramp, a monkey bar on the bed, providing someone to give some home-care for an hour or two every day, etc. It is an amazing system from what I have seen so far.

by **TacAir** » Wed May 23, 2012 1:00 am

LOL

They must not allow American trained lawyers to migrate to the islands.

Check with the nutrition expert, the type and amount of food you eat has a huge difference on healing time.

I managed to crush my lower leg while climbing so after figuring out I was still alive...

Watch out for bed or pressure sores, we used waffle foam and sheepskin
Bathing - seriously, you can get pretty rank, so - you know...
Muscle atrophy will be an issue - see what you can do the reduce muscle loss
Do what ever cardio exercises you can handle (arm and leg lifts etc)

Your first hot sit up shower on your own will be an almost sexual experience... hot water is just sooooo after being bed bound.

Life sucks right now, but look at it this way, if you ever wanted to grab some on-line classes, now is the time....

Best of luck, mate With luck, the docs will got both legs the same length (I'm not joking) so special shoe lifts & such won't be needed.

by **Cheapshot** » Wed May 23, 2012 1:09 am

"Your first hot sit up shower on your own will be an almost sexual experience... hot water is just sooooo after being bed bound."

I laughed at this because it is so true!

by **wee drop o' bush** » Wed May 23, 2012 4:27 am

The links work :gonk:

That all looks very painful, you've had a run of bad luck!

Wishing you a speedy recovery

by **72hours** » Wed May 23, 2012 4:51 am

Asked one of my lawyer buddies today if i can take any legal recourse. He went off on a legal explanation/rant and i lost most of it in my opiate haze, but the gist of it is that ACC takes the place of any legal action i could take....

I will definitely look into seeing a nutritionist. I can see how my diet is going to be very important in the next few months. There is a physiotherapist in our family and they have already been advising me about stretches and exercises to keep me limber and tone.

Thanks for all the kind words and advice thus far.

by **Viper shtf** » Wed May 23, 2012 4:10 pm

Christ, that's awful. I hope you get well sooner, rather than later.

by **72hours** » Wed May 23, 2012 10:18 pm

Thanks viper, I will do my best.

The surgeon stopped by this morning to let me know that surgery will go ahead Saturday (barring any complications). I can fly back to my own city hospital on Monday or Tuesday. My wife booked a plane ticket for Friday to come up.
Really looking forward to being back home, well not in my home but in the hospital just 10mins from my house. Apparently all our friends have been dropping by and checking on my wife, filling our fridge, freezer and pantry with food so she/we don't have to worry about shopping or cooking. Some of my mates even finished up some of my home repairs and installed some heating panels I bought just before the accident.

I didn't realise just how many and how wonderful our friends are.

by **TacAir** » Wed May 23, 2012 11:03 pm

72hours wrote:Thanks viper, I will do my best.

The surgeon stopped by this morning to let me know that surgery will go ahead Saturday (barring any complications). I can fly back to my own city hospital on Monday or Tuesday. My wife booked a plane ticket for Friday to come up.
Really looking forward to being back home, well not in my home but in the hospital just 10mins from my house. Apparently all our friends have been dropping by and checking on my wife, filling our fridge, freezer and pantry with food so she/we don't have to worry about shopping or cooking. Some of my mates even finished up some of my home repairs and installed some heating panels I bought just before the accident.

I didn't realise just how many and how wonderful our friends are.

You do when it counts.

Old Russian saying

"I'd rather have 50 friends than 50 Rubles" no doubt from the days when the Ruble (Roble) was gold.

Let us know when you get settled back in your hometown...

by **72hours** » Thu May 24, 2012 1:11 am

Thanks Tac. I have so much time on my hands, I will definitely let u know when I am transferred back....

by **72hours** » Fri May 25, 2012 3:09 am

Well, still laying in this damn hospital bed.... But tomorrow morning is surgery to piece my knee back together and fix in place using plates and screws... 5-7 hours on the table...then get transferred Monday or Tuesday to our local hospital. Mrs.72hours flew here today and spent the day fussing over me out;-) I can't remember the last time i was spoon fed and massaged by a hot blonde.... If today was any indication, my recovery period should be fun! Just have to focus on that and get through the next 24 hours.....

Send me positive vibes and i will see you all when i return!!!

by **wee drop o' bush** » Fri May 25, 2012 4:23 am

Positive Vibes, thoughts & prayers on the way to you from Northern Ireland

by **72hours** » Fri May 25, 2012 4:44 am

Thanks wee drop o' bush.

Started thinking about recovery, and realised I finally have a legit reason to buy a cane/walking stick. Anyone ever use one to support an injury? What kind did you use? Any pics, links (especially places that ship to New Zealand) reviews, opinions or advice would be great! Top of my list right now is a blackthorn. Found this company : http://www.handmadeirishwalkingsticks.com/

by **wee drop o' bush** » Fri May 25, 2012 4:56 am

72hours wrote:Thanks wee drop o' bush.....Top of my list right now is a blackthorn. Found this company : http://www.handmadeirishwalkingsticks.com/

Very nice.

Make sure it's the right height for you. We get crooks made (both neck and leg) for catching our sheep and to use comfortably a walking stick cannot be either too long or too short.