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Taper Ron


Taper Ron

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Ron has been released from rehab. and is now home with mom. It will take some time to get everything set up the way he wants it, at least as close as possible. He may not be able to log onto the internet for possibly a week. Power supply for the modem has been misplaced during the move. He is going to try to get a friend to get one for him. I will be unable to until at least next Sat.

He still has a long way to go with physical therapy, etc. However he is at home now so it will be more comfortable as well as less stressful than being in the rehab. hosp. He will be getting some home health care. I don't know what the schedule for that is yet. In addition he has transportation to and from Dr. appointments and other needs. This is provided by the apartment management.

I will continue with updates until such time as he is able to log on and has the energy to do so.

This wonderful news has made my day !!!..... WELCOME HOME, TR !!!!! To Ron's bro, we all have you to thank for your devotion in helping Ron through this extremely difficult time, and he is very fortunate to have such a kind, loving, patient brother. Please know that you can always count on us as friends, so please feel like you can chat on this board with us at any time, about anything at all... you are family, as Ron has been to us.

To Ron, we are anxiously waiting to hear from you in your own words....may you feel the JOY that is radiating from us having learned that you are finally out of the hospital. Yes, there are many challenges that lie ahead, but remember, when you are experiencing pain from the PT, or are having a tough day, we are here cheering you on....IT WILL GET BETTER !!! :rolleyes:

Topher

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TR has popped into my thoughts several times here lately while on the forums and I was wondering about (and hoping for) an update on how he's doing. Anybody got any news to share? I for one, miss Ron's quips around here and sincerely hope he's healing up good!

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  • 3 weeks later...

My apologies for taking so long to say anything here. Thank you all for your kindness, vibes and prayers! They must have worked, the Hospital and Rehab staff as well as my primary Doctor were all amazed at how quickly I progressed.

Let me tell you about my brother Wayne. This man goes to work at 6:00 AM and doesn't get home 'til 8:00 PM (or later) he is in tremendous pain from back, knee and hip surgeries stemming from a car wreck in 1966 and poor medical care at that time. His wife is also disabled due to back surgery. Wayne still finds the time see that both mine and our mothers needs are taken care of, I don't know how he does it I don't know how I would be able to get along without him.

Special thanks to kieu~* for all her calls, cards and memorabilia :wub: and to lookyloo for managing the forums.

I guess you have a pretty good idea what happened, but I will tell you the whole story how I saw it. Forgive me if it's a bit long, but I feel the need to tell it!

It was a beautiful morning for a ride - the first time in a couple of months I had a chance to. I was dressed as I usually do - Jeans, a light jacket and t-shirt, gloves and eye protection - NO I was not wearing a helmet. I saw the car pull up to and stop at the stop sign, I kept an eye on her to see if she was going to pull out. about the time I was directly in front of her she slammed into my right side, the impact severed my right leg just above the ankle and broke my Femur in two places. I remember flipping through the air and landing on left side and rolling ending on my back. Almost immediately a man was applying a tourniquet, it was due to his quick action that I made it. It also helped that it was less than two miles to a major trauma center. I can remember everything that happened, though I saw nothing but blue sky - I heard everything that was said. They kept asking me questions:

"what's your name?" "Ron - give something for pain".

"who's the president?" Fuckin' Obama - GIVE ME SOMETHING FOR THE FUCKING PAIN"

And so on ad nauseum.

A doctor asked me if I was wearing a helmet, when I said NO he asked "why not". I told him "I didn't think it would help my fucking foot"!

Apparently there were three Nurses, an EMT and a (asshole) Doctor on the scene before the Ambulance got there, but it was a "civilian" that saved my old ass.

I had lost so much blood the EMT's couldn't get an IV started, they had to put it in my Femoral Artery after I was at the Hospital. They, also, couldn't give any thing for pain until they had done all the CT-scans and X-rays.

Finally - Surgery and sweet sleep! They had to cut a little more of my leg off because of all the damage that had been done to the tibia and fibula and to ensure there was no debris in the wound. I had to wait for surgery on the Femur until they were sure there was no infection. The surgery was scheduled then canceled due to a car wreck with severe injuries (more on this later). They put a Titanium rod in my Femur. I still will have to have one more surgery to remove a filter they put in my Femoral Artery, I don't know when that will be.

Next I went to Rehab so they could teach me how to dress and get out of bed etc.

I guess things are going OK now. There had been some concern over one of the fractures in my Femur because it hadn't started healing while the other one was healing well, but last visit it had finally started. The stump also was not healing and it too is healing now. It should be healed enough in a couple of weeks that I will be able to start putting some weight on it and they will be able to start fitting me for a prosthesis.

Everyone has a story about their aunt/uncle/cousin so on who has stories about the horrific things they have seen stemming from motorcycle accidents. I find it funny, and a little annoying, that they never see any car wrecks. In rehab I was the only one from a motorcycle wreck, there were, however, three from cars - two with spine damage and one with brain damage. As I previously mentioned my surgery was rescheduled because a car wreck victim came in; with both legs amputated. Almost every day there is something on the news about someone killed or critically injured in a car wreck. I also find it ironic (right word?) that anytime a motorcycle is involved in a wreck they have to bring up helmets. The newspaper article about my wreck said "the Police report he was not wearing a helmet". Had I been wearing a helmet it is quite possible my neck would have been broken instead of a scrape on my forehead.

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Here in the Silver State there has been a TV ad campaign, seemingly apropos of nothing in particular, to heighten automoble drivers' awareness of motorcyclists. Hopefully it will bear some fruit. God bless ya Ron - hopefully you are BACK!

And special kudos to Wayne - he served above and beyond the call of duty here, on top of everything you have related about the home front. I think everyone here would agree.

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Guest jazz-man

Glad to see you posting in here again Ron. I hope that things go a smoothly as possible. I've seen a few patients from motorcycle accidents and all I will say is please wear your helmet!

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Great to hear things in your own words, TR, and please let Wayne know how much we all appreciated his updates during the initial stages of your recovery. He obviously has his own physical issues, yet caring for others is a major priority for him, and I hope it lessens his pain knowing how much his efforts have meant to those in his care. Your story reminds how true the statement is that "tomorrow is promised to no one", and we can all learn to look out more carefully for not only motorcyles, but bikes, pedestrains, etc..

Please keep us in the loop, and welcome back !!!

Topher

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Guest jazz-man

BTW one reason they wouldn't/couldn't give you any pain meds before the CT was done, etc is they want to assess your neurologic status. Pain meds will interfere with this assessment. and not wearing a helmet will make the docs even more suspicious of a head injury. I'm not trying to cause trouble I'm just passing on information. They don't withhold pain meds because they are cruel and uncaring ,generally speaking :)

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:580::580::580: Woo Hoo. Great to have you back TR!!! I am also nominating you for quote of the year as "I didn't think it would help with my fucking foot!" is absolutely outstanding. Here's to a speedy recovery and to you being back home on the Forum.
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ad campaign

Yes there's a "Start Seeing Motorcycles" initiative all around for a few years now. I agree with Ron's thinking and when I see the "Start Seeing Motorcycles" stuff I think "Why doesn't it just say 'Start Seeing'?"

Welcome back TR!

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Yes there's a "Start Seeing Motorcycles" initiative all around for a few years now. I agree with Ron's thinking and when I see the "Start Seeing Motorcycles" stuff I think "Why doesn't it just say 'Start Seeing'?"

Welcome back TR!

Three reasons:

Cars have a real problem seeing motorcycles - both in terms of noticing that we are there and also they have a hard time judging our speed and location accurately. It's hard to describe to a non-rider but it's a very real problem.

A fender-bender that would be a minor inconvenience in a car can have life-changing consequences for a biker, or worse.

Start Seeing is better advice, but it's too general to make an effective ad campaign. Start Seeing Motorcycles is good, catchy slogan that gets a more specific point across.

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It's great to hear that you are well on the mend, Ron!! This is great news. I hope to have the opportunity to meet you one of these days at a DSO show.

Everyone has a story about their aunt/uncle/cousin so on who has stories about the horrific things they have seen stemming from motorcycle accidents. I find it funny, and a little annoying, that they never see any car wrecks. In rehab I was the only one from a motorcycle wreck, there were, however, three from cars - two with spine damage and one with brain damage. As I previously mentioned my surgery was rescheduled because a car wreck victim came in; with both legs amputated. Almost every day there is something on the news about someone killed or critically injured in a car wreck. I also find it ironic (right word?) that anytime a motorcycle is involved in a wreck they have to bring up helmets. The newspaper article about my wreck said "the Police report he was not wearing a helmet". Had I been wearing a helmet it is quite possible my neck would have been broken instead of a scrape on my forehead.

I guess I was one of "annoying" people that brought up the issue of motorcycle safety. I'm truly sorry if you found this annoying, as the last thing I would want to do is to cause you any irritation--especially during your recovery. Yes you're correct, there is way more carnage caused by automobile crashes, and it is not surprising that the ER had more of them than bikers. The number of people killed and maimed with cars is appalling. However, to state the obvious, there are many more people driving cars than motorcycles. Probably weren't any handglider pilots in the ER that night either. The simple statistical fact is, you are MUCH more likely to suffer a serious or fatal accident per mile driven on bike. I will still encourage ANYONE who rides to use a helmet. They DO save lives and prevent the horrible disfigurement of faces. I don't think there can be any question about this. Whether helmets should be mandatory by law is another issue. If you chose not to wear one, so be it. Again--I really don't mean to cause any annoyance, but I have strong feeling about this due to direct experence with people I really cared about, so I feel compelled to state my opinion on the matter.

Peace

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Hey Neutrino, I wasn't annoyed at you! What I meant was it's irritating that many hospital personnel seem to only want to talk about the horrific motorcycle accidents. Maybe they don't want to admit they are vulnerable in their cage (car).

Jazzman, I understand why they couldn't give me pain meds - that don't mean I didn't want some! I bet you would too. :D

I was a Navy Hospital Corpsman for eight years, several of which I was an ER tech/ ambulance driver I also flew Search and Rescue so I have seen my share of trauma. Furthermore, I started riding motorcycles more than 40 years ago. I have lost friends but honestly don't believe helmets would have saved any of them. In many cases helmets can kill you, by snapping your neck. I know it is a poor example, but that is what killed Dale Earnhardt.

Again, I was not at all annoyed by your post. We are all welcome to voice our opinions. I appreciate that you always state yours in a respectful manner- no name calling or hateful attitude!

Post On Brudders!

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