Vital brother down (Torco1)

Torco1 wrote:

Hey guys, thank you all for thinking about me during this and hoping I'll be ok. This is one of the reasons why mx is the...

Hey guys, thank you all for thinking about me during this and hoping I'll be ok. This is one of the reasons why mx is the best sport on the planet. When we are racing or even just practicing or riding with friends we all want to win or be the best so it becomes every man for himself. As soon as someone gets hurt all of that goes right out the window and everybody comes together to pull for that person.

I've been trying to read all of the post from you guys as much as possible and I will read every single one of them. I just wanted to come on here real quick to give you guys an update.

I don't know what went wrong for me to crash the way I did. I was at Milestone and it was a jump I've done hundreds of times and could probably do with my eyes closed at this point. As soon as I got in the air I knew I was going to crash bad. My front end dove drastically as soon as I left the jump and I started going over the bars pretty much right away. The only thing I remember about the jump and crash after that was me landing flat on my back at some point then everything literally went black. The next thing I remember was me gasping for air trying to breathe, it felt the exact same way it did when I collapsed both lungs about 7 years ago so I was thinking that I did it again. I finally started to be able to breathe some and that's when I realized I was still laying in the track on the landing area of a big ass jump and I could hear bikes so I knew I needed to get away from that area fast.........I really didn't want to get landed on too. I started to attempt dragging myself off the track, I was able to get everything above my waist off of the track and then I collapsed........my legs were still on the track. By then people were all around me telling me not to move.......asking what hurt........asking if there was someone at the track with me, all of the usual questions. There was an EMT already there before the ambulance got there and he asked if I thought I could try to sit up. I wasn't too sure if I could so I turned my head just a little to the right and when I did that my entire body tingled and went numb. It kept doing it until I would move my head perfectly straight. Once that happened I knew I was screwed. I stayed there laying face down until the ambulance got there.

When the ambulance and firetruck got there it was pretty chaotic. EMT's and firefighters were moving all around me and relaying information to each other and asking me all the usually questions. They were trying to figure out the best way to get me on the backboard because I was on my stomach, face down and the ground where I was laying was anything but flat, so I could hear them talking and trying to figure out how to get me on my back. It seemed like it was at least 8 guys or so that helped to roll me over and onto the backboard, they ended up doing it perfectly fine. Once I was on the backboard and had my neck secured in a brace they then started to go over my entire body looking for injuries. It hurt pretty bad when they took my helmet off, but they were able to. They cut just about everything off of me right there on the track, the only things that weren't cut off was my helmet, boots and knee braces........everything else is history.

Sorry for the long story. I'll skip to the injuries. I ended up with a compression fracture of the L5 vertebrae (this is the second time I've broken my back) broken ribs on both sides, I ended up with another concussion, I cracked my sternum again, fractured my left elbow, my left shoulder is screwed up in the joint but not broke, I screwed up my left ankle again. That's the ankle that I've broke twice in the past and is pretty much destroyed. The doctor said the talus is completely collapsed now, I don't think that its even an issue at this point. I've already written that ankle off long ago. Both femurs are pretty banged up and the right one has a hairline fracture running up and down almost the entire length. That might end up being the worst injury out of all this. That's the side where I have a hip replacement and there's a chance that the hardware might have to be removed depending on the damage. That will suck bad. I didn't break my neck thankfully, but its still really sore and bruised. Other than those injuries I just have a lot of bruising everywhere and my entire body is sore as hell.......but I'll be ok.

I know some people are probably going to ask if I was wearing a neck brace and yes......I was. I have no idea if it helped any or if it didn't do crap. The neck brace did break apart in a few places during the crash and I think that might be why my throat and jaw are sore and bruised.

Well, that's my story. Thanks again for all the kind thoughts and well wishes.......it's pretty awesome how much concern is shown when one of us goes down. It really does help make you feel better too when you're all busted up and get to read things like this.......so thank you all!

Torco1 wrote:

Hey guys, thank you all for thinking about me during this and hoping I'll be ok. This is one of the reasons why mx is the...

Hey guys, thank you all for thinking about me during this and hoping I'll be ok. This is one of the reasons why mx is the best sport on the planet. When we are racing or even just practicing or riding with friends we all want to win or be the best so it becomes every man for himself. As soon as someone gets hurt all of that goes right out the window and everybody comes together to pull for that person.

I've been trying to read all of the post from you guys as much as possible and I will read every single one of them. I just wanted to come on here real quick to give you guys an update.

I don't know what went wrong for me to crash the way I did. I was at Milestone and it was a jump I've done hundreds of times and could probably do with my eyes closed at this point. As soon as I got in the air I knew I was going to crash bad. My front end dove drastically as soon as I left the jump and I started going over the bars pretty much right away. The only thing I remember about the jump and crash after that was me landing flat on my back at some point then everything literally went black. The next thing I remember was me gasping for air trying to breathe, it felt the exact same way it did when I collapsed both lungs about 7 years ago so I was thinking that I did it again. I finally started to be able to breathe some and that's when I realized I was still laying in the track on the landing area of a big ass jump and I could hear bikes so I knew I needed to get away from that area fast.........I really didn't want to get landed on too. I started to attempt dragging myself off the track, I was able to get everything above my waist off of the track and then I collapsed........my legs were still on the track. By then people were all around me telling me not to move.......asking what hurt........asking if there was someone at the track with me, all of the usual questions. There was an EMT already there before the ambulance got there and he asked if I thought I could try to sit up. I wasn't too sure if I could so I turned my head just a little to the right and when I did that my entire body tingled and went numb. It kept doing it until I would move my head perfectly straight. Once that happened I knew I was screwed. I stayed there laying face down until the ambulance got there.

When the ambulance and firetruck got there it was pretty chaotic. EMT's and firefighters were moving all around me and relaying information to each other and asking me all the usually questions. They were trying to figure out the best way to get me on the backboard because I was on my stomach, face down and the ground where I was laying was anything but flat, so I could hear them talking and trying to figure out how to get me on my back. It seemed like it was at least 8 guys or so that helped to roll me over and onto the backboard, they ended up doing it perfectly fine. Once I was on the backboard and had my neck secured in a brace they then started to go over my entire body looking for injuries. It hurt pretty bad when they took my helmet off, but they were able to. They cut just about everything off of me right there on the track, the only things that weren't cut off was my helmet, boots and knee braces........everything else is history.

Sorry for the long story. I'll skip to the injuries. I ended up with a compression fracture of the L5 vertebrae (this is the second time I've broken my back) broken ribs on both sides, I ended up with another concussion, I cracked my sternum again, fractured my left elbow, my left shoulder is screwed up in the joint but not broke, I screwed up my left ankle again. That's the ankle that I've broke twice in the past and is pretty much destroyed. The doctor said the talus is completely collapsed now, I don't think that its even an issue at this point. I've already written that ankle off long ago. Both femurs are pretty banged up and the right one has a hairline fracture running up and down almost the entire length. That might end up being the worst injury out of all this. That's the side where I have a hip replacement and there's a chance that the hardware might have to be removed depending on the damage. That will suck bad. I didn't break my neck thankfully, but its still really sore and bruised. Other than those injuries I just have a lot of bruising everywhere and my entire body is sore as hell.......but I'll be ok.

I know some people are probably going to ask if I was wearing a neck brace and yes......I was. I have no idea if it helped any or if it didn't do crap. The neck brace did break apart in a few places during the crash and I think that might be why my throat and jaw are sore and bruised.

Well, that's my story. Thanks again for all the kind thoughts and well wishes.......it's pretty awesome how much concern is shown when one of us goes down. It really does help make you feel better too when you're all busted up and get to read things like this.......so thank you all!

jasonv43 wrote:

Hoping you are doing ok tonight buddy. Just in case you want to get some laughs. I give you, Cats!!!

https://youtu.be/JgjXG_9L_Jw