Ever get an injury that made you question riding again?

Damn gfm. Feel for you, that’s a hard spot to be in. 

you under or over 40?

Life is dangerous. I regret not riding for 14 years due to listening to everyone that said MX is “too dangerous!” after knocking myself out for over 5 minutes in 1999. Fast forward to 2010 on my last deployment to AFG and I almost get pink misted by a double 107mm Chinese made rocket attack that initiated a complex ambush consisting of multiple RPG, 2 PKM positions, and about 30 Taliban fighters in the Tangi Valley Wardak Province. After a quick spectacles testicles wallet and watch check, I reacted to contact, assessed the situation and my men, and reduced the threat before the Apaches could get on station without any serious injuries to my men. I looked at my NCOIC after wards, who also loved MX that new I hadn’t ridden or owned a motorcycle since 1999 and stated … Eff what everyone thinks im getting a new MX bike when I get home… it’s too dangerous my ass! Took a few years after returning home but found my un ridden in the crate 2006 KX250 through Vital and have been riding since and will ride until I can’t anymore! 

come back to me- mx probably 

I was in a car accident that nearly killed me coming home from Anaheim 1 ‘22.. 23 y/o at the time, 24 now.

Brain bleed, broken back, sacrum, pelvis, right hip, ribs, sternum, 7 teeth, right foot, bladder issue.. however riding never left my mind. it was just a matter of if i could be put back together. THANK GOD someone found my truck, and THANK GOD i’m walking talking and riding these days.

lucky enough to be a green and learning suspension guy, at a shop that’s involved with top level guys and an in-house team.. and once i was back working i was even more eager to get back on the bike but i absolutely had to pace myself with PT.

The injury for me (being that it didn’t happen on the bike) kind of took the general fear of everything away from me. You can get killed crossing the street! 

Hey GFM,

My achilles tendon that I ruptured October 1st didn't get surgery for 3-1/2 weeks. I also was slightly concerned given tendons will start to "repair" themselves after a few days post initial injury. However, after chatting with my surgeon and if you read some of the medical journals about tendon repair & recovery timelines my surgeon preferred to wait 3 weeks for swelling to go down before operating. ESPN actually did a write up just recently on Klay Thompson (NBA) when he ruptured his achilles tendon and his surgeon waited a month before opting in for surgery. Second, the outcome when compared vs others who get immediate surgery showed no statistical difference in final outcome. One such reference: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28088376/

I am now 2 months 10 days out, and 5-1/2 weeks post surgery on both ankles (one with screw/broken talus bones) and my right ankle with the ruptured achilles and recovery is going really good. Now walking and my ROM is coming back quickly. Caveat, I know you are at the 2-3 month timeframe but in your case, you need the surgery regardless it sounds like at this point. I would still have high confidence that outcome would be preferred over no action taken and you can make a recovery. (I am not a doctor, but just sharing my recent experience). Hope this helps bud!

 

I had a life changing injury downhill mountain biking a couple of years ago right before thanksgiving 2020. I actually posted on here about it a few times during the first few weeks and some people on here gave me some very appreciated words of encouragement. 
 

I’ll never go downhill mountain biking again. The truth is that it’s harder for me to live with knowing I hurt myself permanently doing something I wasn’t really into (bicycles). Had it been on my dirt bike I know it would’ve been easier to accept. I don’t want to sound too dramatic saying it was a life changing injury as it isn’t paralysis, loss of a limb, etc. but I have pain every day and I’ll never be able to properly run or jump again. Some days it gets bad enough that I can hardly walk.
 

I need another surgery to get a joint fused but I’m pushing it off as long as possible because the thought of doing another surgery and all of the rehab again is just so depressing. I shattered my cuboid which was pinned back together, the top of of my heel broke off and shattered, a piece of my navicular broke off where the tendon attaches and shattered. They had to anchor the tendon back into what was left of my navicular and then I fully severed two other tendons in my foot that they had to rebuild. It took a year to be able to do anything athletic again and I can no longer play tennis or basketball.

It did make me think more about the consequences of riding but ultimately it hasn’t affected my decision or desire to ride my dirt bike. But I take it super easy now and rarely ever go to public mx tracks. I mostly just ride by myself on my own land these days. 

Living it right now with axillary nerve damage from a June 2021 badly dislocated shoulder from a big highside in the mud at 51 years old. Had to have a nerve graft taken from my tricep in addition to repairs for massive tears in my rotator cuff, labrum and bicep tendon. Not being able to lift my arm from my side with no clear prognosis for months is an eye opener. Rehab is going well and I’ve regained much of my motion but it’s been 1.5 years and I’m still working on it regularly. The reality is it will never be the same. I do ride singletrack very cautiously on my mountain bike but there is no doubt that I will do much more damage if I fall again. I will ride motorcycles eventually but not until my shoulder is more stable and it will be at a relaxed pace without sketchy conditions. 

In 2010 I tore my ACL, MCL and my meniscus while riding so I quit because my job requires me to be fully mobile. In 2019 I developed a cancerous tumor that had to be removed so I started riding again because I figured f-it, who knows how long I’m gonna live. That’s when I highsided because I kind of forgot that maybe I’ll live but I can still mess myself up pretty bad. Fortunately, and I do thank God,  that the cancer seems to be gone.
 

Give yourself time to heal and re-evaluate your priorities in life. Don’t take for granted your basic health and fitness. To me, riding is not worth losing basic movements and joint functions. I love being active, hiking, biking, running and other active things. I can find substitutes for riding or maybe switch to a quad or side by side if nothing else.

I did a kayak/bike/run triathlon this October and literally had an emotional rush because I didn’t know at one point if I’d ever be able to do that again. Keep at it and things do get better. 

I’ve broken my neck twice and still race.  I’m currently dealing with a nerve injury in my shoulder that may retire me whether I like it or not, but if it heals, I’ll be back out there!

Wasn’t necessarily the injury, but the crash itself had me hang up my boots 6 years ago.

Swapped 3 wide open into the face of a table top and the bike pile drove me into the lip.

Only broke a collar bone, but in the .2 seconds I was crashing I thought “this is it, ballgame”. Split my helmet open, broke my neck brace and chest protector as well, but all in all was fine (minus the collarbone).

After I “got away” with that one, I decided after 20 years racing, it was time to become a fan.

I still miss it dearly, but with 3 kids and a stay at home wife, they need me more than I need racing/riding.

Best of luck my dude…..

Maybe 

If it makes you feel any better, after my crash I was immediately taken to the hospital/trauma center and they did full leg x-rays on both legs. They found nothing wrong.. (even had 5-6 doctors come in and huddle around the results to "confirm")... I was given crutches to leave even after letting them know "hey my legs don't work and I've broken bones/been hurt before".

I scheduled an appointment with the specialists/podiatrist in my area that following Tuesday I believe (got hurt on a Saturday). He walked in and immediately just went "holy shit" and without even taking the x-ray results from the hospital, in 2 seconds, goes... your achilles is gone... that will need surgery and I would be shocked if something isn't broken in both of these ankles. Turns out after the MRIs which were not scheduled at the hospital immediately following my crash, that I had destroyed those ankles, broken bones/achilles rupture, along with every other ligament/tendon in the ankles torn completely. 

I don't fault the doctors at the first hospital as I was probably unusually calm given the situation at the time and their x-rays as good as they could get them from the hospital bed probably weren't the best. However, when you know something isn't right, always good to get a 2nd or 3rd opinion/look at it from preferably a specialists in that area of medicine. Find a really good specialists in your area that is known for what you'll end up needing (in my case the best Podiastrist/achilles surgeon I could find) and get their recommendation, worth every bit of effort to have that done. They will have seen and done it, and be able to give you the best recommendation over everyone else. Head up, you will recover! 

2 years ago today was when I got this awesome repair done on my femur. Happy to report I'm back on a bike (dual sport) and starting to get my dirt legs back. Racing again is still off the radar (unless I want to add a post into the have you been divorced because of motocross thread) lol.  Stay safe you fuckers !

Great job doc, way to go 

or not 

I can relate to that feeling. I once got a nasty elbow injury while playing cricket, and it made me seriously question whether I should continue. However, during my recovery, I discovered the effectiveness of elbow taping techniques in cricket, which provided the support and protection I needed.

Now, when I ride, I always tap my elbow. It's become a habit that gives me a sense of security, reminding me to be cautious.