Cycling accident

[Stevemercer]

Best wishes and good luck in your recovery. It sound like it will be a few months before you can start cycling again. Of course it will take another month to regain all that fitness that is now ebbing away.

I ride 40 - 60 km three times a week. I'm careful, but you never can tell. However, I think cycling in Thailand is safer than cycling in Australia where I come from. At least in Thailand the truckies don't throw tinnies at you and the drivers don't see how close they can get to you and yell in your ear.

[Mises]

My wife broke her back (crushed one vertebra) and Bangkok Hospital Phuket carried out this procedure:

She was walking a day later wearing a Soft Taylor Brace and left hospital the next day (Christmas Day, normally one would stay another 1-2 days).  Pretty much normal life a week later but obviously no cycling or swimming for a while.

They plate from the vertebrae above and below pull them apart and screw it all up.  £10,000 though.  If this would work for you the lady should pay.  The equipment was flown in from Bangkok so it may not be something they can do at the OP's hospital.

[Black arab]

Jeez fella

Just finished my own 39km loop and get home and read your post.

I sometimes also ride along major roads but am wary of this.

I hope your recovery is swift.

Take it easy ,chok dee.

[adexbe]

Riding a bicycle, as safe as riding a motorbike, all the old foreigners on this forum will explain us...

 

[RocketDog]

21 hours ago, up-country_sinclair said:

I bought a magnetic trainer nearly a decade ago. 

Thai roads are not safe for cyclists.

I used to walk sideroads in the morning but quit after a driver nearly jumped the curb and hit me. I stopped walking roads and never considered cycling.

I rode a motorcycle for a couple of years and stopped that. Anywhere I travel now it's by truck; a big heavy high Chevy Colorado pickup. 

I walk the pineapple fields around my house now, but won't go on the roads. Snakes and dogs are totally inconsequential risks compared to Thai drivers. 

[colinneil]

Come on folks dont give him too much sympathy, he will just milk it for all its worth.

Next few days he will be getting his Batman suit out ready for his off the wardrobe shenanigans.????‍♀️

[natway09]

Sad to hear but inevitable on the roads here.

Take care  of yourself & recover soon

[bluesofa]

Thanks so much for all your comments and good wishes, I’m overwhelmed.
Around 66 replies & 66 likes so far.

I can’t reply to all of them individually, especially as I’m supposed to spend nearly all my time lying down for the first month..

Thanks for ColinNeil for posting while I was in hospital about what had happened – with his usual sympathy!

It was good of Owl Sees All to come and visit me at the weekend, thanks Owl.

Despite the many suggestions, I didn’t get my leg over with any of the nurses in hospital.
Nurse Ratched would have made sure of that anyway. Not for concern about them jumping on my ‘bones’ - broken or otherwise, just her evil unsympathetic nature – can’t have patients appearing to be happy, can we.

Two days ago, the doctor who hit me when I was cycling came to visit us at home.
There was the  usual Thai custom of bringing me a spray of flowers (I’d hesitate to use the word ‘wreath’).
She also gave me a supply of Calcium tablets and Vitamin D to help mend the bones, and some stronger pain relief drugs as well. She seemed critical of the hospital giving me just Paracetamol and some moderate pain relief pills.

I will post an update to this thread as things develop.
 

[colinneil]

3 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

Thanks so much for all your comments and good wishes, I’m overwhelmed.
Around 66 replies & 66 likes so far.

I can’t reply to all of them individually, especially as I’m supposed to spend nearly all my time lying down for the first month..

Thanks for ColinNeil for posting while I was in hospital about what had happened – with his usual sympathy!

It was good of Owl Sees All to come and visit me at the weekend, thanks Owl.

Despite the many suggestions, I didn’t get my leg over with any of the nurses in hospital.
Nurse Ratched would have made sure of that anyway. Not for concern about them jumping on my ‘bones’ - broken or otherwise, just her evil unsympathetic nature – can’t have patients appearing to be happy, can we.

Two days ago, the doctor who hit me when I was cycling came to visit us at home.
There was the  usual Thai custom of bringing me a spray of flowers (I’d hesitate to use the word ‘wreath’).
She also gave me a supply of Calcium tablets and Vitamin D to help mend the bones, and some stronger pain relief drugs as well. She seemed critical of the hospital giving me just Paracetamol and some moderate pain relief pills.

I will post an update to this thread as things develop.
 

Why cant you reply to all the lovely members who sent you good wishes?????

Forget about your batman antics for a while, you aint fit enough yet anyway ha, ha.

[Justgrazing]

34 minutes ago, colinneil said:

Why cant you reply to all the lovely members who sent you good wishes?????

Forget about your batman antics for a while, you aint fit enough yet anyway ha, ha.

My sentiments exactly Col' .. 

Here's the chance to make merits with the member's in the TVF temple and he's sounding like a government minister already ..

[Justgrazing]

45 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

Two days ago, the doctor who hit me when I was cycling came to visit us at home.
There was the  usual Thai custom of bringing me a spray of flowers (I’d hesitate to use the word ‘wreath’).
She also gave me a supply of Calcium tablets and Vitamin D to help mend the bones, and some stronger pain relief drugs as well

Bet your so glad there was not a target hi-vi in there as well ...

[Ventenio]

Let me say it .... the driver was 100 percent at fault, if information correct.  

Now for my post   I'm an "older" athlete who spend decades being competitive.  What I've gathered is my reflexes are not the same.  Relevance?  I would crash differently now, and recover much slower.  I do think this person would have crashed differently if this was 30 years ago.  Maybe a stronger core would mean a 0.9 second this and that, resulting is a less severe injury.  OK, maybe not that much less.

I used to recover in 1-2 days from an injury (non-hospital)....now weeks.  

I'm 100% sure this could have been me.....and still might be me in the future......but I think if you are over 50 you should re-think playing in traffic beyond what's necessary.  

[Isaan sailor]

Thanks for your update.  Hope you recover completely.

I too, ride every day, but on different roads—all dirt, along the rice paddies.  Still have some road hazards—cows, chickens, dogs tractors and motorcycles and mud in the rainy season.  Works for me, something you might consider...

[faraday]

3 hours ago, Justgrazing said:

My sentiments exactly Col' .. 

Here's the chance to make merits with the member's in the TVF temple and he's sounding like a government minister already ..

Next thing you know, he'll be requesting a brown envelope or two....

[Megasin1]

maybe its a Thai doctor thing, totally unrelated, I once changed a Thai doctors flat for him as he had no clue (it was all a bit sweaty) he gave his business card to my wife and sent a Teddy bear to my daughter and said any medical problems give him a call....there are nice people out there, get well soon ????

[Hanuman2547]

So very sorry to hear of your cycling accident.  As a fellow cyclist, I hope that you have a fast and successful recovery with a minimum of pain.  

[Ventenio]

The Dallas Mavericks released a statement on behalf of retired 7-foot-6 center Shawn Bradley on Wednesday, revealing that he was recently struck by an automobile while riding his bike and suffered a serious spinal cord injury that has left him paralyzed.

[colinneil]

14 minutes ago, Ventenio said:

The Dallas Mavericks released a statement on behalf of retired 7-foot-6 center Shawn Bradley on Wednesday, revealing that he was recently struck by an automobile while riding his bike and suffered a serious spinal cord injury that has left him paralyzed.

Tragic, poor man his life will never be the same again.

No matter where you are, what country you are in, it can and tragically does happen.

Lifechanging situation, things he took for granted before, are now impossible for him.

Bluesofa, yes at the moment you are hurting, but it will pass, poor Shawns problems are only just beginning, you were lucky mate, yes unlucky to be involved in an accident, but lucky it was not more serious.

Take care out there folks, be safe.

[Ventenio]

We are human.  Fragile creatures.  I do sometimes use a bicycle to get around town, and I know it's safer than a motorbike, but both aren't very safe unless you take precautions.  I don't think I'm on roads where cars go more than like 50 kmh, but that can destroy me.....of course.

I should practice what I preach.......or maybe just get a mountain bike and ride through a park to cut-off a few minutes of being in traffic.  But that's really not enough to motivate me.  

well, when I'm old enough to retire and pick a country....i'll buy a car.

ok, sorted 

[el jefe]

Best wishes for a speedy recovery and I hope you're back on the bike as soon as the doctors allow.
I'm also glad that while this accident should never have happened in the first place, that everything went smoothly, proving all the negativity isn't justified.

[rickudon]

I must admit some admiration at the bravery those of us who are willing to ride a bike on Thai roads (also wonder at their sanity!) I did used to pass a farang on a bike every morning on the road between Nong Nalam and Nong Sai ( i was in a car). Maybe Blue sofa? Do not use that route much anymore as too many cars and trucks use it now and the road is only 2 cars and 5 cm wide .....

Apart from any immediate damage done to the spine, Problems also await down the road, I suffered a back injury 25 years ago, now bending is always a problem. Anyway my best wishes to Blue Sofa on a rapid 100% recovery.

[rumak]

On 3/17/2021 at 2:16 PM, bluesofa said:

She also gave me a supply of Calcium tablets and Vitamin D to help mend the bones,

 

I was going to suggest some "healing helpers" ....   I do take vit d almost daily (even before my bone fracture).    Calcium i am not a big fan of,  but that is up to others to read up on.

I hope you can eat meat,   as the steaks i buy at Macro ( often ground for hamburgers) i believe helped my bones to mend.   Protein !    

Xrays once a month showed the progress of my bone healing,  so i expect you will have the same?    Fortunately I could move around after only a week or so with a walker,  then crutches .......... so atrophy was minimal.  But because i had surgery to insert a titanium rod (keep the cracked bone from shifting) the muscles in that area did take time to heal as well.     

Good vit D supplements as well as others can be ordered from iHerb in the States.  very reasonable prices and quick delivery.  Maybe you know of them already

Best ,  Rumak