Rider down - SJBMW

[sjbmw]

Hi all, thanks for the kind thoughts.

I was released from the hospital on 7/18. And i have some recovery to do.

Officially, it was 7 broken ribs, a collarbone, and lung cavity filled with blood. I landed on my right shoulder at about 20mph after i hit the cagers right front as he turned right from a left lane.

I am recuperating at my sister's place for at least a week. and i am feeling better.

oh, The hospital staff was great, the food was not. i am gonna be out of commission for a few weeks.

thanks everyone.

herb

[TonyT607]

Hey Herb, glad to hear you're out of the hospital and that you're recuperating. Could've been alot worse I suppose. How's the bike ?

Too bad you'll miss the rally; make sure you make next year's (in VT).

We'll be sure to post pics from Lima; I'm off tomorrow morning; leaving NJ around 11 am.

Get well soon; let's try and get a ride in when you and the bike are back up to 100%.

[Ed K]

Hey Herb,

Glad you are starting your recovery. . .we all wish you the very best, that you are not in too much pain, and a speedie recovery.

. . ."as he turned right from a left lane" . . .

#@!*Cagers#@!*

Hey guys, let's lobby to get a bill passed that requires all Cagers get a bike license FIRST. THEN, they need to ride for 6 months (in areas of heavy cager traffic), BEFORE being eligible to get a Cager license.

Whatdaya all think? Should we circulate the petition???

We'll call it "Herb's Law" (Hope this is ok with you, Herb.)

[Guest]

Herb -- I don't know you, but I know your situation. Several years ago, I crashed (hit a large wind-driven cardboard box), and suffered 8 broken ribs, 1 broken collarbone, 2 cracked vertbrae, and blood in one lung. It was not fun. You'll be out of commission for a while, but you'll heal fine.
Good luck -

[Guest]

Hey Herb, glad to hear you're out of the hospital and that you're recuperating. Could've been alot worse I suppose. How's the bike ?

Too bad you'll miss the rally; make sure you make next year's (in VT).

We'll be sure to post pics from Lima; I'm off tomorrow morning; leaving NJ around 11 am.

Get well soon; let's try and get a ride in when you and the bike are back up to 100%.

Damages are est. at $2300, cosmetic stuff mostly.

thanks, yeah missing my first MOA rally is a bummer, but i am alive and will be able to attend another. Have fun, be safe, and do a toast for me.

[sjbmw]

I went back to work Monday! Since I am a desk jockey walking is the slow part. Still cannot sleep fully horizontal yet, so I sleep like a old man in a chair. Needless to say, fatigue is always with me.

Thanks again for everyone's well wishes. Means a lot, as I often get surrounded by perma-cagers who enjoy shaking fingers and advising others how to live.

I saw my Roadster on Tues afternoon. It's in better shape than I am!
Busted headlight, turn signals, scrapes on the cylinder cover, Brake res, etc.

My bar end mirrors were UNBROKEN. My GPS and my XM radio were spared also.

Insurance is replacing my slightly scuffed (but fully functional) System cases, so I have a used set (complete with one of a kind 309 Roadster stickers) for sale soon. Probably will need rekeying though. They are in good shape.

I have been replaying the accident in my head almost every day. Trying to think of all the things I woulda/shoulda/coulda done to prevent it. And dealing with the perma-cagers who say "So you gonna sell that bike now?" is hard. Topic for another thread when I get my thoughts together.

15 years, 100k miles on 2 wheels, and my record is now shot. Well, time to start a new record run. in time.

Still lurking around here. Thanks everyone.

herb

[darthrider]

Good to hear you're on the mend Herb.
Don't let the perma-cagers get to you. This stuff can and does happen to all of us, sounds like you are learning from it and will come out better on the other end.
Might be a good time to read some good motorcycling books, like Peter Egan, Keith Code, Reg Pridmore, etc.

[rdsmith3]

Herb

It is good to hear that you are relatively fine. I hope the healing continues, inside and out.

For those of us who live in NJ, would you mind telling us where the accident happened?

Best wishes for a continued recovery.

[geechie]

Herb,

Very glad you're on the mend! Sounds like you have the right kind of mental attitude, as well.

Don't replay the incident too much if it means beating yourself up over something that's over and done with. Sometimes, like it or not, events take on a life of their own and there's nothing we can do to change the outcome.
(Trying to be profound and supportive here.)

Glad you're gonna be O.K.

George

[DSKYZD]

Welcome Back!

[jimbo]

i ride in NJ a fair amount, commute there from MD for work purposes. It is disturbing the way the turn lanes and jug handles work. no excuse whatsoever for folks to turn right from a left lane, but is different from most traffic patterns in this regard. you can't turn left from the left lane in a lot of areas, but in some areas you can, etc. the traffic circles are also troublesome for me, as you have the rightaway sometimes when you are in the circle, but not always... these things in combination with the courteous driving habits of the locals can be disturbing to me while on the bike. I'm used to the peculiarities now, but have been going up there for a year now, almost weekly.

glad to hear that you are mending well, hope that you get back in the saddle soon. i think that we all contend with the perma-cagers, can't expect them to understand why we do what we do. we hear it from family, co-workers, etc. i kinda explain it like this, when a little boy or girl sees my bike at a rest stop and gets excited or points or whatever, i still get that same feeling myself.

sorry that you missed your first rally, it was my first and i look forward to Vermont next year.

[TonyT607]

Hey Herb, glad to hear you're back to the old grind. Coulda been a hell of a lot worse I suppose but the important thing is your body is healing and your attitude is ok.

Hopefully you'll make the VT rally next year and ride up with a group of us.

Let me know if there's anything you need and keep us posted as to when you return to 2 wheeled transport.

[sjbmw]

Herb

It is good to hear that you are relatively fine. I hope the healing continues, inside and out.

For those of us who live in NJ, would you mind telling us where the accident happened?

Best wishes for a continued recovery.

Thanks.

Rt 44 (Crown Point Road) and Delaware St., West Deptford Twp.
Right next to Exit 21 on I-295 Southbound.

[sjbmw]

Hey Herb, glad to hear you're back to the old grind. Coulda been a hell of a lot worse I suppose but the important thing is your body is healing and your attitude is ok.

Hopefully you'll make the VT rally next year and ride up with a group of us.

Let me know if there's anything you need and keep us posted as to when you return to 2 wheeled transport.

Thanks T. Put me down for VT. It's gonna be like a pilgrimage to Mecca now.

[Ed K]

Herb,

Glad to hear you're on the mend...

...Agree with Darth...try not to think too much about coulda/shoulda/woulda... Stuff just happens some times...try to let it go...

I went through the same thing when I was sandwhiched between a truck, that hit by another truck behind it, and a car in front of me, while I was stopped for a couple of seconds in heavy traffic... Still dont like to think about it.

I also kept thinking about the coulda/shoulda/woulda done...which is not bad to a point...but there are definitely diminishing returns. (Wrote up a little piece on my "incident" in this website.)

My injuries was not as severe as yours, and this might not be the case for you, but I went through various stages.

1) Denial (Hey, this is only bruise...no problem! I will be better in a week -- NOT),

2) Anger (These damn cagers get their freak'n licenses in cereal boxes!! How could they be such idiots?)

3) Depression (Shoot, this is not going away in a week, or even two weeks, or even a month, or two or three...)

4) Acceptance (I am slowly getting better, but its gonna take a while to completely heal. And yes, riding has some risks, but its a part of me, I'm gonna do it, and but I am also going to learn from my "incident").

Not sure if this applies to you...or is even helpful...but hope it might a bit...

[sjbmw]

Well, after struggling to breathe for almost 7 weeks, a cat scan revealed that I had infected fluid in my chest cavity. I just got out of the hospital yesterday (Thurs) after another 9 day stay. Went in for a doc visit, and it was like I was arrested and sent across the street to the hospital.

I pretty much went under every slick piece of radiology equipment they had, and had a plug in my back for 5 days, to drain fluid. Like sleeping on a Bic Pen.

Today's medicine is a incredible. I had 2 procedures done that I am sure 10 years ago would have involved opening me up. These guys are now playing video games with probes. Nothing like seeing your heart pumping on live TV. (Angiogragh it's called)

Anyway, my chest is clear, and I slept in my bed horzontally last night for the first time since June. (I had to sleep in a chair these past months due to breathing problems.)

My bones are finally starting to heal, and I can actually do a 'morning stretch', and I find that I am subconciousy reaching for handlebars after my stretch, measuring...

My bike is not fixed, but I advised them that it would be months before I could ride again, so I am a low priority. I am not ready to ride yet anyway.

I have found that the financial hit of a m/c accident is as hard as the the physical one.

Lots of thoughts swirling, many ask me about riding again.

Yesterday my kid took off on his Honda XR100R, to find his dirt mucking friends and for the first time ever I had a twinge of "Don't get hurt son".

My sons laughs at people that tell me to sell my bike. He refuses to even let me consider it. He told me, "it's not the bike's fault Dad, and if you sell it you will be miserable". What a smart kid.

[scottybooj]

Herb, glad to hear you're finally doing 'better'. When you're feeling up to it, get yourself into a Chiropractor....I know of some really good docs out in NJ.

[sjbmw]

thanks scott.

my cousin is a chiropractor. My son and I have been getting adjusted monthly for 12 years. Love the endorphin rush