Broken Hip. @ 10 months

drummer

Long story short:

After a bit of a cloudy, dull day in Sheffield on Monday the sun rolled out at around 6pm.

So, I put the rollers back & decided to go out in the fresh air for a quick hour.

Off I went & for no real reason decided to try a different quick route round town.

Approaching a main junction I stopped at a red light. Set off again, and crossed the tram tracks at an angle of at least 45 degrees and was going no more than 10mph.
No warning, no wobble, the front wheel went violently underneath me & I hit the ground HARD.

No way I could get up and the traffic came to a standstill and the paramedics duly arrived. I was administered gas & air and also morphine even though they didn't think I'd broken anything.

Tried to roll me on to a back board &............... PAIN!

Anyway, to the hospital and in to x-ray. Dr walks up & says "bad news Richard.......BROKEN HIP!".

In to theatre where they pin the fracture. They decided against a straight replacement due to my age (40).

Had an epidural in the operation but managed to wake up half way thought so had to have anaesthetic as well!!

So After a sleepless night in a hip fracture ward, (mostly old patients) 2 young Dr's come on to the ward to see me.
They were a bit vague on everything but said once I'd done the 'stair test' I old be allowed home later in the week.

I'd already said I didn't want anymore morphine so when the physio came round I said grab some crutches & let's try these stairs!
Managed to do it ok.
Fracture nurse came round & told me probably 8/10 weeks with no weight, up to 2 years for full rehab etc etc. Never saw or had any conversation with my surgeon either before or after!!

DEVASTATED!

Now it's Saturday morning & here I lay with a busted hip, confidence shattered and feeling thoroughly ****** off!!

So, what now?
Not much, investigating physio's as other than hydro pool don't really want to use general NHS ones (no offence in that). It's just that at 40, I need to make sure I do this right cos if I don't then it could maybe mean years of discomfort & also no training. Having my pals & family round for visits, watching the Giro on TV etc etc.

I work in professional sport and have always kept fit & active. To hear a Dr say they had no idea where I'd end up was CRUSHING.

I'd put weight on over Xmas & new year and with the crap weather I'd felt myself getting in a rut. So for the last 2 weeks I'd been out almost everyday. In the cold, damp, wet determined to get back in good shape & enjoy the summer, then...........

ooermissus

Terrible thing to happen. Really sorry for you. Hope you surprise everyone with a quick recovery.

arthur_scrimshaw

You left out the most important bit - how's the bike?

What a bummer, hope you're not in too much pain and best wishes for a speedy and complete recovery. Hope you've got a good bunch of people around to support you as you will need to cope mentally as well as physically to your current situation. You're still young (ish ) so don't despair.

drummer

Arthur Scrimshaw wrote:

You left out the most important bit - how's the bike?

What a bummer, hope you're not in too much pain and best wishes for a speedy and complete recovery. Hope you've got a good bunch of people around to support you as you will need to cope mentally as well as physically to your current situation. You're still young (ish ) so don't despair.

Not seen the bike yet pal but my pal who picked it up says he couldn't see anything on it!

Apparently my hip took everything..........

ddraver

Remember that those guidelines are for the average 40 year old who I'd imagine is significantly less fit and significantly less determined than you. Keep the faith and do what the professionals tell you to do! Good Luck!

declan1

I really feel for you. Just take it easy and hopefully you'll be better soon!

sloppyschleckonds

I guess there is a lesson here

farrina

Now it's Saturday morning & here I lay with a busted hip, confidence shattered and feeling thoroughly ****** off!!

So, what now?

Sorry to hear about this.

The same thing happened to one of my cycling friends - hit black ice and went down hard - he was only 27 at the time.

We think his "experience" was exacerbated by having been on steroids (medically prescribed for a condition). He is now 53 and experiencing no problems from his hip which like you was pinned. The pins are still in and he still rides his bike.

Apparently after OAP's the next most common people to experience hip fractures are cyclists ....

Trying to make a positive out of a negative at least you will have a killer set of arm muscles after using crutches for 3 months.

Best wishes

Alan

thefd

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

I guess there is a lesson here

I'm struggling to see what the lesson here is?

I really feel for the OP!

philwint

Really bad luck. Sorry man, hope it gets better sooner than they are saying

drummer

Should have probably added that its just about 3 years to the day that I had another bad crash.

Again, not my fault.

The Ritchey cranks I was using had a safety recall on them (found this out after) and snapped in half at a 30 mph, out of the saddle effort.
Left me with major road rash, a fractured rib & torn ligaments in the groin.

Think 2 in 2 years is what's making the mrs say 'enough is enough'.

Fursty Ferret

Don't get down, mate. 2 years sounds a long time but even waiting till you're 42 to get back on the bike still gives you another 25 years of cycling to look forward to after that. Just concentrate on doing the rehab properly, eating healthily and keeping the weight down by diet primarily, and then getting back into the groove slowly. Do it in a measured fashion and you'll be back on two wheels, fitness will follow and it will be worth it.

elderone

Totally feel for you.thats just devastating.Get well soon and has been said,do it properly and look forward to years more riding.
best wishes.

mididoctors

drummer wrote:

The Ritchey cranks I was using had a safety recall on them (found this out after) and snapped in half at a 30 mph, out of the saddle effort.
.

WTF!

smithy05

Rehab and physio will be the most important part. I severed the tendon in my knee last year when my skis cut open my knee. I stuck rigorously to my physio schedule. Was told I wouldn't ski this season, however with help from my physio, managed to ski 4 weeks this year and am also regularly doing 150k a week cycling.

The key is, stick to your physio schedule and try and remember that the recovery times they provide you are based on an average. If you are determined to work hard you can come back far sooner than initially expected.

Sorry to hear about your accident, all the best for your recovery!

mallorcajeff

Sorry to hear that mate, happens to the best of us. Hope you get some good treatment and make sure you dont over do anything as you already say any cock up on that front has greater implications later on. Good luck.

fludey

Had similar crash myself on train crossing, hearing your injury makes me realise I was lucky with just road rash, seeing stars and broken finger. Hope your rehab goes well with speedy recovery and hope it doesn't put you off cycling long term, never too old to get back on bike.

diy

totally sucks, not much more that can be said. I knew a guy who put himself in a wheel chair for six months when he got the leg of his leathers tangled while trying to put his motorbike stand down. He broke his hip at zero mph.

Only thing to say is watch the diet and keep the weight down while you are immobile. good luck

Mikey23

So it was caused by riding across a level crossing at an angle at relatively low speed and in damp conditions? A tough way to learn a lesson methinks. Get well soon mate

Yorkshireman2

Hard luck and i hope you make a speedy recovery. Did the same thing myself Sept 2011 with slightly different outcome in that I broke my hip socket. Thankfully I made a full recovery as i am sure you will.
The experience got me thinking: a very small amount of impact protection incorporated into the shorts would have saved me and it is a shame that you can't really buy anything like that. It ended that bought some rollerblading shorts (they were cheap and do have such protection) dissected them and sewed the relevant bits onto my cycling shorts. This got me over the considerable mental block of getting back on a bike (don't be suprised to find you experience the same mental block).

neeb

Really bad luck. The only think to do is make sure you do everything right to maximise your chances of a quick and full recovery. Many people don't do that, and they probably comprise the majority who have longer term problems. In the meantime, you will need to adapt psychologically to a temporary change in lifestyle - it might seem incomprehensible at the moment, but it will happen, and you will gradually find other things to fill the gap that not being able to be active has left in your life. And then when you do make a full recovery you will come back stronger.

Avenger197396

I provide this advice with the proviso that I don't know you and I assume you have posted because you want some encouraging words.I came off in Aug 2011 and broke my pelvis, LHS, in four places along with some great road rash. Totally my fault, going too fast, jumped off a rising kerb and caught the wheel in a rut. Came down massively hard and lay there for a few minutes before a guy came out of an office to check on me. Bless him, he said he was a first aider and after a quick chat said it seemed to be fine! Anyway I ended up on a ward for a week and with the injury being treated conservatively ie no pins/plaster. I was lucky in that the breaks were clean and not displaced. I was told not to weight bear for six weeks and that I could only cycle after three to four months and return to work after three to four. I can only offer some general advice but here goes:

1) It's happened. It's a consequence of our chosen hobby/sport/past-time. It will get better. In the mean time MTFU.

2) Don't eat like you normally would. I'm still trying to shed weight I stupidly put on.

3) If you are a drinker/smoker or ex of either don't "treat yourself" with either. One reward cigar lead me onto another having to quit situation. My fault. An unnecessary obstacle. Come off painkillers as soon as you can.

4) You will get depressed/bored. Follow the sport as you normally would, it will keep you motivated. Get out when you can. Join I love Film or something but restrict your TV viewing to a certain period a day. It's all too easy to watch rubbish. I did watch every episode of The Professionals though! Don't take your frustration out on your loved ones. It may be hard for them too, fetching and carrying and watching you cooped up. The episode really scarred my wife who has a more developed imagination than me. Think of them.

5) Get a hobby that fills time. I started Airfix modelling! It kept me occupied and satisfied my inner nerd. Mates took the p*ss then bought me more kits!

6) Do exercise. You don't have to be sweating and gasping for breath for it to be "proper." Weights, slow walks etc etc. They are better that nothing. Speak to your physio, consultant, google it. My consultant was a military guy and fully understood my desire to get back to things. He boll**cked me when I told him I was doing more than he recommended. Quite right.

7) You might never be quite as good as you once were. So what? In the last eleven years guys have been coming back from places with horrendous injuries and get on with it. Compared to their struggles you situation is minor. The first time I got back on the bike I was genuinely nervous and couldn't bring myself to go full gas for some time. It took time but now I'm back to being my old rubbish!

8) Start researching your dream bike. You may well save some money being immobile. Put it away for the bike!

I could go on and on. In two years time you will look back on it as an amusing interlude in life's rich tapestry. ironically, I came off my bike for the first time since the above incident on Friday. I landed pretty much the same way on the RHS hip. It hurt, I lay there praying and slowly got up, bruised, sore but okay. This time it wasn't my turn! Good luck!

smithy05

I got into airfix as well with my injured knee! Found it was a great cure for the hours of boredom of not being able to go out. I now want to build myself a bike from scratch - it is just a big airfix kit right?!

drummer

Well it's a week today since my crash so here's an up-date!

I've whittled my prospective physio's down to 2 now. One is here in Sheffield & one is over in Manchester.
Speak to them both after the bank holiday.

Injury wise it's still very painful.
I'm trying not to use too many pain killers and am down to just paracetamol and 1 codeine first thing in the morning & last thing at night.
Read some horror stories about using too many so I'd rather just grit my teeth!

The weather I was striving to get fit for looks like its arrived which doesn't do much to lift my spirits!

To be honest, it still feeles surreal. I still can't get my head around the fact that its happened and how it's had such a catastrophic effect on my life!
The mrs & kids are giving me plenty about not cycling again but what do you do?
Although after 2 heavy crashes in 3 years, I'm not sure i could face it all again.

In an attempt to cheer myself up I've just ordered the New Giro pink jersey by Paul Smith. Can't use it yet but should bring me a bit of pleasure!

ooermissus

Good luck with the recovery. Talk to your doctors about the pain though - codeine is probably not the only to manage it, and poorly managed pain could well slow your progress.

Bustacapp

drummer wrote:

Long story short:

After a bit of a cloudy, dull day in Sheffield on Monday the sun rolled out at around 6pm.

So, I put the rollers back & decided to go out in the fresh air for a quick hour.

Off I went & for no real reason decided to try a different quick route round town.

Approaching a main junction I stopped at a red light. Set off again, and crossed the tram tracks at an angle of at least 45 degrees and was going no more than 10mph.
No warning, no wobble, the front wheel went violently underneath me & I hit the ground HARD.

No way I could get up and the traffic came to a standstill and the paramedics duly arrived. I was administered gas & air and also morphine even though they didn't think I'd broken anything.

Tried to roll me on to a back board &............... PAIN!

Anyway, to the hospital and in to x-ray. Dr walks up & says "bad news Richard.......BROKEN HIP!".

In to theatre where they pin the fracture. They decided against a straight replacement due to my age (40).

Had an epidural in the operation but managed to wake up half way thought so had to have anaesthetic as well!!

So After a sleepless night in a hip fracture ward, (mostly old patients) 2 young Dr's come on to the ward to see me.
They were a bit vague on everything but said once I'd done the 'stair test' I old be allowed home later in the week.

I'd already said I didn't want anymore morphine so when the physio came round I said grab some crutches & let's try these stairs!
Managed to do it ok.
Fracture nurse came round & told me probably 8/10 weeks with no weight, up to 2 years for full rehab etc etc. Never saw or had any conversation with my surgeon either before or after!!

DEVASTATED!

Now it's Saturday morning & here I lay with a busted hip, confidence shattered and feeling thoroughly ****** off!!

So, what now?
Not much, investigating physio's as other than hydro pool don't really want to use general NHS ones (no offence in that). It's just that at 40, I need to make sure I do this right cos if I don't then it could maybe mean years of discomfort & also no training. Having my pals & family round for visits, watching the Giro on TV etc etc.

I work in professional sport and have always kept fit & active. To hear a Dr say they had no idea where I'd end up was CRUSHING.

I'd put weight on over Xmas & new year and with the crap weather I'd felt myself getting in a rut. So for the last 2 weeks I'd been out almost everyday. In the cold, damp, wet determined to get back in good shape & enjoy the summer, then...........

Not sure why they reckon 2 years of physio. A full hip replacement only takes a few weeks to recover from.

You sound very determined so I reckon you you'll be out again in no time.

LiamW

I agree, i had a full hip replacement there on 12th April and to be honest i feel dead on. All things being well i'll be off the crutches on the 28th May and back training to get back cycling again.

There is a thread in the cake stop section about a few of us who have either broken hips or hip replacements, have a read of that and you'll see that it doesn't take anywhere near 2 years to recover from.

viewtopic.php?f=40088&t=12571535

For what it's worth i had a broken hip as well when i was 16 and it lasted me 24 years until i needed a replacement, so keep the head and and take the advice of those who have been through it.

All the best.

ScreaminWargasm

Hi mate

I am currently recovering from the exact same injury as yourself. I got taken out by a van driver not looking properly and he pulled out on me resulting in broken hip amongst other things.
This was 5 weeks ago on 1st April and resulted in one week in hospital. I also had it pinned rather than replaced as im 32 and they try not to do a full replacement as they eventually wear out after around 20 years and they only like doing two in a lifetime, three at a push.
I am going back to see my surgeon at the end of May for a check up and to see how things are heeling. I was advised that there is a 40% chance that the joint would die following surgery and if that happened, it'd need a full replacement.
Five weeks on and im feeling MUCH better than I expected. Although I'll be off work for some time yet, ill be looking to do some very easy turbo training once im able to put weight on the leg. 1 month ago I wouldnt have believed that could be possible due to the amount of pain and discomfort!
It will get easier I assure you. Stay positive and enjoy watching the Giro for the next 3 weeks.
I'll keep you posted on how my recovery goes as itll probably help.
The one good thing in my circumstances is that the van drivers insurance except full liability and I stand to get a decent wedge for my accident. Part of which is going on a new bike.

All the best with the recovery

Mick

mididoctors

ScreaminWargasm wrote:

The one good thing in my circumstances is that the van drivers insurance except full liability and I stand to get a decent wedge for my accident. Part of which is going on a new bike.

All the best with the recovery

Mick

The guy who ran me down from behind (I woke up in a ambulance) wasn't even insured and still didn't do jail time or even a full disqualification.... not only that he failed to show up twice in court... by the third time the witnesses drifted away and the police statements collected at the scene where discarded as hearsay!!!!!!! there are online websites with advice to car drivers in how to avoid heavy penalties and not turning up is the number one piece of advice as "accidents" are non-punitive

the accident left me temp disabled with sciatica brought on by limping around knackering my posture...sorted now no thanks to anyone in particular except the NHS and a decent sports physio(recommended)

on the up side I am ok finally after about 3 years of false starts. played havoc with my position on the bike but I took it as a opportunity to re-invent my pedalling style..went higher cadence

still the story about the snapped crank arm is truly confidence sapping..that sort of thing would put me off getting out of the saddle.

diy

I take it you have pursued compensation via the MIB though? Just because he's not insured and/or broke, doesn't mean you cannot get comp'd as if he was.

mididoctors

diy wrote:

I take it you have pursued compensation via the MIB though? Just because he's not insured and/or broke, doesn't mean you cannot get comp'd as if he was.

yeah but the aggro

I know of a guy who was made quadriplegic from a similar accident who hasn't seen a penny yet! he has been waiting 4 years