Anniversary Day

[DaveTX]

Wow, here it is.... April 26th, 2009.

 

On this day back in 2003, I woke up early at a motel in Junction, Texas, shaved and showered, got dressed and went to breakfast with eleven of my oldest riding friends. After we finished breakfast, we put on our riding gear, saddled up and headed east as we started what was going to be a day full of riding the central Texas hills and curves.

 

It didn't last that long for me.

 

About 20 minutes into our ride, we turned on to a two lane blacktop road NE of Segovia. About a mile down that road, I met Bambi...... at 70 miles an hour. The resulting impact and my cartwheeling three times down the highway broke most of the right side of my body, and life as I knew it changed forever.

 

To be honest, the last six years has been rough at times. Surgeries, recoveries, and permanent disabilities have changed me, my wife Stacy, our son Scooter, and life as we knew it. Although it has been difficult at times, both Stacy and I have tried to keep a smile on our faces and maintain positive attitudes through it all. I don't think I could have made it without Stacy's strength and Scooter's optimism.

 

Through it all, we have each become stronger people and we have learned that as a couple, and as a family, we can accomplish anything that we set our minds to. Life is different, and I still have a lot of physical problems.... but I am alive and we are still a family. I try not to complain because I know that my still being here, 'walking and talking' is a miracle in itself.

 

We have also been fortunate to have so many good friends in the motorcycling world who have been a source of support, thoughts and prayers over the past six years. While certain segments of our society might look down their noses at those of us who ride, they have no idea just how close, and how supportive the motorcycling world can be when one of their own is injured.

 

Today I am able to ride again. Although long distance riding is still difficult and often painful, I am extremely blessed to be able to ride again, no matter the distance. Even the shortest distance is a better medicine than all the doctors combined could prescribe.

 

While we know full well that some of my medical conditions are permanent and will never be any better, we still see improvement in other areas that make each day, week, month, or year better than the one before.

 

In reflection, I know that I am a very lucky man. God has blessed me with a strong family, a good attitude, great doctors, and the very best of people that I am proud to know as friends.

 

On this 'anniversary day', life is good.

 

 

[Tony_K]

[FLTRI]

I remember the Bambi incident, and am glad you are here six years later to tell the tale...

 

 

[DaveTheAffable]

Thanks for sharing with us.

 

Your strength and perseverance... strengthens others.

 

[lvnvbiker]

Glad to see you are up and riding, alot of folks would have stopped.

[Dave_in_TX]

Wow, we not only share similar DB posting names and birth month (April) but have both experienced a high speed impact with a Texas deer. I hit one about two years ago at about 60mph. Fortunately for me, there haven't been any long term effects. I'm glad you're able to ride again. I don"t know how I would have been able to handle going for years without being able to ride.

[JayW]

No doubt the anniversary of the event has stirred some emotions and unpleasant sentiments that those of us who have not been through such an ordeal could not begin to understand. All of us are subject to the "then all of a sudden" events that alter our lives forever. It is sobering thought that a moment in time can be so life-changing.

 

I wish you continued recovery, even if it is in small increments.

 

Jay

[DaveTX]

Thanks everyone.

 

There was one very positive aspect of what happened to me six years ago........lots of folks pay a whole lot more attention to deer, and that is a good thing for riders everywhere.

 

 

 

 

[ully211]

Glad to hear you are doing so well.

 

Do you or anyone else on this thread think the attachable deer "warning signal" devices are worth the time or money to attach to a bike?

 

Thanks and I hope again you continue to improve.

[DaveTX]

ully211,

 

That topic is like asking which oil is better.... lots of different ideas.

 

The day I hit the deer, there were 12 bikes in our group. The lead bike had a set of deer whistles, no one else did.

 

Everyone else in the group seemed to be of the opinion that the deer whistles scared the deer, it panicked and crashing into me was the result.

 

But.... who knows ?

[BFish]

sorry for the pain and suffering, but to me it appears you've made the most out of a bad deal. keep that attitude and accept my wishes for a long, fun life.

[Nice n Easy Rider]

Dave,

Thanks for sharing. We all know that it can happen to us at any time but your sharing of your firsthand experience and the subsequent difficulties associated with it remind us how easy it is to take things for granted. Best wishes for a continued recovery and congratulations on riding again.

[SageRider]

On this 'anniversary day', life is good.

That's what counts!

Glad you've made it back!!!

[Rotor]

I too send my best wishes for even more recovery. Thanks for posting what obviously came from your heart.

[BeemerLover]

Dave, in my mind, at least there seems to be a reason for these things.

 

Two years ago on a city street a guy made a left turn in front of me. I hit him straight on, went over the handlebars, onto his hood and rolled onto the ground. Leathers and a full face helmet protected me very well.

 

In the emergency room they did a full body scan. In addition to telling me that I had a compressed vertebrae, they said I HAD to see a rectal-colon guy THE NEXT DAY. They had found rectal cancer. It was in its early stages and had not migrated through the muscle wall. A surgeon clipped it out from the inside and I am cancer free. Left undiagnosed I would now be fighting full blown cancer. The accident was meant to be..

 

Ironically, the guy who pulled in front of me had an RT at home!

 

Please bear with me as I get up on my soapbox. If you are over 50 please, please make sure you get a colonoscopy. Colon cancer is the #2 killer. It is too bad that guys often find these things out only while talking to the emergency room doctor.

 

 

[BanjoBoy]

ully211,

 

That topic is like asking which oil is better.... lots of different ideas.

 

The day I hit the deer, there were 12 bikes in our group. The lead bike had a set of deer whistles, no one else did.

 

Everyone else in the group seemed to be of the opinion that the deer whistles scared the deer, it panicked and crashing into me was the result.

 

But.... who knows ?

That which doesn't kill us, makes us stronger. You must be a strong man Dave!

Thanks for sharing this experience with us, and glad you're back in the saddle again.

Deers and pigs are my biggest fear, they have both in abundance where I ride. Used to have deer whistles on my FJ1200, but I could ride by a herd and they wouldn't even look up.

The best thing to do if it's safe, and you know it's a deer crossing area, is to ride on the "drunk bumps" in the center divider. That makes more noise, would scare them more than the deer whistles ever did. It really gets their attention.

 

Good luck, and safe travels.

[Les is more]

That is a great post about true value in life Dave.

 

Thanks!

[DaveTX]

Dave, in my mind, at least there seems to be a reason for these things.

 

Two years ago on a city street a guy made a left turn in front of me. I hit him straight on, went over the handlebars, onto his hood and rolled onto the ground. Leathers and a full face helmet protected me very well.

 

In the emergency room they did a full body scan. In addition to telling me that I had a compressed vertebrae, they said I HAD to see a rectal-colon guy THE NEXT DAY. They had found rectal cancer. It was in its early stages and had not migrated through the muscle wall. A surgeon clipped it out from the inside and I am cancer free. Left undiagnosed I would now be fighting full blown cancer. The accident was meant to be..

 

Ironically, the guy who pulled in front of me had an RT at home!

 

Please bear with me as I get up on my soapbox. If you are over 50 please, please make sure you get a colonoscopy. Colon cancer is the #2 killer. It is too bad that guys often find these things out only while talking to the emergency room doctor.

 

 

BeemerLover,

 

After reading your post, it seems that we have more in common than one might imagine. My accident happened in April of 2003. Along with all my upper body injuries, my right leg below the knee was broken in 20 places and my right foot was turned around and tucked up under my leg. For a space of about 3 inches above the ankle, both leg bones were gone, there was nothing there. The initial surgery put a lot of hardware in place with the hope that it would all hold while new bone grew. Trouble was that no new bone grew, it was too big of a space for bone to fill in. In October of the same year, the ortho surgeon said he wanted to take bone out of my hip to put into my leg with the hope that it would grow. If it didn;t work, amputation was the next step. He did the bone graft, and it worked, he was able to save the leg.

 

Then in 2006, I was experiencing a lot of pain from that same right hip down through my leg. I went back to the ortho surgeon to see if he could figure out what was going on. An MRI showed that three discs in my lower back were damaged, that accounted for the pain that was actually going through the hip down into the leg. BUT.... the MRI also showed 4 masses in my lower left abdomen. A week later, a general surgeon removed the largest one, about the size of a lemon. Lab report came back as cancer.... Hodgkins Lymphoma. Because it was caught so quick, it was diagnosed as stage one and I underwent 40 radiation treatments, but no chemo. It worked, still in remission today !

 

So.... like you said, if I hadn't of had the accident, the cancer might not have been discovered until it was much worse. Strange how things work out like that.

 

The biggest thing that got me through everything was keeping in mind that no matter how I felt at any particular moment in time, I just needed to remember that it could always be worse...... and someone, somewhere probably wishes they had it as good as I do.

[DaveTX]

Dave,

Thanks for sharing. We all know that it can happen to us at any time but your sharing of your firsthand experience and the subsequent difficulties associated with it remind us how easy it is to take things for granted. Best wishes for a continued recovery and congratulations on riding again.

 

Nice n Easy Rider,

 

I had what I hope to be the last surgery from my 2003 meeting with Bambi just this past February. Three damaged vertebrae in my neck were cleaned up and two discs replaced. We knew about it all this time, but it had the lowest of priorities, and the cancer set things back as few years.

 

The closer I got to riding again after recovering from the neck surgery, I felt like I needed something to 'recharge my batteries' and add a little more spark to life. With that in mind, I did something totally out of character for me, and shocked a lot of people in the process. I have been riding Harleys since I came back from 'Nam in 1970, and I still have my Ultra..... but I purchased a 1999 BMW R1100 RT-P from a board member here who lives in California. It was shipped out here, arrived about two weeks ago in time for my 60th birthday, and I took my first road trip since the neck surgery the weekend before last on the BMW. I took off for the Texas Hill Country and had an absolute blast riding the RT !!!

 

I guess an old dog can learn new tricks........

 

Now I'm a BMW noob, and loving it !

[Kathy R]

Very inspirational Dave. Thank you.

[hANNAbONE]

cONGRAT'S...me thinks this line sez it all --

 

"...In reflection, I know that I am a very lucky man. God has blessed me with a strong family, a good attitude, great doctors, and the very best of people that I am proud to know as friends..."

[Dave in Doodah]

Thanks for sharing a great post, and very well stated. A very happy anniversary to you and your family. And thank you dearly for your military service!

[DrMikey]

Thanks, Dave, and may God Bless.

 

 

 

[JayW]

...If you are over 50 please, please make sure you get a colonoscopy. Colon cancer is the #2 killer...

 

BeemerLover, this is not true. In the US, cancer of all types is the number 2 killer, but even then, lung cancer kills far more Americans than does colon cancer. The best way to reduce your chances of dying from cancer is to quit smoking.

 

That said, you are correct in advising all Americans over age 50 to have a screening colonoscopy every 10 years. The test itself is not a difficult one, though my patients do sometimes complain about the bowel prep!

 

Cheers,

 

Jay, MD

[motorman587]

ully211,

 

That topic is like asking which oil is better.... lots of different ideas.

 

The day I hit the deer, there were 12 bikes in our group. The lead bike had a set of deer whistles, no one else did.

 

Everyone else in the group seemed to be of the opinion that the deer whistles scared the deer, it panicked and crashing into me was the result.

 

But.... who knows ?

 

I am a deer survivor too. Totaled a 92K100RS in 1997. I was lucky and walked away with a little road rash on the elbow. I hate riding at night and attempt not ride after the sun goes down. I had deer whistle on this bike and believe the whistle spooked the deer too.