InjuryUpdate

Hitting The Wall
After flying backwards off my racebike at 123 mph headfirst through a used-tire wall and into the Aarmco barrier, the hot and heavy machine plowing directly into me at the same speed, I was rescued, stabilized and transported to ER by paramedics.

Image by Brian J. Nelson

The high speed impact caused a T4-5-6 vertebrae fracture dislocation with complete paraplegia; fractured left clavicle ; hemopneumothorax (punctured lung, water); fractured ribs (4 left and 3 right); nerve damage in C7-8 brachial plexus causing weakness distally in left upper extremity; left side of face and eye cap lazy (it doesn’t sound half as bad as it felt).

Discharged on 5-18-2005 to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. Under the care of Dr. Berley I was fitted with a chest tube and full brace TSLO (thoracic lumber sacral orthosis - referred to by their inhabitants as “turtle shells,” these are like a plastic tube they insert you into to prevent ANY movement). T2-T7 posterior instrumentation and fusion with pedicle screws and rods was performed by Dr. Paul A. Lahaye.

Rehabilitation was delayed due to the stabilizing back brace ripping skin off the back of my pelvis during the two hour ambulance ride. This laid me up for many weeks (moving only side to side to avoid bed sores, a constant bane of the disabled) waiting for new skin growth to be clear before starting rehabilitation. I’ve always been a slow starter...

While lying virtually motionless for 4 weeks at Santa Clara Medical Center in San Jose, HO (heteroscopic ossification - calcium deposits) set in. So busy was the visiting therapist with 100 patients a day(!) that I usually got maybe 10 minutes of treatment, or skipped over completely. I remember feeling like I should scream, but when you’re under major meds, that can be a real challenge.

At one point during a 3 day period, my legs swelled so rapidly - to almost twice their normal size - that tests were ordered. A blood clot was ruled out and the x rays and a bone scan showed nothing. I was diagnosed with HO which results after very active cells go into shock and suffer lack of movement. Only 10% of patients with spinal cord injuries - mostly males between 18 & 30 - develop HO, but it seems that’s what the doctors decided – so add another pill (12) to the cocktail. The restricted movement caused by HO put off the beginning of rehabilitation even further.

The result was I’m lucky to be able to sit up. But dressing, shifting position, using the restroom, taking a shower, getting in and out of a car are all pretty difficult. Plus, there’s the pain, which is non-stop. After my second surgery in October, delayed due to infection setting in, I was taken off the pills because they were slowing the healing process. Dr. Garlend, a specialist from Long Beach Sports Medicine, planned to perform hip surgery, but by February 6, X rays showed that bone growth had stopped, so the hip replacement was canceled.

The bottom line, as they say, comes down to this: spinal cord injuries are either complete, or incomplete. According to my doctor, mine is complete - effectively ruling out any chance for recovery. But, there is another opinion (which keeps me hoping) that in time, with effort, the injury can be made “incomplete,” and my chances for recovery increased.

I began intensive rehabilitation at The Neuro Institute where they work me like a dog, promoting as much movement and exertion as possible. The pain can be excruciating, but the truth is: WHAT U DON’T USE, U LOSE! So, I’m hopeful that with enough effort, in time, my condition will improve. It’s a lot of hard work, but so’s racing, so what else is new?

I’ll keep you posted here on how things are going. And thanks everyone for your support - it really means alot. - Vincent