Gretaboy’s recovery

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eveready2
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Re: Gretaboy’s recovery

Postby eveready2 » Sun Jan 11, 2015 7:36 pm

Get well soon mate!
Just keep pushing Pusscake!

gretaboy
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Location: Hunter Valley

Re: Gretaboy’s recovery

Postby gretaboy » Sun Jan 11, 2015 8:09 pm

TonyMax wrote:I've just skimmed over this thread, and out of interests sake and hoping not to have to scour many pages, if you don't mind me asking what are the lingering injuries/physical impacts of the accident almost 12 months on? What's stopping you from riding a stock bicycle, fused vertebra?

Cheers,


Tony
The physical and lingering impacts...5 days off a year to the day

- walk with a limp
- right knee is very weak, cant squat otherwise the knee collapses
- lost fine motor skills in right hand, have limited hand functionality
- balance is not right, especially when tired
- fatigue level is extremely low...get fatigued very easily now
- constant cold burning nerve pain in left leg and when really bad it crosses to the right leg also
- have what i call touch pain from the waist up mainly, it does have a technical term, but basically when my skin is touched it hurts
- despite the touch pain, i can barely feel anything on my legs, have banged them up and didnt even know i had
- susceptible to stroke for the rest of my life due to a lost artery to the head
- metal cage around 2-3 vertebrae
- sexual function issues
- body spasms
- memory issues
- anger at what i have lost but am slowly coming to acceptance of the physical changes

Think i got them all lol

The issues with the right hand and balance are the main issues with me riding a DF bike at present. Would/will need a specially modified bike before i could ride one with any confidence
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TonyMax
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Re: Gretaboy’s recovery

Postby TonyMax » Sun Jan 11, 2015 8:20 pm

Wow dude that's full on. Props to you for being able to stick at it and ride your trike as far as you do.

:)


Tony
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cowled
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Re: Gretaboy’s recovery

Postby cowled » Mon Jan 12, 2015 1:08 pm

gretaboy wrote:The physical and lingering impacts...5 days off a year to the day

- walk with a limp
- right knee is very weak, cant squat otherwise the knee collapses
- lost fine motor skills in right hand, have limited hand functionality
- balance is not right, especially when tired
- fatigue level is extremely low...get fatigued very easily now
- constant cold burning nerve pain in left leg and when really bad it crosses to the right leg also
- have what i call touch pain from the waist up mainly, it does have a technical term, but basically when my skin is touched it hurts
- despite the touch pain, i can barely feel anything on my legs, have banged them up and didnt even know i had
- susceptible to stroke for the rest of my life due to a lost artery to the head
- metal cage around 2-3 vertebrae
- sexual function issues
- body spasms
- memory issues
- anger at what i have lost but am slowly coming to acceptance of the physical changes

Think i got them all lol

The issues with the right hand and balance are the main issues with me riding a DF bike at present. Would/will need a specially modified bike before i could ride one with any confidence
:(

I've never met you, GB, but I think about you every now and then, wondering how you are tracking with your recovery. I'm so sorry to hear that you are struggling with so many issues. Stay strong, brother. Don't let the black dog take a hold of you.

Craig.
Image 2015 Goal: 2,500km

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jules21
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Re: Gretaboy’s recovery

Postby jules21 » Mon Jan 12, 2015 3:22 pm

keep going Gretaboy. we've never met but you're a brother - you've got a lot of moral support here. it may sound flippant but there's a lot more to lose than what you've listed there. stay strong mate

gretaboy
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Location: Hunter Valley

Re: Gretaboy’s recovery

Postby gretaboy » Mon Jan 12, 2015 3:52 pm

Cowled and Jules21...thanks for the support, as i have said before, it means a lot.

Dont get me wrong about what i listed above...they are fact but i try and not let them stop me doing what i want to do. I have my good days and i have my bad days now and i am my own worst enemy as i push myself too hard which then makes me fatigued and the nerve pain also increases. Part of me coming to accept the changes is knowing that if i want to do something then i will have to pay a price.

Overall life is great and i am slowly moving forward....so it is a thumbs up from me :D
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wombatK
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Re: Gretaboy’s recovery

Postby wombatK » Mon Jan 12, 2015 4:07 pm

It doesn't sound a great place to be GB, and it's very understandable that you'd feel angry sometimes. But you've
cheated death and that makes you a winner. A year out from injuries like you copped is still early
days in the recovery. Every one of us wishes that the doctors have under-estimated your
recovery time and that there is more improvement to come. And we admire the fight in you that's
got you this far.
WombatK

Somebody has to do something, and it's just incredibly pathetic that it has to be us -Jerry Garcia

jasonc
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Location: Brisbane

Re: Gretaboy’s recovery

Postby jasonc » Mon Jan 12, 2015 4:21 pm

gretaboy wrote:Overall life is great and i am slowly moving forward....so it is a thumbs up from me :D
love the attitude. a thumbs up from me to you.
when I was driving through Newcastle/Hunter (on the highway) 2 weeks ago, I did think of you when I saw cyclists out there riding in the emergency lane

gabrielle260
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Re: Gretaboy’s recovery

Postby gabrielle260 » Mon Jan 12, 2015 5:58 pm

gretaboy wrote:Cowled and Jules21...thanks for the support, as i have said before, it means a lot.

Dont get me wrong about what i listed above...they are fact but i try and not let them stop me doing what i want to do. I have my good days and i have my bad days now and i am my own worst enemy as i push myself too hard which then makes me fatigued and the nerve pain also increases. Part of me coming to accept the changes is knowing that if i want to do something then i will have to pay a price.

Overall life is great and i am slowly moving forward....so it is a thumbs up from me :D
Thanks for the honest and factual update!
Stay strong Gretaboy- you have lots of friends and admirers on this forum!
Andrew

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foo on patrol
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Re: Gretaboy’s recovery

Postby foo on patrol » Mon Jan 12, 2015 6:24 pm

^^^^ What he said! ^^^^ :wink:

Foo
I don't suffer fools easily and so long as you have done your best,you should have no regrets.
Goal 6000km

lunar_c
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Re: Gretaboy’s recovery

Postby lunar_c » Sat Jan 24, 2015 12:08 pm

As a fellow cyclist I want to wish you all the best in your continuing recovery and regain of function.

As a nurse I want to congratulate you on your attitude and for getting to a year post accident with the drive to keep pushing.

With regard to cycling .. You've come this far, you must know by now that nothing's impossible, and if you want to continue your passion for cycling I'm sure you will find a way to do so.

You alluded to the balance issues that remain with you at the moment. Perhaps a racing trike (I've always wanted to try one, bob Jackson and jack Taylor made some amazing trikes..) or a recumbent trike would be a bridge until you recover more function?

I'm a stranger just wishing to pass on my encouragement but I'd totally put in some dough if you wanted to pursue something like that. Crowd source anybody?

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