What did the ocean say to the beach?
Nothing, it just waved!

ON WHAT FALLING IN LOVE IS LIKE
- Like an avalanche where you have to run for your life.

Hello there

I called in after seeing your letter in the MAG mag (ha ha). Brilliant idea for a website. And after I've read other people''s stories I feel very lucky. I got my brill ( well I thought it was ) xj900 written off in June 2005, being hit by a boy racer, in of all places, my local tesco's petrol station!! My right foot was skewered by a foot peg and my right thigh bone snapped in two. Three years later I have a limp, no sensation in my bottom half of my foot, and lots of pain in my leg but I'm alive and still riding, just not as much as I used to.

The worst things about the accident was that people said I had only myself to blame for my injuries because I was a biker and riding a 900cc bike, my family saying they would disown me if I rode again, and the response from other bikers, who treated me like a leper. Thanks to my wife and true biker friends who supported me whilst recuperating and my decision to ride again.

Hi everyone

Been going to the head injury clinic in Aylesbury for a while now and only just noticed a poster for this site. What a great idea and so pleased to be in contact with people who have been through the same kind of thing.

Well this my story, probably similar to a few others.

Going to work on the 20th Dec 2006, riding my Pan European it was foggy but not so bad as not to be able to ride, about 2 mins from work I see a set of head lights coming towards me, then when I was about 10mtrs away another set appeared next to them, another car was bloody overtaking!!! I was doing 35 and he was doing about 45.
At the last moment I lent the bike two the left trying to avoid a full head on smack.
This resulted in:- broken / disclocated ankle, completely smashed lower leg, fractured upper leg, fractured hip, fractured wrist, comletely smashed lower arm, fractured / disclocated elbow, radial nerve damadge, internal bleeding and a head injury.
Came round on the 10th Jan 2007, Merry Xmas!
Spent 5 mnths in hospital, 7 mnths in plaster. Been left with permanent disablement in my right arm and right leg plus the memory loss. This is so frustrating, lost some long term memory and short term is very hit and miss. Need to write everything down.
For the last 8 mnths I have been in a battle with the DWP trying to get DLP and Mobility, I keep this for another day.

Look forward to chatting with you all

cheers Gary

I found the best way to deal with memory loss is to swallow your pride and simply accept the fact that you definately can't trust your memory after a head injury. You may think you've got no real problems and that it's only a "slight memory loss" issue, but I soon realised that you're only thinking that as you can't even slightly remember the things you've forgotten. It's not like it used to be before your accident when you "forgot" something - as you used to know there was glimpse of something there before. Now, you literally completely forget it - hook, line and sinker.

I have found the best and only reliable way of dealing with this is to keep immaculate notes at all times. If it's important, it gets written down in a notepad and the notepad slips into a pocket to be carried around at ALL times. The biggest trick is to no longer trust your memory (or have I already said that - I can't remember... ) - that way you can start to be relied on again.

I never used to carry out any kind of serious physical exercise before my accident as I used to smoke very heavily (20/day for about 10 years) and never had the stamina to do so. When I came round from my coma after the accident, I remember thinking to myself, "hmm, I haven't smoked for a while now so why not try and give up?" So I did and then when I got out of hospital, I started some gentle physical exercise to build back some muscles and body tone (after three months of lying down, it had all seriously disappeared!!)

Started with long walks just to build back as gently as possible. After a few months of this, these became jogs as it made the "same scenery" more interesting if I got slightly knackered out instead of just walking like I'd come accustomed too. I got well into this and ended up going for three mile runs on a daily basis for months - was really nice to be building back endurance. Unfortunately, I piled in too fast and caused serious problems in my knee joints but I took a step back, allowed recovery and now carry on but go for three mile jogs every other day instead.

So then I thought "hmm, legs getting better now, but what about the rest?". I started therefore going to all over body exercise classes at a local leisure centre called a "Circuit Class". To begin with, I was very much only carrying out a few of the exercises in the class as everyone else got tucked in, but over a few months, my body started to get used to this sort of exercise and I found myself soon addicted to this as well.

All this exercise has eventually combined itself so that every day now, I am working out different parts of my body and although it was extremely difficult to begin with after my accident, I don't regret a second of it now. It is so much better to be back in physical control after you lose it over an accident - one incredibly lucky man that it was only temporary paralysis and could build it all back over time. Initially very painful, but I totally recommend tucking into it if you can.

Hi Pete,
took your suggestion and visted your site. Very informative

Not a biker myself but I have very much enjoyed reading everybody's posts.
I met Pete from the Head Injury clinic and found out that we have had similar careers.

My story:
I was involved in a car accident in Nov 2005 with which only myself was involved and suffered a TBI. I cannot remember why I was in the car and can't remember how I ended up crashing head on into a tree(not a good idea!) just round the corner of my house! My earliest recollection was about 2/3 weeks before my bash for my Sons birthday at Legoland.

My recovery has been a huge struggle the last 1yr and a half, to try and get myself back to some sort of normality, but have found that talking and meeting ppl with similar experiences a massive help.

Take care Pete and good luck with all your future endeavours

Hi
Nice to find a site for people who have had accidents.
5 weeks ago I was involved in an hit and run. Car pulled out, i hit it and went over the top. Ive been very lucky with my injuries but at the moment its ruiend my carerr. I had multiple fractures in my wrist of which i now have a metal plate inserted. A fractured ankle too. But today ive found out I may need key hole surgery on my knee. But im extremly lucky, if i didnt have the gear , id be in a worst condition. Ive got a long way to recover. My jobs on hold and my college course has gone out of the window now.

Fingers crossed the police will find the driver but its doubtful!!

I am a biker from South Africa, and FWIW, I am blind from a major bike accident I had in November 2005, when someone in a car swerved into me and my wife on our BMw R1100GS, and I ended up in a coma for around 3--4 weeks, and I only really knew where I was, and that I couldn't see around 3 months later.
I got out of the hospital in March 2006, and I have done all sorts of 'training' to sort of make it possible to live at my own home, with a friend living with me, and I am back at work as a web developer for around the last month or so, and I must say, technology is amazing in relation to what I was expecting when I first realised I was now blind.

One more thing - inspired by a guy from the UK, called Billy Baxter, who's in the Guiness Book of Records for doing 180mph on a bike even though he's also blind - I have already ridden my other bike, a bandit 1200 streetfighter, up and down the main straight of Phakisa racetrack with a radio headset, so my friend could instruct me when to veer left, right, and when to stop. If you want to see photos, go to my bike club's website (http://www.hellrazors.co.za), look for the link to the 'gallery' on the left-hand side of the main page, and look for a gallery specific to 'phakisa' or 'razor rash', and you'll see me getting ready to ride, and I think there's also a photo of me actually going down the track.

Anyway, this is my first post, but I'll be back...

Cheers

Jacob
Blind Biker

Greetings All

nice to find a site dedicated to people after accidents

I still think im a little crazy but am Taking Delivery of a Kawasaki VN800 cruiser on friday along with a Renegade 125 for the Mrs

We are both disabled, my accident was on a Xl650V honda transalp in nov 2003, had an external fixator on for 1 year and when it was removed was 6 months earlier than was expected. 11 Rings 42 pinsites

Legs are now the same length ...just have a limited bend in one knee to 85 degrees so crotch rockets are out for me

Bike History
(not going to mention somthing here).... too emaressing
CG125 20,000 miles in a year (2002/3)
ZX6R ninja
XL650V Transalp
.....
VN800 Vulcan Drifter[/size]

Also the Mrs is on her CBT this week on the renegade she was in a head on car accident (passenger) suffered crushed heel bones.. plaural
she can't wait is so excited

ps mrs is looking for the disabled smilies..

Regards Ian & Lizzie