On Wed, 26 May 2004, Chuck Anderson wrote:
I don't know why, but I never anticipated injuring myself so severely.
Last Friday I was riding too aggressively, hammering away when I pegged
the inside pedal on a tight curve (I was pedaling - du-uh) and crashed
hard. I broke my left collar bone (broke the last inch or so right off.)
And wouldn't you know, just a few days earlier I had purchased my plane
ticket to Frankfurt (depart July 5 - return July 27). Now I don't know
if I'll be able to make that trip. They way I feel today (5 days later),
arm in a sling and still feeling very very very tender and sensitive, it
seems unlikely.
I've heard it could take anything from 4 weeks to 4 months to heal. And
even if I do heal enough to ride (July 5 is still 5 =BD weeks a way), I
don't know if I would be ready to sleep on the ground in my tent. The
Emergency Room doc said 4 - 6 weeks. Some online searches have indicated
it could be months.
The doctor said that there was nothing that should be done for the break
(other than immobilize my arm in a sling). The collar bone is the most
"mendable" bone in the body, and the two pieces of bone will find their
way back together and mend on their own. It seems odd, but all research
I've done indicated that is so.
You should have a figure 8 brace that pulls your shoulders back, With out
that, the collarbone will heal short and your shoulder will be pulled
forward.
Does anyone here have any advice or experience to relate? Should I hold
out hope for a cycling camping trip in July? (My Lufthansa ticket *is*
restricted, but they said I can get a full refund with a medical
certificate.) Any therapy I should consider?
Go ahead and do your tour!
I broke my left collarbone - in two places about 2" apart - eight year ago
next week - on Memorial Day - on the first day of my first cross country
ride. I was in Oregon, and planned to ride back to North Carolina. The Dr
said wear this figure eight brace and in three or four months you'll be
fine. I said 'What a way to waste a summer!"
I broke my collarbone on Monday. On Wednesday I rigged my bike so I could
shift the front derailleur with my right hand - thumb shifter - and use
the front brake with my right hand. I also took off my aerobars - no way I
could use them!- and raised the handlebars level with the seat. It was
painful working on my bike, but I managed. On Friday I continued my trip
across the country. There were several painful moments on the ride, but I
think I probably hurt much less than I would have if I abandoned my trip.
I camped several times in the first few weeks. I was a challenge putting
up my tent, but sleeping was OK. I had to sleep on my back all summer and
for several months into the fall. Other than that, I was able to use my
left arm fairly normally after I finished my tour grin.
See
http://www.cs.unca.edu/~boyd/touring.../crossusa.html for the ride
report.
=09Mark http://www.cs.unca.edu/~boyd/bicycling.html
PS Tomorrow I fly to Portland and Saturday through Monday I'll be visiting
the folks who helped me when I broke my collarbone. This will be the
fourth time I've been in Dallas Oregon by bicycle. Well, the first time I
arrived in an ambulance, but I left, four days later, on my bicycle.