well...Im Alive
07-03-2011, 05:35 PM
#61
Drifting
Thread Starter
It looks both like you did a massive amount of surface damage in addition to bones but that your surgeons have done amazing things. Presumably they have you on a routine at home with home health care nursing checking you. It's fortunate if it was going to happen that this happened to you now instead of 30 years ago. Your prognosis with that leg might be quite different.
Given the experiences where I've had two hips replaced and in one day both knees replaced I can attest that they do amazing things nowadays.
Good luck and do whatever they tell you. Good that you are home. I'd be willing to bet that your Vette doesn't look as good as your leg. Lucky man!
Lance
Given the experiences where I've had two hips replaced and in one day both knees replaced I can attest that they do amazing things nowadays.
Good luck and do whatever they tell you. Good that you are home. I'd be willing to bet that your Vette doesn't look as good as your leg. Lucky man!
Lance
Be happier you'er alive! As for the pic. That was Awsome. too funny
07-03-2011, 05:45 PM
#64
Drifting
I have a friend who was 74 and hit from behind while walking by a teen girl texting at 35 mph and drove off the road and took him out. His leg in addition to other things was compound fractured in three places and they got him through it and today, two years later, he walks a couple miles every other day. Be positive...take the pills as infection including MRSA from the hospital is a real possibility so do everything they tell you and you'll be okay. You will have some interesting rehab. My knees each are 8.5" scars and I could drive 4.5 weeks later but that isn't the same as "normal" knee function which took a year and lots of 2 hour at a time and 28 different exercise rehabs three days a week for a long time.
Who took the photos? Surely not you.
Lance
Who took the photos? Surely not you.
Lance
07-03-2011, 06:03 PM
#65
Drifting
Thread Starter
I'm so sorry to hear about this. I know how excited you were about getting the car and I was happy to pass it along to someone so enthusiastic.
The bottom line is you're safe, although a bit banged up. I have faith you will recover fully and be back in the saddle soon.
You are in our prayers.
The bottom line is you're safe, although a bit banged up. I have faith you will recover fully and be back in the saddle soon.
You are in our prayers.
07-03-2011, 06:07 PM
#66
Drifting
Thread Starter
07-03-2011, 06:14 PM
#67
Drifting
Thread Starter
I have regular car insurance guys. I haven't gotten that involved as of yet been sleep mostly. My brother is Insurance agent I gave him all info so far its in his hands
07-03-2011, 07:46 PM
#68
Melting Slicks
Sorry to hear about your accident. Your PT is your new best freind! It won't be easy, but DO YOUR EXERCISES!! Took me about a year to get to 100%, so don't get discouraged. Keep posting with your progress. 
07-03-2011, 08:02 PM
#69
Drifting
Mick is right, your physical therapist can be your best buddy. They tend to be a combination of Florence Nightengale (men or women) supporting you and then a concentration camp guard alternately pushing you. They do marvelous work quietly each day.
If you haven't been through it before here's how it will work over time. You do an exercise that is very hard for you at first and you sweat and grimace, maybe even really secretly hurt enough to be worried that it will never get better. An example with the knees from mine. They had me warm up with some exercises then there was one where they put a small traffic cone on a flat spot between my legs just in front of them while standing on solid ground between two hand rails sort of like a set of gymnastics parallel bars you hold for support. You stand flat footed with the 12" high cone in front and between in my case for exercise for knees. You pick your leg up and tap the top with your foot and alternate, do it 10 times then 20 times then 30 times as you get better at it (among many other exercises as you progress over the weeks). Then one day she is watching and sees that you can do it rather fast and without holding onto the railings so this Florence Nightingale smiling PT asks if you are doing okay with it. You say, "sure, this is easy!" feeling really good. That's the exact instant that she brings a new traffic cone out from behind her back that is 18" high along with a 2" thick foam pad for you to stand on while you do it and you are back to square one again being pushed to more flex, balance, muscle, performance. It's a task of a thousand tiny victories that adds up to real change over time.
If you haven't been through it before here's how it will work over time. You do an exercise that is very hard for you at first and you sweat and grimace, maybe even really secretly hurt enough to be worried that it will never get better. An example with the knees from mine. They had me warm up with some exercises then there was one where they put a small traffic cone on a flat spot between my legs just in front of them while standing on solid ground between two hand rails sort of like a set of gymnastics parallel bars you hold for support. You stand flat footed with the 12" high cone in front and between in my case for exercise for knees. You pick your leg up and tap the top with your foot and alternate, do it 10 times then 20 times then 30 times as you get better at it (among many other exercises as you progress over the weeks). Then one day she is watching and sees that you can do it rather fast and without holding onto the railings so this Florence Nightingale smiling PT asks if you are doing okay with it. You say, "sure, this is easy!" feeling really good. That's the exact instant that she brings a new traffic cone out from behind her back that is 18" high along with a 2" thick foam pad for you to stand on while you do it and you are back to square one again being pushed to more flex, balance, muscle, performance. It's a task of a thousand tiny victories that adds up to real change over time.
07-03-2011, 10:17 PM
#70
Drifting
Thread Starter
No PT. Yet, all I can do is wiggle my toes for 3 weeks. My leg has to stay elevated and pretty much relaxed so that the muscles that were moved can fuse correctly
07-03-2011, 10:31 PM
#71
Burning Brakes
you got the order wrong................
07-03-2011, 10:49 PM
#72
Le Mans Master
Member Since: Sep 2000
Location: DFW TX
Posts: 9,078
Likes: 0
Received 7 Likes
on
4 Posts
Cruise-In VII Veteran
St. Jude Donor '07
Ouch, kinda glad you posted the pics. Sometimes you need to see things like that to make yourself slow down and be a little more careful.
07-04-2011, 12:44 AM
#74
Drifting
07-05-2011, 08:35 AM
#76
Le Mans Master
Member Since: Mar 2008
Location: Oxford MA-----You just lost the game!!!!
Posts: 5,948
Likes: 0
Received 62 Likes
on
52 Posts
Mmmmmmm.................morphine........ .......*drool*
I was once on a morphine drip for a week. People think I'm joking when I say it was the best week of my life, but I am serious. It was awesome!
Scott
07-05-2011, 09:00 AM
#77
Drifting
I'm glad you are okay and hope you continue your recovery without more than the normal issues. We will all be thinking about you and sending positive energy to you.
If you are alert enough from pain meds and want to share, exactly what was the situation when you lost control of the car on the wet? Did the posi cause your rear end to spin and hydroplane on some water in a corner or did you hit a puddle straight on with too much speed and hydroplane? Maybe there's something others of us with these cars can learn from your experience.
Can you piece together what happened that you lost control of the car now or is that all gone given the trauma?
If it's too much to ask, just ignore it. In my case when healing up I ended up doing a lot of thinking once I was off heavy pain meds cause there wasn't much else to do for a while.
Lance
If you are alert enough from pain meds and want to share, exactly what was the situation when you lost control of the car on the wet? Did the posi cause your rear end to spin and hydroplane on some water in a corner or did you hit a puddle straight on with too much speed and hydroplane? Maybe there's something others of us with these cars can learn from your experience.
Can you piece together what happened that you lost control of the car now or is that all gone given the trauma?
If it's too much to ask, just ignore it. In my case when healing up I ended up doing a lot of thinking once I was off heavy pain meds cause there wasn't much else to do for a while.
Lance
07-05-2011, 04:48 PM
#79
Drifting
Thread Starter
Lance,
I feel I've been trying to figure this out myself. This is what I remember...
Driving through a light rain, which becomes a downpour(imagine shaking salt out of a shaker and then the top false off)
Back end drifted to the left, I felt like gained control
Immediately after feeling like I had control I remember having an "oh fuc$" feeling because I then felt like all 4 wheels came off the ground and the car went into a helicoptor spin. I had to spin at least 3 times and would have kept spinning..if...well...yeah
At this point though this is all that runs through my head...I have felt a car hydroplane before....this felt like I was on ice.
Also to note...the street had been repathed within a week or two.
Some might wonder why I was in the rain,or other questions. I was at my shop my wife n I looked outside and said oh gotta get the car home its starting to rain...so I jumped in and headed home....my shop is 10 mins walking distance door to door less than one minute (56 secs)doing the speed limit with no traffic no light.
I feel I've been trying to figure this out myself. This is what I remember...
Driving through a light rain, which becomes a downpour(imagine shaking salt out of a shaker and then the top false off)
Back end drifted to the left, I felt like gained control
Immediately after feeling like I had control I remember having an "oh fuc$" feeling because I then felt like all 4 wheels came off the ground and the car went into a helicoptor spin. I had to spin at least 3 times and would have kept spinning..if...well...yeah
At this point though this is all that runs through my head...I have felt a car hydroplane before....this felt like I was on ice.
Also to note...the street had been repathed within a week or two.
Some might wonder why I was in the rain,or other questions. I was at my shop my wife n I looked outside and said oh gotta get the car home its starting to rain...so I jumped in and headed home....my shop is 10 mins walking distance door to door less than one minute (56 secs)doing the speed limit with no traffic no light.
07-05-2011, 05:57 PM
#80
Drifting
Dose11...Thanks for taking the energy and time to type what you remember. I can't comment on actual experience driving my 76 with posi rear end and 10" wide versus oem 8" or less wide tires front and rear in the rain because I've only driven it a couple times in sprinkles but I've always read that the first 15 minutes of a rain storm are the worst because it adds water to the natural oils, tiny particles of rubber from tires and other things, either left on the road or in your case possibly on the new tarmac materials until it washes away. I like my 255 mm wide tires as they grip terrifically on dry roads but if mine were at all smooth or less than brand new I've wondered how fast they could wick water out of that ten inch face to actually let the ribber touch and have traction. I don't know but I've been prepared to be cautious.
My reason for thinking about it initially was the VIR track day May 5 (turned out to be 70 and dry) with its 17 turns and the fact that they run Rain or Shine. Less throttle, smoother braking and shifting was the advice all the way around as posi under throttle will break the back end loose with less traction more readily I read when I asked others.
When you first started to lose the rear end if you touched the throttle or brakes at all in any of that sequence my guess is you could inadvertently have created an exxagerated swing in the rear end and if there was 1/8-1/4" of new gusher rain that hadn't washed away it might very well have felt like ice. Our cars aren't lightweights at 3540#'s...weighed mine on public scale without me in it two months ago....but with my 10" face width tires I've often though I could be driving a snowboard under certain circumstances in rain especially heavy rain, curvy roads and any braking or throttle in any gear that was less than the speed or put tension to the back wheels. Same thing might happen to me so you're probably not alone. Takes experience to even remotely anticipate it I'd guess that I don't have. I was going to practice on their big concrete skid pad if it was raining first but that didn't come up with a dry day.
There's probably somebody on the forum that knows the answers to all this but when I looked on the racing forum before the comments were general because there aren't a lot of races in the rain but there are some track days rain or shine like VIR was.
If someone knows, it would be good to share 'cause positraction rear ends combined with enough torque and independent suspension has to drive differently than non posi in a car with no torque on less than grip surfaces.
Glad you are well. Hope your day wasn't too tough and that you are coping. You will have some tough days but you will heal. Keep it clean and use antibiotics....
Lance
My reason for thinking about it initially was the VIR track day May 5 (turned out to be 70 and dry) with its 17 turns and the fact that they run Rain or Shine. Less throttle, smoother braking and shifting was the advice all the way around as posi under throttle will break the back end loose with less traction more readily I read when I asked others.
When you first started to lose the rear end if you touched the throttle or brakes at all in any of that sequence my guess is you could inadvertently have created an exxagerated swing in the rear end and if there was 1/8-1/4" of new gusher rain that hadn't washed away it might very well have felt like ice. Our cars aren't lightweights at 3540#'s...weighed mine on public scale without me in it two months ago....but with my 10" face width tires I've often though I could be driving a snowboard under certain circumstances in rain especially heavy rain, curvy roads and any braking or throttle in any gear that was less than the speed or put tension to the back wheels. Same thing might happen to me so you're probably not alone. Takes experience to even remotely anticipate it I'd guess that I don't have. I was going to practice on their big concrete skid pad if it was raining first but that didn't come up with a dry day.
There's probably somebody on the forum that knows the answers to all this but when I looked on the racing forum before the comments were general because there aren't a lot of races in the rain but there are some track days rain or shine like VIR was.
If someone knows, it would be good to share 'cause positraction rear ends combined with enough torque and independent suspension has to drive differently than non posi in a car with no torque on less than grip surfaces.
Glad you are well. Hope your day wasn't too tough and that you are coping. You will have some tough days but you will heal. Keep it clean and use antibiotics....
Lance