I’m not sure if anyone really wants to hear all about my accident and the thoughts I was having and still have but figured I would at least have it out there if you are.
So back to Saturday September 11th. Our trip was from Traverse City, MI to Battle Creek, MI. We had a good start and it was a beautiful day. We had a long ride 280 some miles.
I had noticed that my bike wasn’t sounding the best, something was slightly off. I am no professional but I am learning more and more about my bike to know what sounds right and what doesn’t. Cruella was having some problems making her way up small hills.
We ended up having to pull over because something was going on with Mikes bike. I apologize I don’t remember what anymore. There’s been a lot of things going wrong 😂
Jerry and deb were riding with us which is always fun!
Jerry checking my spark plugs. Now I knew how to and what it all meant.
After that my bike was running better just not fantastic, and they were able to make Mikes work just fine. We were told that the sweeper van was 20 minutes behind us if they didn’t stop to pick someone else up.
We ended up on our way. We stopped at a big gas station a little later and took a small break, checked spark plugs, turned my idle up, ate some meat sticks and hydrated. Not realizing we were the end of the line… we quickly left. I was having a hard time because it was in an incline and having just reset the idle I kept killing it. I eventually got it after we turned the idle down again (by the way I’m not sure if I’m saying up and down correctly with the idle, I’ve got a lot to learn). We hurried on our way and the sweepers waited for us to get ahead.
During this ride I was the leader - I had learned quickly how to read the map and be semi good at it, plus I always looked for the guys behind me in case something had happened and needed to stop. During this time I was thinking to myself “Wow this is such a freaking cool experience, here I am doing this not so normal thing with my stepdad and uncle. And how bonded we will be because of this. On top of that all the amazing scenery I get to see”. I was also thinking about how excited I was to experience the rest of the trip on the motorcycle. Even though I had killed it at that gas station- I definitely felt like I was getting the hang of the clutch and throttle and really able to enjoy it. I truly can’t tell you how excited I was.
We again stopped at a gas station and had to go quick because the sweeper was behind us. They were nice and waiting for us. Taking a short break for themselves. Mike had told us we should pick up the pace which is completely legitimate because when you have three old ass motorcycles it’s hard to know what’s a good and easy speed for everyone. And by pick up the speed I mean we were going 45, we should probably go 50. So not breaking any laws or being outrageous by any means. I was excited - got a need for speed!
Mike and I had pulled out of the gas station and Larry had gotten stuck behind some traffic or at a light. We kept going because we knew he would catch up at some point. I was passing other riders (which is just something you do because some bikes can’t go as fast as others) and Mike had gotten stuck behind someone. So we were separated. I decided to just keep going again not for any particular reason, just that I was enjoying the ride and Mike and Larry would have just told me to keep going anyway. They couldn’t have been too far behind me.
I came up on a small town, later to find out it was called Greenville. It had that small town vibe but boy was it busy with traffic. If you ask anyone that drives these old motorcycles is that they don’t like driving them in traffic. It’s a lot of work. I was feeling super confident, not anxious just knowing I knew what I was doing. There was stop lights and traffic and I was eventually following a Uhaul. I wasn’t following too far behind them, I never do, these old bikes don’t have good brakes. I was waiting at a light going slowly, because once you stop it’s hard to get going again. The light was 100% green, but I guess I got out of the look of the light and according to the people in the Uhaul it had turned yellow. Regardless, they slammed on their brakes and stopped really fast.
I obviously first reacted by slamming on my brakes. But I quickly knew I wasn’t going to be able to stop. I had good brakes for an older bike. So, I tried to weave to avoid. I weaved to my right. But I knew I wasn’t going to make that either and I knew I was going to crash. I remember looking down at the wheel and the handle bars and thinking something on the lines of… f*^%. I don’t think I was scared. I wasn’t going fast- I have had my fair share of falls. I was maybe going 5 mph. I honestly was more concerned about the motorcycle- I kid you not.
In that moment I had a million things going on in my head. The top thing was the disappointment I felt in myself. Like I did something to make this happen, or didn’t do something I should have to prevent it.
Another thing was how mad I am for hurting that gorgeous bike that Mike trusted me with, like again, disappointed. Or mad that I disappointed Mike.
I was worried that people would think I was a bad driver. And even more pissed because I am female. I felt like I had let females down. I knew I didn’t have tons of experience like everyone else riding motorcycles and especially these vintage ones. Okay that emotion probably came later.
So I try to avoid the Uhaul. And all of a sudden I am on the ground. I try to get from under the bike but doing so I have to lift my left leg (I fell over onto my right after I hit). When I did this, I just saw my leg kind of hanging there. I had no control over my foot, it just dangled. The bike was revving so I had to stop that. The passenger got out of the truck and asked if I was okay. I don’t remember exactly what I said - but she then asked if she could do anything I said “yea, call 911”. I was actually quite calm. But I needed someone to call Mike. As I was saying that I saw Larry ride up, and I yelled for him, then seconds later Mike was in view. They both came over. A bystander had moved my bike because it was leaking gas. The EMT of the cannonball had shown up at this time.
At this time my big concern was that I had a pulse on my foot. They took my riding boot off, and I could see my toes had color, however, I couldn’t move my foot. By this time there was a lot of people crowded - and a lot was going on. The cops were there asking me questions. I asked Larry to get my wallet from my bike because that’s where my health insurance card was.
EMS showed up and cut my pants - by the way they were new. And then the EMS guy asked if I had any particular love for my sweatshirt and I literally had worn it once or twice and was like - ah yes. So instead of cutting it off he let me just take it off. Same with the other shirt. He let me keep my shirts intact. He put an IV in and told me to look away if I couldn’t handle it. I watched.
They had been talking and found I had an open compound fracture. I had three openings on my leg. When they moved my leg my bone came through at least one of them. I had a puncture wound on my thigh and we were unsure if my femur was involved and broken. The EMS gave me meds because they were going to split my leg. Let me tell you, that pain was like pain I have never experienced in my life. I told Mike he needed to call Mom and tell her. Eventually Mike gave me the phone and I told her I was fine. I told Mike and Larry to continue on to get their miles and I would be fine, the ambulance was there.
During this time the driver of the Uhaul crying. Honestly that was probably bugging me the most. I wasn’t crying and I’m the one that had my leg just hanging there.
The ambulance ride was rough. I felt every bump. The EMS was great. He tried tk get me more meds. They took me to a trauma one hospital. At that point that’s when I started to cry. I don’t even think it was from the pain, I could handle that. I was crying because I was so upset that I wasn’t going to be able to ride. To continue on as a rider in the Cannonball. The EMS worker wiped my tears as they trickled down my cheek.
I got to the emergency department and obviously they wanted to move me. That pain…. was terrible. I am surprised I didn’t tell the F bomb, I survived. They ask all the questions. They examine my leg, give me meds, and take X-rays. Obviously I was extremely scared because I knew the pain was going to be excruciating, and I was right. It was terrible. We took X-rays, and they actually had to restart the machine. In the meantime, mom got to the hospital. Well Nick did too but they would only let one of them in.
When I got back to my room and mom was there and things settled down - I just let all my emotions go. The disappointment I felt in myself, how I thought Mike would be disappointed and how I crashed his super expensive bike (I hadn’t noticed the damage before I left) and then what everyone else would think and being female, young and driving motorcycles. Mom did a great job and reassuring me and making me realize that it was simply an accident and didn’t say anything about my driving or abilities, etc. I also was super emotional about not being able to continue on the ride.
We got news that I did not have a femur fracture but that my tibia and fibula are pretty much completely broken through and maybe even partly crushed slightly. The ED doc told me Ortho would come by. They did, and they cleaned my wounds and wrapped it to stablize it. Mom helped hold my leg, along with another nurse and maybe even another. And the resident orthopedic started cleaning and splinting it. This was the most pain I have ever and honestly probably will ever experience. I was trying to breath and I was trying to keep my scream in. The nurse did great saying “I know it’s painful but you are doing great.” The orthopedic was telling me something like- it’s okay you are fine. And I about kicked him in the face. That’s lesson number one, you never tell someone they are fine or that it’s okay when they are clearly in pain and rightfully so.
They let me decide between a foley and a pure wick. Which I am so grateful they let me not do a pure wick. For all my nursing friends who know what a pure wick is- I truly did not think I could have peed doing that. I opted for a foley and now I know why people don’t want them taken out. I didn’t have to wake up to pee, my bladder was just empty. A foley is just a catheter or a tube that goes up to your bladder and continuously drains your urine. I needed this because I was on bed rest until I had surgery.
They were trying to get me into the OR that night but some other emergency or something happened so they got me in first thing in the morning. That night was rough for pain. My leg had these weird feelings of stinging squeezing that turned out to be spasms. I guess traumatic breaks are known for these spasms. These spasms would wake me up and be extremely painful.
They rolled me down to the preop area and I met everyone on my case and some RN that loved Leopard. Surgery went as expected. They put a titanium rod in my tibia and put four screws in to hold it into place. They made sure my ankle was stable and moved my fibula into place, not needing to do anything more with it because it does not take our weight when we put weight on our legs.
After surgery I remember being freeeeezing. But I spend the night in the hospital and got fitted for a walking boot. Which actually hurt because they had to fit my overly sized foot/ankle/leg into it. They let me walk on it that night as I had to pee and actually got up to the toilet because they took out my foley.
Sunday night I slept the most I think I have ever slept. It was like 8 pm and I was ready to sleep. They kept up with my medications which obviously helped me sleep. I had people reaching out to my right away on Saturday. It was so heartwarming. My phone was blowing up with friends and family, and a ton of people on the Cannonball reached out as well.
Monday I worked with PT and was ready to go. I did have one lady come in who I later read her note and she was quite rude and didn’t know anything about me. Like for example that I would be going back to Minnesota for post op care. And that we had made the decision to go back with the Cannonball and would be moving locations every night. So her coming in with no idea of my situation and trying to tell me things I knew already- yea.. good luck. Sorry not sorry lady- I honestly probably know more than you do. K bye. 😂
Throughout my stay in the hospital mom and I had a lot of discussion on how I would “get” home. And to me there was no question- I wasn’t going home. I had planned for this trip and even though I couldn’t ride anymore I sure wasn’t going to miss out on it. I somehow convinced her that it would be okay for me to travel with them on the rest of the trip. (I even texted Mike for help). She honestly can’t even be mad at my stubbornness, because I get it from her.
We found a walker for 50 bucks near the hospital because it would have taken forever between 3-5 pm to get my walker through the hospital (this was the lady I didn’t like).
Mom was awesome and rented a car and we caught up to the Cannonball crew in South Charleston, WV Monday night. It was probably a 8 hr. She stopped at Walmart to get 4 pillows and a blanket. I was set up in the backseat with no issues. She was concerned I would be in pain because when my leg was broken any movement hurt but I was on some good pain meds and now that the bones were connected I was doing just fine.
Every single person from the crew to the riders have been awesome. I mean truly beyond awesome. Just unimaginable how supportive everyone has been and worried, but encouraging. I get asked left and right how I am doing, how’s my pain, or told I’m a champ for sticking it out and walking around. Words just cannot describe the amount of love I’ve gotten. I even got a T- shirt with a lot of signatures. It is a Harley Davidson shirt but even some of my favorite Indian guys signed it, probably gagging while doing so. 🤣
I even have strangers come up and ask me what happened. And are always surprised I’m walking on it and still following along.
People continue to ask if I will ride again. The answer is YES!!! I am already thinking about riding bikes before Winter comes. And already planning Cannonball 2023!!
Pictures of my injury
Probably a week after the accident - my right leg was bruised pretty much completely as I had landed on my right side.
Getting ready to bust out of the hospital
My X-rays before
