ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET!!!
I feel incredibly fortunate at the overall outcome from my recent crash at the Charles River Wheelmen Century (100 mile bike ride) this past Sunday. I met Brett Rutledge in Littleton for a beautiful fall century that traveled the back roads of New Hampshire. We started close to 8 am at a brisk and steady pace, and spent the first 60 miles passing other riders that started earlier than us. We were descending the final big climb at about the 65 mile mark and we came upon a guy riding very “squirrelly” on the right side of the road. We yelled “On your left” as we passed at 35-40 mph, and just as I was passing him, the cyclist panicked and turned 90 degrees left… right in front of me.
I hit him square in the hips with my left shoulder, then catapulted over him and landed on my head, and neck. I guess I was out cold for a bit, but when I got up I noticed my left shoulder was dislocated posteriorly, and while I was asking the guy what the *&^% he was doing swerving like that my shoulder popped back in place. I knew my thoracic vertebrae (T-4-T8) were crunched, and that my ribs were a mess, but had no idea I had broken my neck (C-6 and C-7). The EMTs strapped me to a back board and rushed me to the closest hospital (St. Joseph’s Trauma Center in Nashua, NH).
I had excellent care the whole time there. My CAT scan and X-rays revealed: Fractures to my neck (C-6 and C-7);Thoracic fractures at (T-4 through T8); Fractured ribs 1,3,5,7 and 8 on left and rib 2 in 3 places on the right; left lung bruise; a dislocated left shoulder at the humeral head; an avulsion fracture of left wrist at the styloid process of ulna; and a severe concussion. They released me from the hospital in 2 days!!! I believe they let me go home so soon because I was able to forego the narcotic pain-relievers and I was up walking.
Amazingly there was NO BRAIN DAMAGE OR SPINAL CORD INJURY!!! THANK GOD!!!
Thank you to all the MRCers (Minuteman Road Club) here in Massachusetts, and to my other cycling friends from South Carolina, your good wishes are doing wonders for my mind set right now. A special thanks goes out to my wife Clair for putting up with another “horrific” crash, and my Dad (a retired physician) for flying up here to visit from Florida…Thank you to my new co-workers and new patients at Performance Health Center…Thank you all!
I believe this experience will allow me to be an even better doctor, as I am learning first-hand the significance and experiences of a neck and spine injury. The human body is capable of amazing things. I believe that with the right attitude, excellent health-care, and proper nutrition we can recover from many seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
My goal is to get back to Performance Health Center ASAP so that I can continue to help as many people as possible get out of pain and to help them reach their optimal health.
PLEASE, PLEASE ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET, mine was completely split and crushed on the inside, and it no doubt saved my life!
Happy and Healthy wishes to you all, Dr. Thomas C. Ball