Broken arm the day before setting off. Any thoughts?

[Cal_Ward]

So, job quit, stuff put into storage, transfers and ferries booked, final day in Barcelona before setting off on the trip around the EU.

Traffic is a nightmare in BCN and it's often quicker and easier to use the city bicycles than ride the motorbike for short journeys. I was wrapping up a few last minute things ready to leave the next morning.

The city-bicycles are often not in the best shape but I'd not had any serious problems before - just creaking brakes and slipped gears. I was keeping up a good pace to stay with the traffic, pedalling at a steady rate, I pushed down with the right foot and suddenly all the resistance disappeared as the chain came off before jamming. The bike tumbled to the right, I hit the ground hard and scraped along the road.

I was in quite a daze, some passers by helped me to a nearby pharmacy. Looking at my right hand, it didn't quite look like it was supposed to and there was an unusual crunching sensation on moving it. I went quite light headed at first feeling sick before the adrenaline kicked in and I was able to think somewhat clearly.

What followed were eight hours in A&E, x-rays, waiting, the bizarre sensation of being put on gas and a strange echoing pain whilst two doctors wrapped ropes around my fingers and pulled hard to put my dislocated wrist back in position. The main thing was the overall diagnosis though - a complex, interarticular fracture to the radius of the right arm. Surgery required the following week. Most certainly no motorcycle trip around Europe the next day.

Just over a week has passed since then. I've had the surgery and am now sporting a titanium plate in the right arm. Recovery seems to be going well. It's now just a question of what I do next.

The doctor recommended three months before getting on a motorbike, but said I should have use of the arm in a few weeks.

I'd like to set off on the trip as soon as possible, but don't want to rush it if doing so would be unsafe. The only thing is that if I delay the trip any more than a month, it would mean most of the trip would be riding through the European Autumn and Winter. Cold. Wet. Doable. But not necessarily much fun.

So, I wanted to know if anyone has had any similar experiences with unforeseen delays? Broken arms? Recovery times? When they got back on a motorbike?

I'd put a lot of time and money into setting the trip up and I'm in the process of trying to decide whether to press ahead this year as soon as I feel my arm is usable or to cut my losses, find a new job for the time being and delay setting off until next year.

Any thoughts and advice welcome - cheers!

[Cal_Ward]

Got to see the funny side of things though...

[eurasiaoverland]

Damn, that really sucks!

Last year I had a big trip planned, but I went so deep into rebuilding the truck I bought for the trip that I couldn't make it. So totally different circumstances, but similar result. I was pushing departure further into the northern autumn / winter. In the end I decided to delay by a year and will be leaving in a couple of months' time to make the trip with more time and a (hopefully!) totally sorted truck.

The key difference perhaps is that my trip is just a couple of months, and it is during leave from a full-time job. It sounds as if you are going on a longer trip though.

I've previously made a 4.5 year long trip, and the start of that was also almost fubared by going to Romania and (surprise surprise) getting robbed. In that instance I had as much time as I wanted, so I just worked things out and carried on with a delay of a month getting some new kit. My plans in Ukraine and Moldova had to be postponed, and I came back to see them over 4 years later, at the very end of the same trip.

So... I would say that if your trip is of a few weeks / months, delay it to next year.

If it is an open ended, multi year trip, just go as soon as you are fit. In this case, I would assume you are heading for the Middle East / Asia, in which case you can just go faster through Europe... it's an easy place to come back to. If it means altering your trip a bit, then do it, that's one of the great joys of being free from commitments. New windows will open. If you've made the decision to cut everything off and hit the road, then don't turn back!

As for your arm, make sure it heals properly, don't let it ruin whatever trip you have planned.

Good luck,

EO

[Scrabblebiker]

You look relatively young and still have lots of life ahead of you. I can tell you from personal experience (I'm in my mid 50's) that broken bones can still hurt decades down the road, especially if they weren't allowed to heal properly. You don't say for how long you were planning to travel, but I like eurasiaoverland's advice. Delay the trip if possible and don't let the travel urge make things worse for you in the long term.

[Snakeboy]

As a nurse with years of experience from an orthopedic trauma ward I can say that fractured bones heals a lot slower than most people thinks. For example one year for a relatively simple ankle fractur to heal is not uncommon. And its not only about bones themselves - muscles and joints and ligaments will be almost unused because of that the fractured bones will need fixation, eitherwith a cast or with surgery with no movement possibilities for muscles and tissue - and this again leads to muscle atrophy. So muscles, ligaments and joints will need some rehabilitation and some time to get back to normal again....

I had a similar fracture as you describe - although in the wrist and not requireing surgery, just had to have the arm in a cast for two months. And after those two months most of my muscles were gone so I needed several weeks to work my muscles and strenght back to normal. So a similar but less complicated fracture than you but I wasnt fit to ride a motorbike for about 3-4 months after that fracture.

So I think no motorbiking for at least 3-4 months after surgery. If you can - postpone your travel. If you already arranged time off work/studies - find something else to do. Maybe travel by other means, backpacking etc.

Remember what Bob Marley sings - "When one door closes, many more will open"

[Cal_Ward]

Hello all,

Many thanks for all of the good advice - not necessarily what I wanted to hear but it chimes with what I know if the more sensible decision.

Had the surgery to put the metal plate in in. Quite a long scar down the inside of my wrist (about 4 inches or 10cm) and still lacking quite a lot of flexibility - but very glad to have the cast off in the Barcelona summer heat.

Before the cast came off, the lack of pain and returning strength to my hand had me thinking it might just be possible to leave at the end of this month. Now the cast's off and I've been able to properly judge the state of my arm, it's clear that motorcycling is out of the question for the time being.

Here are the shots from just after the accident, after the doctors had pulled everything back into position, and after the surgery:



For now I'm looking for a new flat and will need to get another job to tide me over till next year. Not where I had hoped to be at this time but you have to look on the bright side - plenty more time to prepare the route and pick out key places to visit. And when I finally do set off it'll be all the more enjoyable for the wait.

[mollydog]

All the best for a full recovery! For me, once the bones mostly healed, doing Physical Therapy really helped regain full range of motion and eventually full strength. Lots of hard work!

It took months to heal and a few surgeries ... but I had a compound tibia fracture.

Let the bone heal then work like Hell with PT to break down the stiff scar tissue and get your muscles and ligaments stretched back out, strong and flexible again. (this can be really hard!) A good PT team really helped me get full recovery.

[Squily]

I think Snakeboy's advice is the best and safest, but....

When faced with a 'do I cancel?' decision some years ago after fracturing my ankle, I thought bugger it. I'd be in pain sitting at home on the couch or riding. So two days after the 2nd operation (which I made the doctor bring forward by two weeks), I started riding. Sure it hurt, but the recovery time for my soul was much faster. And I still have fond memories of removing stitches with an leatherman and side-cutter sitting in a wet Innesdale LOL...

I just opted to take it easy and slow. If it hurt too much, I stopped. The view from a secluded beach was much better than that in my living room.

Whatever you decide - good luck

[EMBEE]

From my own experience seek advice from a physiotherapist ASAP to begin building up the strength in the muscles that have been dormant for several weeks. As stated in earlier posts it is not a quick fix (eight months after a shattered wrist for me), but exercising correctly and frequently, will speed your return to motorcycling.

[farqhuar]

I'm definitely in the "bugger it, keep riding" category.

Over the past 45 years of riding I have had numerous injuries:
A broken gear change toe (after 2 days I took the cast off, bought a pair of steel capped boots and continued riding
A broken tibia (during the second month in plaster I learnt how to hoist the cast up on the engine case) and rode that way.
Bilateral broken wrists (collies fracture - both ulna and radius fractured in both arms) and fractured ankle, I continued to drive my car with my arms in plaster (very slow to turn the wheel) but had to wait 6 weeks for the casts to be removed before I could ride again.
A broken right fibula. I continued to ride regardless and ignored the surgeon's advice to have it set.
A broken left fibula and ankle fracture. I also ignored the surgeon's advice and continued riding.

Yes, it does take a good 12-18 months for the muscle atrophy to recover from incapacitation (this is why I try and avoid it) and yes, you will feel restricted and have aches and pains for a year or two after the injury was caused; but it's not enough to keep me off a bike.

As someone who has spent many years working in orthopaedic operating theatres I know enough to avoid letting a surgeon place any metal in my body (unless absolutely necessary) as it brings its own risk of infection and significantly extends the recovery period.

I think that is why you are having to postpone your trip Cal. Had you not had the pins put in I'm sure you would now be back on the bike.

I can also relate to the bicycle accident as I am still nursing on a sore shoulder (ligament damage) 18 months after falling heavily from my bike when I got the front wheel stuck in a Melbourne tram track.

Get better soon.

[k1322]

Oh crap. Was about to look into your progress and when to expect you in Stockholm.

Similar thing happened to my traveling partners collar bone, just before we were heading of on a 3 month journey. We waited a year. It was the correct decision, the time for additional preparation payed off well.

Shit will happen. Its the way how you deal with shit that determines the outcome of ones adventure.

Heal up, get stronger and go at it again.

[xfiltrate]

I am very curious and you might be too: web site:

Biorhythm Calculator

enter your birthdate upper left of the web page in the proper space
and enter the date of your accident and check your Biorhythm.

In Japan, factory workers wear a red button on days that their "physical" according to their biorhythm are low, and are not permitted to undertake risky work.

We use this chart to indicate the days we should be extra careful and avoid risky situations. Once in southern Colombia without checking her biorhythm, rosa del desierto broke 3 toes when her bike fell on her....on the Trampoline del Diablo- perhaps if she had checked her biorhythm she might have been more vigilant and avoided the accident. Her "physical" biorhythm was at the lowest point possible on the day of the acicdent.

xfiltrate eat, drink and always check your biorhythm

PS: I just checked my biorhythm and to my surprise today 12aug17 my intellectual indicator is 100%. You can also check emotional and physical - my physical today is very low - so I will be careful when I go on that "wine walk" downtown Flagstaff later.

[xfiltrate]

Here is one for the books - yesterday, my bio rhythm chart told me I was at 100% intellectually and but my physical was very low - so I went on the Wine Walk fund raiser for Flagstaff's Soroptimist Club - all about women, and no I did not fall and break anything, but I did win 44 bottles of premium wine for a $5.00 raffle ticket. Go Figure?

So you are all invited for wine and conversation at our "Spy Bar" in the Noble Barn at Rancho Los Rosales, Flagstaff, Arizona.

Eat, Drink at the Spy Bar and check you Bio Rhythms

xfiltrate