Broken Hip & A $18K Hospital Bill Out For 12 Weeks!

[Nasgul]

Taht's right, on August 18th I had the most ridiculous accidents I've ever had since 1992.

There I was going down hill at about 12 mph and suddendly I decided to check what gear I was on but I knew there were 4 people ahead of me......then for a split second when I looked down and then looked up? There he was.

Some old fella on a mountain bike and when I looked up my first reaction was to pass him becasue I was so close but too late. When my instinct of passing took over, I clipped his rear wheel with my front wheel and I was going about 10mph....

So, I saw my front wheel go right and I started to see the ground closer and closer and closer till I hit it. I didn't roll my bike has no major scratches at all, shifters perfectly fine, pedals, saddle.........everything except for the rear skewer.

People that saw me going down stopped and asked if I was okay, I said yes, maybe just a bruise thigh muscle, I'll be fine but they stayed with me. 15 min later I couldnt' move my left side because I was having some pain..........25 min later? Ambulance time, the pain had intensified badly.

So, I got in the ambulance, 2 shots of morphine, pain still there.....got to the hospital and two more shot of morphine, pain still there......doc says: Okay, Xray time. The Xray showed a broken hip..............40 min later surgery and 3 5" screws holding my hip. 3 days in the hospital and no bike riding till next year. It sucks!

So far, it's been 4 weeks almost and the pain is pretty much gone except for my quadricep which hurts a little still but I'll be out of work for 8 more weeks for a total of 12 weeks.

I have short (and long) terms disability, so I'll be getting paid for those 12 weeks and I'm going back to work on Nov 12.

This is what my hip looks like (not the exact xray but an idea of what I've seen):

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And the hospital bill........which the insurance is paying for:

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Doc says that I'll be fine and able to go bike riding again.......and this time I'll pay more attention.

 

[tiggere]

damn dude...thats all I got to say about that...Hope you get better soon...

 

[kdelong]

Glad you had the insurance! Don't be surprised if you hear of insurance agents using this post to sell policies. Unfortunately people only think of insurance twice, when someone tries to sell it to them, and when they need it. Hope you get well soon. Talk to the doc and he may allow you to do some light trainer work when you've had a little time to heal. Just be thankful that it wasn't worse!

 

[CAMPYBOB]

I wish you a fast recovery, Nasgul!

I was riding with a fellow that clipped the wheel of the rider ahead of him as we climbed a small hill. Like you, he went down slow and 'easy'...it didn't look like a bad fall in any way.

Unfortunately, he broke his Femur also and I can attest to how painful that can be.

Morphine? Just knock me out!

 

[alienator]

I feel your pain, literally. I did mine 2.5 years ago, also on the bike.

You need to bug your doc about getting into physical therapy as soon as he thinks it's possible. PT can get you back on the bike faster, help you manage pain, and help prevent your body from compensating in the wrong ways for your injury and any skeletal changes.

I was in the hospital for 4 days before being transferred to a rehab hospital for another 4 days. I was in therapy a few days after that, and I continued therapy for 6 months. 6 weeks after the accident I was back on the bike, with the main fracture completely healed.

As you prolly have figured out, the biggest pain is from the muscles damaged in surgery. In a perverse twist, young folks have hip fractures that are typically much more painful than those of the elderly. All that healthy, toned muscle around the hip gets the short end of things courtesy of the surgeons scalpel. Take the pain meds. As several docs/surgeons have told me, the meds allow you to do more in physical therapy, which helps heal faster....yada yada yada.

You'll probably want to ask your doc about your risk for Avascular Necrosis--it's what caused Floyd Landis to need hip replacement surgery. It's a condition wherein blood flow to the femoral head is severely compromised, causing necrosis of the femoral head. A person can be at risk for it up to 2 years post surgery. Perhaps your risk is very small given that you only have screws. I dunno. Ask your doc.

You'll also want to pay close attention to how you're riding and if your having pain on the bike, once you get back on the bike. Pain can be a sign that your body geometry has changed and requires a change in bike fit.

Good luck, man.

 

[Pegasos]

Is it so easy for a hip to break? May i ask how old are you?

Wishes for a fast and full recovery and least possible pain during the procedure...

 

[Pegasos]

Are these screws "for ever" by the way, or should they be replaced in due time?

 

[pistole]

- jeez , sorry to hear about your accident ...

- everytime I read a thread like this , begin to wonder why we
get on a bike at all .. that is till we ride again ....

- get well soon.

.

 

[Yojimbo_]

Sounds like you got off easy.

When I did mine, I shattered the trocanter (that's the bone just below the hip). Got a huge hip screw and 6 more little ones to hold it all together.

It took me a long time to recover (4 months off work and then hobble to work for 1/2 days with a cane for a few more months) because of the damage to the surrounding muscle. I agree with Alienator though - get into PT as soon as possible and stick at it for as long as you can.

It took me over a year to recover, and my leg is noticeably weaker than it was before. I still feel it when I walk (did mine in 2001).

Best of luck to you.

 

[fleshbroiler]

Good luck with the hip. Its amazing how fast things add up in the hospital. I had to have a stent implanted back in January. I was in the hospital < 30 hours and the bill was $48K and change.

-fb

 

[alienator]

Are these screws "for ever" by the way, or should they be replaced in due time?

As long as implanted hardward doesn't cause any issues, it usually stays in.

 

[alienator]

Is it so easy for a hip to break? May i ask how old are you?

Certain dynamics in an accident will easily bust a hip, dynamics like a fall from 3 or 4 feet right onto pavement and your hip. Anything will break under the right conditions.

 

[tt1106]

Yeow. I hope everything heals well. Humans are tough yet fragile. I have a friend who's coming back from a tough crash. By himself, hits a pothole and drops his bike. Ends up with a broken collar bone, 2 broken ribs. He's now coming along nicely.
He did it on Jun 21. This past week he rode 23 miles and ran 5.5 miles.
Good luck on your recovery. I crashed on a set of RR tracks a couple of weeks ago.
Ended up with a bruised bike and ego.

 

[JTE83]

This all makes me reconsider working out in the dark with a good HID light to light my path. I might hit a pothole, flip over, and break some bones. Not good when I don't have insurance, except for my free Medicare.

Broken bone suck big time. I broke my arm in 6th grade and it was such a hassle.

 

[Nasgul]

Is it so easy for a hip to break? May i ask how old are you?

Wishes for a fast and full recovery and least possible pain during the procedure...

Just like alienator said, it's the way you fall.

I've fallen about 6 or 7 times and the most serious one, was when I was standing on the bike trying to pull that trick that some guys do which they come to a complete stop and still standing on the bike balancing themselves and the bike.

Well, I tried but it didn't work, I fell down and I hurt my wrist, couldn't grab anything for a couple of days, it wasn't broken, just torn my tendon or something and another was when I took this turn too fast and fell down, slide for about 8 feet till a post stopped me and hit it with my head (had helmet of course) and I couldn't sleep for about 3 days because the pain on my neck.

So, I've had worst accidents on my bike previously but this one had to be the most ridiculous way and most damaged I've ever caused to myself.

I'm 36 now and been riding since 1992.

I can feel almost no pain now in my hip area but I do feel the muscle getting weak, and I've lost some muscle definition as well, and even the muscle in my left side where the injury was feels weak.

And thank you for the wishes fellas.......I have a trainer at home, in another 4 weeks, I'll put the bike on and start some exercise for my leg at home.

And I'll sure consult with the doc about that Avascular Necrosis you mentioned alienator, my next visit is on Oct 8th.

Thanks everybody.

 

[vascdoc]

Just like alienator said, it's the way you fall.

And I'll sure consult with the doc about that Avascular Necrosis you mentioned alienator, my next visit is on Oct 8th.

Thanks everybody.

My understanding of avascular necrosis is not necessarily related to the surgery but rather the injury itself. It involves the blood supply to the acetabular region ( the head of the femur). A fracture across the neck of the femur can disrupt the blood supply and over time the articular surface of the head of the femur degenerates. This is the problem Landis experienced. It can also be caused by excessive consumption of alcohol.