I broke my neck.

Damn, after watching that helmet video I don't know how you are still with us. Best wishes on you recovery and future riding.

 

Quick update. Four-ish weeks post surgery. Doing really well overall. Glad to be doing as well as I am, but still sucks being in a collar 24/7. Hoping to talk with the surgeon and see when I can start weaning off if it. I’m technically supposed to be cleared for work again on May 12th. So I want to figure out the schedule of working towards that.

I feel pretty good. No real pain at all. Totally off of painkillers. On one other med until the 3 months is done.

Picked up a 3D printer and spent the last couple days building that with my dad. I’ve enjoyed the company and I think he has too. Hardest part has been avoiding boredom. Normally 3 months off work would be heaven, but when you can’t drive or pretty much do anything fun, it’s not the same.

 

They never weaned me off the brace. I wore it every day, 24/7 for 7 weeks when I was released to start riding again....after initially being told that I would be in the brace 8-11 weeks. A friend of mine fractured his as well a year later (no surgery either) and didn't wear his religiously and he ended up not being able to ride for 12-13 weeks. I know it sucks but keep following the rules

 

Yea I have no problem wearing until told I’m good. Just be nice to have a while to get back to semi-normal and get used to regular life again at least a few weeks before having to work.

 

Not applicable to unfortunate "accepted risk" accidents but related to mtb accidents in general, as bikes get increasingly more capable each year, I wonder if the risk goes up because that increased capability allows for higher speeds over chunder and the ability to ride trails or lines that were almost unthinkable years ago for a wider level of riders?
I remember reading a mtb editorial awhile back about how much of the thrill of mtb riding was the ability to discover/push your limits and that most innovations (better, longer travel suspension, disc brakes, carbon, geometry, electric motors, etc.) mechanically increase our limits so we're riding at much higher speeds in chunder and taking black diamond trails/lines we couldn't years ago to get the same adrenaline rush thus exponentially increasing risk/consequences (falling at higher speeds in more vertical, rougher terrain).
Guess I could argue most innovations allow for a more safe way to play closer to the limits (but you have to have the maturity to know your limits) but can definitely see both sides.

 

I don’t doubt that at all. Definitely bigger moves and higher speeds have more risks if things go wrong. Obviously more of it is the rider and their capabilities.