I broke my neck.

Discussion in 'Crash Confessions' started by kazlx, Feb 18, 2021.


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  1. kazlx

    kazlx Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Tustin, CA
    Name:
    Joe
    Current Bike:
    Yeti SB5.5
    I can’t even express how lucky I feel in even what many would consider an unlucky situation.

    On the last day of a few day excursion to Santa Cruz, I crushed my C6 but was walking around for two days before getting admitted. Went home and got X-ray Monday. Fast forward and got admitted Tuesday night. It’s insane I can still walk. It was just fast, a little off line, and got slapped like a $2 hooker.

    Crappy situation, but I should be able to pull out and be fully functional. Had spinal fusion surgery on Thursday. Don’t take anything for granted boys and girls. And wear a helmet. The surgeon said it’s by far the worst he’s seen in his career with that amount of damage and no paralysis. I’m currently feeling pretty good all things considered.

    Theres going to be some soul searching before (if) I return to bikes in any meaningful capacity.

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    Mikie, BigTex, SS Barby and 29 others like this.
  2. mtnbikej

    mtnbikej J-Zilla

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    J
    Current Bike:
    SC Chameleon SS, SC Hightower
    Damn dude.....that's some scary sh*t there. Glad to hear you'll heal up.....but dang.
     
  3. Voodoo Tom

    Voodoo Tom MTB Addict

    Location:
    Castaic
    Name:
    Tom Kokkinakis
    Current Bike:
    Mango one, black one, Ti one
    Oh holly sh!t that's gnarly and still could have been soooooooo much worse. Health and family first. Best wishes on a full recovery and an eventual return to doing what you love...
     
  4. kazlx

    kazlx Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Tustin, CA
    Name:
    Joe
    Current Bike:
    Yeti SB5.5
    It is. It’s heavy and a relief at the same time. I keep tripping on the whole situation. The whole yin/yang or lucky/unlucky of literally every aspect of the entire situation. It’s hard to comprehend. Just happy to feel the ground beneath my feet and what looks like 99%+ functional after all of it. Could easily be dead or anything in between.
     
    Mikie, Oaken, fos'l and 12 others like this.
  5. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR
    Holy Sh!t! That's horrifying and glorious at the same time. It takes very little to go horribly wrong. And then the margin between "I'll get over this" and either death or worse is not something we humans can really comprehend. It truly is a crap shoot, and I am relieved it didn't come up snake eyes for you. Heal well. Heal quickly. Heal completely.

    Holy Sh!t!
     
    Mikie, OTHRider, fos'l and 8 others like this.
  6. kazlx

    kazlx Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Tustin, CA
    Name:
    Joe
    Current Bike:
    Yeti SB5.5
     
    Mikie, Oaken, ~JB~ and 10 others like this.
  7. mtnbikej

    mtnbikej J-Zilla

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    J
    Current Bike:
    SC Chameleon SS, SC Hightower
    Sorry.....no can do. :sick:
     
  8. kazlx

    kazlx Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Tustin, CA
    Name:
    Joe
    Current Bike:
    Yeti SB5.5
    We ready can’t. Stars align a different way and I’m in a chair or dead. On the other hand, shift another way and it’s another crash we’ve all had and you get up and complain how much that sucked and take a lap or day off or have another beer, or maybe wasn’t even a crash. Too much for me to comprehend anyway.
     
    Mikie, ~JB~, OTHRider and 10 others like this.
  9. kazlx

    kazlx Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Tustin, CA
    Name:
    Joe
    Current Bike:
    Yeti SB5.5
    There’s actually nothing crazy in the video. Semi normal crashed. I walked out. I should prob change the title lol
     
  10. Torrent77

    Torrent77 Well-Known Member

    Name:
    Dave
    Glad your okay. Hoping you have a speedy recovery. These times are scary enough without serious injuries.
     
    Mikie, OTHRider, fos'l and 8 others like this.
  11. Runs with Scissors

    Runs with Scissors iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    West Anaheim
    Name:
    Mark Whitaker
    Current Bike:
    Giant XTC with pedals
    Ummm....just gnarly. Amazed you could tell the story. Don't do that again!!!
     
  12. GregMiester

    GregMiester Member

    Location:
    La Verne
    Name:
    Greg
    Current Bike:
    2014 Giant XTC Advanced 2
    Damn, glad to see you got through this crash and are on the mend. That clip was hard to watch even though it's not super clear... the aftermath is still there.

    I had a a bad concussion about 6 years ago and vowed to stick to biking for the exercise only (more climbing, less descents). I don't hold myself to that too strictly today though.

    I hope you get your desire to ride back someday. I can imagine there's some soul searching to come...when something we love doing has such a potential for carnage it's worth some introspection once in a while.

    Wishing you a thorough recovery.
     
    Mikie, OTHRider, fos'l and 10 others like this.
  13. kazlx

    kazlx Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Tustin, CA
    Name:
    Joe
    Current Bike:
    Yeti SB5.5
    If I didn’t have a better half and two young ones it would be an easier decision to make. I still love riding.
     
    Mikie, OTHRider, fos'l and 13 others like this.
  14. Ocpop

    Ocpop Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Mission Viejo
    Name:
    Paul K
    Current Bike:
    Pivot trail
    Sometimes life has a way of reminding you we’re constantly dodging bullets. I’m damn glad you got out as clean as you did. Perhaps you’ll get back on a bike or perhaps not, that’s irrelevant at this point. Here’s to an uneventful and complete recovery and a slightly clearer perspective on life.
     
    Mikie, OTHRider, fos'l and 11 others like this.
  15. bvader

    bvader iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    HB
    Name:
    Mr. Brown
    Wow, I am so glad that I am not reading what could have been another tragic / devastating thread.

    Terrible still but hopeful / thankful yes.

    I am a science guy, and I believe in free will and also like to think there is more there in the background.

    But I do firmly believe life is a series of statistical events... with parameters we willingly choose and others we don't... We can affect where we lie in the continuum of Risk and Life but do not completely control it.

    You sir... Demonstrate all sides of that... Both terribly unlucky and lucky (benefited and suffered the edges of those statistics)

    Glad you are up and running... Extra hugs every day for the family.. each sunrise means more.

    Thanks for not being that other thread.
     
    Mikie, OTHRider, fos'l and 14 others like this.
  16. Cyclotourist

    Cyclotourist iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Redlands
    Name:
    David
    Current Bike:
    Don't fence me in!
    Glad you could (sort of) walk away from this one!

    And luckily, chicks dig scars. Right?
     
    Mikie, OTHRider, fos'l and 10 others like this.
  17. fos'l

    fos'l Well-Known Member

    Name:
    Bob
    Current Bike:
    2005 Santa Cruz Superlight
    Hit the "like", but the only thing I like is you walked away.
     
    Mikie, OTHRider, Cyclotourist and 9 others like this.
  18. Luis

    Luis iMTB Addict

    Location:
    Sylmar
    Name:
    Luis
    Current Bike:
    La Diabla
    O M G

    Sooo glad you’re on the mend. I was afraid to watch the video because of your avatar. I pictured you hucking off of something big and not sticking the landing. It’s actually worse when you’re totally not expecting it and the ground comes up at you fast.
    Now just wait for the scar to heal a bit and get a zipper tattoo to cover it up :speechless:
    Wow, just wow :eek:
     
    Mikie, kazlx, fos'l and 9 others like this.
  19. BonsaiNut

    BonsaiNut iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Troutman, NC
    Name:
    Greg P
    Current Bike:
    Santa Cruz Hightower CC XX1
    Wow! That's what happens when you ride an e-bike :)

    Glad to hear that you are healing up!!
     
    Mikie, kazlx, Cyclotourist and 2 others like this.
  20. SnakeCharmer

    SnakeCharmer iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Front Range, San Gabes
    Name:
    Mike, aka "Ssnake"
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    WOW, just WOW! That was a hard impact. It's a miracle you're functional. Someone above was watching out for you.
     
    Mikie, kazlx, fos'l and 6 others like this.
  21. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR
    "No - I'm good..." Holy Sh!t...
     
    Mikie, kazlx, fos'l and 6 others like this.
  22. blixet

    blixet Well-Known Member

    Location:
    San Gabriel Valley
    Name:
    Tom
    Current Bike:
    Transition Scout, TJ Ti
    Glad you came out of it... want to say OK, but that doesn't even begin to express it. Hope your recovery goes as well as possible.
     
    Mikie, kazlx, fos'l and 3 others like this.
  23. pperrelle

    pperrelle iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Oracle, AZ
    Name:
    Paul
    Current Bike:
    Ripley V4 & Ripmo V2
    Wow, glad to hear that you are up and walking. Scary experience I am sure. Hope that you get a full recovery.
     
    Mikie, mtbMike, kazlx and 4 others like this.
  24. Faust29

    Faust29 Moderator

    Location:
    irgendwo
    Name:
    B. Bunny
    Current Bike:
    I gots some bikes.
    I saw the thread title and was hoping that it was just clickbait. :eek: Reading it, though... I stopped breathing after the first couple sentences and started again around comment 20. HOLY F$CK!

    Wow. Please keep us posted and good luck going forward... I can't imagine.

    Edit: There needs to be a way to hide this thread from our significant others. If mine wanders in here, my bikes will be in the driveway. :confused:
     
    Mikie, OTHRider, kazlx and 10 others like this.
  25. mountaingirl sara

    mountaingirl sara iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    So Cal
    Name:
    Sara
    Current Bike:
    Ibis Ripley
    WOW!
    God has big plans for you Mr! So glad you get to stick around for your family and friends..I’m sure you’ll cherish every moment!
     
    Mikie, kazlx, fos'l and 6 others like this.
  26. mountaingirl sara

    mountaingirl sara iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    So Cal
    Name:
    Sara
    Current Bike:
    Ibis Ripley
    That was difficult to watch...:unsure:
    It’s truly amazing that you were able to walk outta there, especially after seeing how utterly trashed your helmet was!
     
    Mikie, OTHRider, kazlx and 5 others like this.
  27. Stkx66

    Stkx66 iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Southern California
    Name:
    Steve
    Current Bike:
    Santa Cruz Hightower 27+/ 29r
    I'm glad you have no nerve damage. I hope you recover soon!
     
    Mikie, kazlx, fos'l and 2 others like this.
  28. konakc

    konakc iMTB Rockstah

    Name:
    kc
    Thank God you are okay. ..
    I need to rethink my choices... but so hard to resist when you have hawk before you? Should I go down hawk or bumble bee?
     
    Mikie, kazlx, fos'l and 4 others like this.
  29. mike

    mike iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Western US
    Name:
    Mike O
    Current Bike:
    HT, FS
    What an incredible stroke of fortune, kaz – you are one blessed person. I think of Tom Gilje, one of the most badass SoCal rock climbers, seemingly immortal, reduced to a quadraplegic by a MTB crash. Some others I've heard of with spinal injury also had unfavorable outcomes.

    Thankfully there are lots of interesting and cool things to do besides schralping the gnar on a MTB. And other flavors of bike riding that don't include stunts and near-discontrol as the barometer of good/not good. A friend of ours has a fused neck and she still rides, albeit more socially and with family.

    A bad injury can change the course of an athletic and active life – I know this first-hand. But I also learned that being forced to a new path and away from familiarity can be empowering and enriching. That might sound flowery, but it's true that you will have new opportunities that you wouldn't otherwise. It sounds like you have a good attitude about it. That will serve you well as you take on new challenges. Enjoy the diversity and stay thankful. Best wishes going forward.
     
    Walleye, Mikie, Oaken and 12 others like this.
  30. konakc

    konakc iMTB Rockstah

    Name:
    kc
    I've been off the bike for few months.. finally got the ok from doctor... crew wants to ride troy lee so I join them for my first ride back.. I'll just do skyline and come down skyline.. still having grip issues.. basically can't even hop a street curb but can hold on and brake!
    felt great climbing. Top of troy lee I'm so tempted to follow.. good sense did not. but later on saw them at a cross on skyline..
    could not resist... took some single tracks down... steep.. twisty.. and SLOW.. still fun... hard to stop riding like hard to quit crack..
     
    Mikie, Oaken, OTHRider and 9 others like this.
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As a former Amazon Associate I continue to get screwed trying to stay qualified as an Amazon Affiliate. So I quit!


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