Ride for the Relay 2021
August 2, 2016
Transfered from Wisconsin to Springfield, Illinois
7:30 they started operating and inserted a rod and screws into my leg and a plate with screws into my wrist. I have no idea how long it all took, they had me on the good stuff and I don't remember much, I do remember a lot of pain even while on the good stuff.
I no longer have the 5 wraps on my leg from my toes to my knee. I now just have a small bandage on the wound, which I can remove and take a shower. Since September I have had to take sponge baths so this is a big day in my healing. I TOOK A SHOWER TODAY!!!! I am so happy.
August 30, 2016
Springfield, Illinois
January 2, 2017
Jacksonville, Illinois
January 14, 2017
Jacksonville, Illinois
My wife and two dear friends come to Madison with a van that had a wheelchair lift and transported me to "The Bridge" rehab center in Springfield, Illinois. It was a 6 1/2 hour trip but again they gave me some good stuff for the trip and I made it just fine. We had no idea what kind of a place the Bridge was but this is where my doctors recommended.
I also want to mention that Gary Gallo and his wife Patti went to Wisconsin and picked up my motorcycle/trailer and took it to Sport City Honda in Jacksonville, Illinois (a really big thank you goes out to them). I talked to Bud Beck the owner of Sport City yesterday and no doubt my bike is totaled but the trailer is still good.
July 27,2016
Avoca, Wisconsin
Well I am a little over a month into all this and would like to say I am feeling very good and healing well, however I have no weight bearing on my leg or wrist yet. That tells me I will probable be here for another 3 weeks at least, but the care is wonderful, the food is good and we have a happy hour every Friday, who could ask for anything more. My physical therapy is extensive and sometimes almost more than I can take but I know I have to do it in order to get well.
February 17, 2017
Jacksonville, Illinois
Today the Wound Center told me to start wearing a shoe and not come back for anymore treatment, my open wound has closed and I can try to start walking normally. I still favor the right leg and that is causing problems with my knees but we will over come that too. Keep praying for us.
May 29, 2017
Jacksonville, Illinois
I am doing really well, quit using the walker about two months ago. I am walking more but not a long ways (half block) at a time.
Of course when you are favoring one leg, the other leg starts to hurt and the same with the knees. The big problem right now is my back but we will over come this too. I have my good days and bad but praise God I have more good than bad. You might say that I am hanging in there and getting better everyday.
At 10:30 am is was traveling south of Avoca, Wisconsin on Highway 80/133 out in the middle of the country, it was a beautiful day, no traffic. I had passed a hearst that was traveling at a slower speed (I didn't even release my cruise control). A couple more miles down the road I took a right hand turn on to a side road (I had my turn signals on and made the proper hand signals), I was meeting a car so I had witness. I had competed my turn and was only running maybe 3 or 4 miles per hour when the hearst hit me broad side. He did not rear end me because my trailer didn't have a mark on it but he hit my motorcycle so hard it pulled the tongue out of the coupler. I won't go into a lot more detail but leg was broken in 4 places, ankle broke and heel crushed. Left wrist was also crushed.
December 23, 2017
Jacksonville, Illinois
End of the year and Merry Christmas up date on my condition. I am holding my own, the back is still a big problem and the leg isn't healing just right. They want to remove the rod in my leg and replace it with a smaller rod hoping that the bones will heal together. I still can't walk much of a distance without pain in my leg and back. I am learning to live with my condition, I just don't know if I want to go through another operation on my leg and back. I will pray about it and make a decision after the New Year. I would like your prayers also.
I am a little over 5 months following the accident. I go to Physical Therapy 3 times a week and the wound center 2 times a week. We are hoping that the wound on the side of my foot is healed by the middle of January and maybe I can wear a shoe and learn to walk without a walker or using a wheelchair. I am still dealing with pain in the leg but I think that will get better with time. I might also mention that the man that hit me died of natural causes November 16, 2016. He had no injuries from the accident, he was just in bad health.
July 28, 2016
Wisconsin Medical Center, Madison, Wisconsin