Contrary to my expectations, my hand injury was healed to the extent that I could do a little bit of riding in SOAR Round 5. I didn't contest any sprint classes but I did more or less pull my weight with the Prairie Dogs in the Saturday endurance race.
Progress with the Injury
The finger amputation I suffered as a result of a crash on a practice lap during Round 4 has been healing pretty well. When the dressings came off after about two weeks it was clean with no infection, but still pretty gross to look at, all swollen and nasty. A week later I got the sutures out. The poor nurse had to dig around through the scabs and whatever to find the stitches, which hurt like the dickens now and again, sending shocks up my finger and hand as she irritated the nerve tissues.
After the swelling subsided there were what I believe to be little stumps of exposed nerves sticking out of the closure in several places. Whenever they contacted anything solid they would, again, trigger big pulses of tingling nerve shocks, startling me and making me jump. Eventually the exposed bits dried up and fell off, so now the nerves are all below the surface and not quite so sensitive.
Here is what my hand looks like at this point.
Pretty ugly I guess. Eventually I will have the surgeon shape the finger better so that it has more of a proper tip. Right now the sides stick out too much and kind of get in the way. On the plus side, it has good articulation and strength - I can use it normally to grip things, like say a coffee cup or the handle of a tool box. I can even already do gym exercises that require grip strength, such as seated cable rows.
Obviously this is a permanent injury and one I would much rather not have experienced. It does have consequences. For example, in my line of work I spend a lot of time standing in front of large groups of people, speaking to them usually while waving my hands around (as one does). Now, with every new group, I get to watch a bunch of them following my finger with their eyes, probably for a while not really paying attention to what I am saying. On the other hand (no pun intended), as life-altering injuries go it is not really very life-altering. It would be pathetic and counter-productive to get too upset about something like this when my life is otherwise awesome and every day I encounter people who have actual serious problems, including in some cases truly debilitating physical issues. I also don't find it useful at all to go over in my head the zillions of tiny little things that could have gone differently, allowing me to avoid the accident altogether. Shit happens. You make the best choices you can with the information you have, then deal with whatever comes. I did that on August 16 and will continue to do it.
Nevertheless the first few days after the incident where a bit emotionally charged for me. In those times, it really helps to have friends to talk with, so you can keep your perspective and sense of humour. I received plenty of kind messages from other SOAR riders through the GTAM forum and Facebook, and also from my PDR teammates, Allen and Steve. Here for your entertainment is a positively sophomoric email exchange that took place between the three of us, starting on the day that I was injured. I emailed Steve and Allen to let them know I was home safe, but at that point only Steve knew about the accident:
Sunday August 17
ME: I am home with Buttons. I am a bit tired. After being in Exeter hospital for about three hours I had to drive myself down to the hand clinic in London, but they couldn't do anything to save the finger and so amputated about half of it. Then I drove back to the track and Kyle and his sister helped me load my stuff....then I drove home. Talk about a long day.
Sorry I left the trailer in a bit of a jumble maybe but it is all properly locked.
ALLEN: Wtf?!?!?
STEVE: So you think it was the brake guard or the brake lever that got your finger?
ALLEN: Guys. What the fuck happened?!!! Hugh u alright?!? I'm hoping u guys r fucking with me
ME: Not a joke. In morning practice some fellow made a really tight pass on me in the esses and to avoid his rear wheel I grabbed some brake while leaned over. Went down hard and the handlebar tore through my glove and squashed my finger. Pretty much tore all the meat off the top third of my finger so they had to amputate a considerable part of it.
Steve, based on the wound it may have just been the bar running over my hand as it ran along the asphalt. Not necessarily the lever guard.
Monday August 18
ALLEN: Dude..
1. Glad you're okay?
2. You should've called one of us to come down. I could've been there in a couple hours and helped out with stuff and driven you around.
3. GET BETTER.
If you need help with anything let us know.
ME: Thanks Allen. I'll be fine. The bike is not bad either but I don't intend to run it any more this year. My racing days may be over but we shall see. It is a bit shocking still so I don't know how I will feel about it in a few weeks. Don't count on me for endurance in round 5.
ALLEN: It's totally shocking on this end can't imagine your end.
Get healed up and your brain back and we'll worry about endurance later. Good luck with the wife! OMG that must've been the worst part!
Did you leave anything at the trailer you need back right away?
ME: No I am pretty sure I got all my stuff. Just left it disorganized and unswept. Shah slept with me Saturday night but no cuddles at all. :(
ALLEN: well for once I'm looking forward to reading your blog!
Don't forget to mention who had the fastest times...just reminding...
ME: Sure but it will be more of a comment on Dave's recording skills...
ALLEN: Just make sure you detail it as 'unbiased 3rd party' keeping time...that way you sound more sour grapes!
Oh yeah.
I have a beef with both you guys when it comes to txt, email, bbm.
Don't send me these emails with only bits of info. Damn Hugh, I was about to go to bed when I got your email. Kept waiting for updates to see what had happened or to hear it was some kinda joke..
From now on info! And no Steve, not just teasing me rubbing my nose in the fact I'm not there info!
ME: Round 4 results are up. At least we beat most of the GTL teams LOL
ALLEN: Hey..considering we had shitless tires on and most of the other teams had rains we did alright!
ME: Just getting through it without crashing was an accomplishment. I'm proud of us.
ALLEN: I was hating it at first, but in hindsight there were a few good lessons learned:
1. Being smooth. I really could tell the effect of sudden throttle movements. Whenever I opened the throttle early the bike would snake.
2. Being stupid. It was stupid of us to run in the rain with those tires. LOL. Did you see the look on the faces of some of the other guys when we told them what we were running on. LOL
3. I'm smoother than Hugh..as we can tell from the lap times.
4. Hugh's eyes linger a little too long when I'm walking around naked in the trailer....
5. I ate something I shouldn't have..Gotta figure out what it was, cause DAMN it made me gassy!
STEVE: Might have to call Brody back if Hugh doesn't feel good. He did buy us dinner after all :) or .. Maybe.. We go it alone.
Who knows maybe none of us will be allowed to race anymore.
Get better Hugh .
( Did ya tell Maw and Paw yet?)
ALLEN: My wife took it amazingly well. I thought for sure Hugh had wrecked it for me. ...I was terrified of telling her!
I say we try it with just the two of us. Hugh's gonna want to go by then but might (probably) not be healed up enough.
My money is on him being back the round after.
How'd that awesome trailer manage for you. I didn't want to stop for coffee..just wanted to get home.
ME: I didn't tell mom and dad yet because I am thinking of the best way to break it to Caterina. It might really bother her, or she might not care at all. Hard to know.
STEVE: Actually it did amazing. Don't even know I'm towing it.
ALLEN: The wife doesnt know yet?!?
good luck dude!
ME: Oh yes she knows of course. I called her from the hospital.
ALLEN:I would offer to come over for moral support while she finds out..but I'm afraid of her...and I still remember how your eyes lingered while I changed...
Okay..details time.
I'm trying to figure out how your finger got caught on the bar..did the bar move, or was your hand on the end of the bar? I'm guessing you've run it thru a few times how it all unfolded.
PS.
Glad you're okay even if ur hurt..if that makes sense.
ME: Based on how the injury looked, my best guess is that my hand was still wrapped around the bar when the bar hit the ground. The brake lever guard probably tore off instantly and then the exposed clipon end ran over my finger while the bike was sliding, tearing all the meat off. The bone and tendons were fine, except some crushing of the very end of the fingertip bone.
Sorry if that is a bit graphic, but you did ask.
ALLEN: okay that explains it. I couldn't figure out how your finger could make contact on the grip unless the clip on rotated/broke, or your finger was on the end of the grip.
STEVE: Which corner was it? In the big daddy area? Or was it the dive bomb corner?
ALLEN: big daddy. he said it was the s's
STEVE: Who's your daddy?
ALLEN: The way 'lingering eye's Hugh' was watching me I'd say he wants to be.
I'll bet he slept Saturday night in my bunk....sniffing my pillow....
Tuesday August 19
ALLEN: been quiet.
how ya feelin
STEVE: Just sore hips and legs.
Thinking 2nd set of rims and rain tires. Would like to try slicks. Don't know if they would make a difference at this point. Dots are good for bit of damp.
Wondering if a better brake guard would have prevented Hugh's finger accident.
ME: I am much better today. I stopped taking the pain meds already. Blog post is up.
ALLEN: except for the feeling and sound of bus wheels on my body, nice write up.
I'm throwing my vote out there for Hugh to be our assistant (bitch) next race. Will be good for him to be out and get the feel again, but with no stress. Plus we need a bitch (assistant) to help out!
Hugh could you wear your tight shorts and hold an umbrella for us?
STEVE: Nice write up;)
ME: I'd love to come and be the lap timer / umbrella boy if I can. I don't own any sexy shorts but perhaps you could lend me one of those sequined lycra numbers you like to prance around in.
STEVE: I think I know where this is going.
ALLEN: Woohooo rod and gun after the race!!
ME: You guys really do make me laugh!
STEVE:
ALLEN: I'll bring the movie for the next round.
Round 5 - Grand Bend Screaming Alien Layout
Round 5 took place on the "Screaming Alien" layout at Grand Bend Motorplex. Steve and Allen were able to be there for the Friday track day again. Here is some video showing the layout. The camera is on Allen's ZX-6, and he catches up to Steve at about the 2:20 mark and then follows him.
This was Allen's first time combining video footage with the data and graphics output from his GPS lap timer. In this case the gear position indicator and speedometer graphics aren't working (at least, I hope they weren't going that slow!), but the track map and lap times seem to be correct.
(Edit: Allen tells me the speeds are probably correct, but are in mph.)
The Decision to Ride
About a week out from Round 5, my hand stopped hurting so much and I started entertaining the possibility that I could actually do some riding. However, I told myself that there was no way I was getting on the bike unless I could work the brake lever and throttle completely normally and with no pain at all. Riding a motorcycle on a race track, your life truly is dependent on the dexterity of your right hand.
When I left for the track Friday night, I honestly didn't think there was more than a 10% chance that I would be getting on the track - I packed my gear "just in case". Once I arrived and said hello to the guys (who were grilling a steak for me - how cool is that?), I put on Steve's gloves (mine were shredded during the accident) and sat on the endurance bike for a bit, working the controls. I eventually convinced myself that I could probably manage it, except that the empty tip of the glove's middle finger was sometimes catching on the brake lever when I went from the brake to the throttle.
So, I went to see John Bickle in his trailer and asked him about modifying a pair of gloves for me. He had a pair in my size, took a quick measurement, then set about shortening the middle finger of the right hand.
Saturday morning I attended the riders' meeting, then picked up my new gloves from John. My plan was to go out with the slow group in practice, just to do a few laps and try things out. I have to say that even as I was wheeling the bike out of the pits, I was asking myself "am I sure I want to do this? Am I rushing things? Is this a stupid decision?"
Honestly the first session didn't do a great deal to reassure me. I have never got along particularly well with the Gixxer's throttle and brakes (they are so different from the Ducati's, especially the throttle response just off of closed throttle), but this was especially bad. I was jerking and surging all over the place, feeling and no doubt looking pretty darned amateurish. I came back in after five or six laps.
By the second practice session I was feeling better. I was smoother on the throttle pretty much immediately, and had learned the layout well enough that I could start working on my braking and turn-in points a bit, trying to build some decent speed. By the end of about ten laps I was knee down in most corners and really starting to feel in the grove.
I came back into the pits and let the guys know that they could count on me for the endurance race.
Endurance Race
Conditions for the endurance race were perfect, except for the fact that it was so windy that none of the teams dared to put up their canopies in the pits. Steve took the start and Allen did the second 20-min session, then I was up third. The guys had told me to just signal them that I needed a rider change if at any point during my first session I wasn't feeling comfortable. About 12 or 13 minutes into my stint I started to feel some pain in my hand and thought I had better get off the bike and re-evaluate, so next time past the pits I held up two fingers to let the guys know I would be in after two more laps. I swear I gave them the peace sign for a good five seconds, but of course they didn't notice. When I rolled into the pits two laps later I saw a surprised Steve rushing to put on his helmet and gloves.
Following that, we decided that a better system would be for me to give them the "two laps" sign, then the next lap they would show me the pit board to verify that they got the message. In the end we didn't use that plan though because I was able to complete my other two stints without any issues.
The race otherwise went fine with a good clean fuel stop, and we turned a total of 131 laps. That put us last (fifth) in the very competitive GTU class, but not by much. The next two teams did 134 and 135. If we can find a bit more speed next year, we should be in the hunt for third. Not much chance we will ever beat the teams whose rosters include black-number (expert) riders, but maybe we can claw our way up the novice ranks.
Here is the requisite cheezy post-race group photo:
The day after the race, Allen went through the GPS data and was a bit annoyed to discover that they guy with 9.5 fingers had beat his best lap time by a full 2 s (best of 1:14.5 for me, vs his 1:16.6; Steve logged a 1:18.9).
Ha!
Edit: Here is a nice photo taken by Sheri Manuel during the endurance race:
No comments:
Post a Comment