I am bummed to hear the down man.
Best wishes and here is a story for ya. It is more than a minute read
1987 Sears Point, before any of those chicane things and the full run to T-11 so when you hit start finish you were hauling the mail at least for Sears. Maybe a buck thirty.
It was a practice day. My first season being sponsored by KSJO Radio on the KSJO Rockbike. A RG500 Gamma 4cyl two stroke. Awesome bike.
I was following and closing quickly on a dude on a single when I noted him do a severe wiggle. I chopped the throttle and then saw why he wiggled a stream of oil.
It was too late and as soon as my front touched it I went down. Guessing 120mph. The slide was on... never been down that fast before. I was having my arms yanked out by the momentum and pulled them in to protect my torso and slid slid slid.
T1 was approaching but my path was not going to get me there. I hit the tire wall separating the drag strip and T-1 with a thunderous impact. Back first slamming my head against the tires too. The rubber marks would not rub out of the helmet and remain a memory of that day when I see them.
I bounced back about 10' and layed there accessing myself. Just got the wiggling of toes done when an NMP arrived.
"Don't move... do you know your name?"
I responded with my name, the date and the fact I would not be racing tomorrow.
He then said "OK smart ass where does it hurt?"
I said my neck and my back but I think I am OK.
They went to work. Neck Collar checking for other broken bones = None.
I got loaded into an ambulance and fully remember both my back and neck hurting. I also remember staring at the holes in the ceiling thinking I could actually be badly hurt and FUCK ME KSJO is going to be pissed. So is my sponsor who owned the bike.
Arriving at the hospital I got into the ER and the Doc said "Cut off his leathers"
I screamed no.. they are brand new custom leathers and cost me 1100.
He got pissed. "What the hell is wrong with you motorcycle racers. You could have a broken neck and back and you are worried about your damn leathers!"
Then he relented and told staff do a neck xray and if it is not broken get them off him. Luckily no broken neck, but the peeling of the suit off was not fun. Then back Xrays.. no breaks. Whew.. but I was in a lot of pain and they did or gave me something for that.
Doc said. "No breaks, but you are going to feel this for a long time and you have a concussion too. I will release you but only if you have a ride. You cannot drive until your Doctor further evaluates the concussion".
One of my friends had bolted to the Hospital and took me back to the track where I found a severely damaged motorcycle and a debris field of parts circling it. My bud said he could not drive me home because he was racing the next day. I got it. My friends loaded the bike and debris field into my truck and I decided to drive home against DR's orders. My head was foggy for sure and I was in pain.
I had a tradition of smoking a doobie crossing the Golden Gate Bridge after every race to celebrate defeating death or something like that. I thought about it and decided to take a puff to keep that tradition intact. <- Dumbass.
I made it home and found myself frozen. I could not move out of the car. Took me 15 minutes or so of tiny movements to get out. Then a long slow painfull walk to my door. I mean slow. Tiny step. Deep breaths.. mental notes to self "YOU can do this". When I got to the door I knocked and the Mrs answered saying "What are you doing here?" I was supposed to stay in Sonoma on Saturday night with my Grandma so showing was a surprise.
Ever the optomist I said I have good news and bad news.
Her look
I said the good is I am alive the bad is I crashed, destroyed the motorcycle
Then some more painful steps to the bed and warnings to my kids to stay away.
Then a rehab process started. Slow.. neck was really bad. Could not turn it.
Therapy was not helping so I tried chiropractic help. Slowly after months I could turn my head. Working for my Dad.. I went to work. Hard shit. Leaning over a drafting board and drawing was super tough, but because he hated the fact that I was racing bikes I did my very best to hide it.
I paid off the bike and did not race again that year. Hell I could not have anyway. After 3 -4 months I probably could have but with three kids, no bike and no money I was out of luck.
Sold the bike as a bucket case and figured out how to get someone else to pay for one the following year and KSJO stuck with me.
The injury to the neck stuck with me and can still bother me at times.
The back does too, but I think that was more from a previous injury (looped a MX bike) and then the add of this one. Pinch nerves and sciatica was terrible at times, but I kept racing and living.
I refused to get surgery after the Doc said your Intervertebral disc is leaking/ collapsing after a long session with a pinched nerve where I collapsed, got the giant pain shot in the spine and a MRI.
He said that my core strength was really good and there was a good chance the discs will fuse themselves. I was leading an aerobics class and weightlifting always. This was at about 35 and I was still in really good shape.
He said if you can deal with the pain and keep doing what you are doing to stay in shape your body can probably fix yourself. I chose that path.
The back probably fixed itself after 8-10 years although it still limits me a bit.
At almost 66 as long as I don't just stand for an hour and watch how and how much weight I lift and am good. I still can ride 300 mile days and enjoy life.
So that recovery was literally about 15 years and has left some life long stuff to deal with, but I am happy really.
Hope you get to a happy place.
