Wedged 2 vertabrae, shattered one, collapsed lung, and fractured sacrum.
April 18, 2008
Hey I’m jake i heard about injuredriders.org from my buddy, Tye. We were hiiting up jackson pass in wyoming around the begining of december 07, so it was a little early season conditions. We were sessioning a kicker off a little drop and we had a little friendly comp going on. My buddy tye landed some sick backflips, so i thought i would hit it up. As soon as i started my rotation i knew i had overshot my landing. I wasn’t too worried, i figured i would land on my butt and pop right back up. WRONG! since it was still early season, somehow i found a rock, stump, or something that made me stop a lot faster than expected. I slid a ways down the hill and laid there, trying to catch my breath. After about 10 minutes of not being able to catch my breath, i tried to stand up. I couldn’t. Tye went for help, and while he was gone i tried to walk up the hill. I made it about 30 feet up the hill in the time he was gone. I couldn’t breathe or walk anymore, about then, tye popped over the ridge and told me he had called an ambulance. My first reaction was telling tye he was dumb because i didn’t have insurance, and couldn’t afford an ambulance.
I laid down in the snow and waited. 3 and 1/2 hours later, after search and rescue “saved me”(when the emt’s got there, my oxygen saturation was down to 62%, normal is 90% and above), i was in St. Johns Hospital in Jackson Hole, talking with a surgeon. He told me i had shattered my T-12 vertabrae and was going to need emergency surgery. The surgery would cost 150-200 thousand dollars. Thats a lot of money for a 21 year old guy with no insurance. I ended up having 6 vertabrae fused together with a mix of titanium rods and screws, some cadaver bone, and some of my own bone from my hip.
The surgery went fine, and i am recovering slowly. My lung is fine, and since they had to take a bone graft off my hip, all the nerves were severed near my sacrum, so i can’t even feel it. I am expected to make a full recovery. The only problem i have now is coming up with enough money to pay my bills so that sucks, but at least i only have to wear a back brace for 4 months instead of a wheel chair forever. I hopefully will be riding by this time next year. I thank everybody for all the support. I can’t wait to ride again!
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[...] a bone graft off my hip, all the nerves … shattered one, collapsed lung, and fractured sacrum. …http://www.injuredriders.org/wedged-2-vertabrae-shattered-one-collapsed-lung-fractured-sacrum-from-s…SYNBONE CATALOGUE Artificial Bones for EducationDescription: Entire Spine model from Occipital bone [...]