Category: PatrickAccident

Last Monday the JTR team huddled at our now infamous HQ at Borough Market. Small talk was made and sausages in a bap ordered as we politely sipped our tea and ignored the rather obvious reason for us being there.

As readers of this blog will know, we’ve all had some nasty offs over the last month or so, Patrick in particular is still in a pretty bad state – as he puts it;

“Thinking back to the accident one of the first things that hit me, other than the bike, was the notion that a September departure for Russia was slipping away from me.”

A truth that we’ve simply had to accept. Whilst JTR may have started out as one persons dream, it has never been about any one of us. JTR would not exist and does not exist without us being a team, unless all three of us can make this journey then it’s not Journey To Russia.

With that in mind we’ve decided to postpone our departure. We’ll now leave the UK July next year, with a fit team and bikes that are not in several parts in several garages.

This is a huge blow to us as a team, not least because it means losing a lot of momentum that we’d built up, and a lot of the work that has already gone in is now going to have to be re-done – but it’s the right decision – it’s the sensible decision.

We pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and head for Russia in 2008!

Went to the hospital for another check-up and the cast is off. I am officially ‘partially weight bearing’ with the target of full weight bearing in 6 weeks. I’m in a leg support but it’s a million miles away from a fibre glass cast.

Foot looked pretty grim when it came out of plaster. A bath and a rub with a towel removed some of the horror but the shreds of skin still take a bit of getting used to but it will be fine in no time I’m sure.

I’ve already seen my physio and have some exercises to do. I do feel like a new born lamb though – it’s quite tender to walk on so I need to do the exercises and be positive. Doctors are being cagey about the likihood of making the trip date – I still have along way to go.

It’s been a few weeks since my accident so I thought it would be nice to give a little update of how I’m healing. I’m still in plaster and my next appointment is 28th June and until then I’m non-weight bearing. It seems a long time but I suppose they are keen for the plate and screws to bed in as best they can and for the ligaments to begin healing on my ankle.

The garage is a hive of activity (photos to follow) I have a little fold up chair to sit on and I’m removing bits off the bike. It’s a slow process as I’m keen to keep everything together so I don’t lose any bolts. The front is quite badly beaten up – still gives me the shivers looking at how twisted it all is.

Removing the front fairing spar is proving difficult – the multitude of wires to the instruments and trip computer doesn’t help – but I’m marking these as a I go so hopefully it will be a breeze when it comes to putting it back together again (famous last words…).

There is a pile of broken parts on one side of the garage and in time this will include the forks, the afore mentioned spar, instruments, fairing panels, front mudguard and a mirror. In addition and depending upon whether I can bend things back into shape it may also include the headlights, footpeg, pillion footpegs and pannier racks and possibly the yokes. The fuel tank is a bit bent out of shape too and looking at it in detail was very nearly holed by the brush guards being forced into it when I crashed.

It’s not all doom and gloom though as I have been very fortunate in being able to secure some parts. Previous ebay adventures mean I have most of the fairings I need and 2 (yes I know…) fuel tanks so those pointless just in case purchases were in fact a great buy in the end and don’t tell me you’ve never done it!

A very good friend of mine on www.XRV.org.uk let me have a set of fork legs for nothing and I sourced a spare set of Yokes just in case. I had to buy the faring spar but used a discount supplier and saved about £40 off the Honda price.

The front wheel has gone off to be put back into shape so fingers crossed it can be done with the existing components. If it needs a rebuild I’m not sure I could resist the temptation to have both hubs and rims annodised and rebuilt with stainless steel spokes – at times the lure of fitting cheap or gawdy tat to my bike worries me. Colour coded bolts on a say a gixxer makes me sick but it seems anything goes when it comes to my AT.

So fingers crossed.

Well I’m not one for cliches but it’s certainly been an eventfull week not only for JTR but especially me. If you haven’t heard already (tongue firmly in cheek seeing how Matt has gone into Fleet Street overdrive…) I’ve broken a bone in my leg and ruptured some ligaments in my ankle. A nice balance. I was kept in hospital for a few days as I had an upset stomach mainly and I thank Kingston Hospital for not letting me go home sooner as it wasn’t a nice experience.

Actually talking about the NHS I have to say what a top job it did to fix me up. It gets knocked but the people working in the NHS make it work. From the moment the paramedics turned up everything was done with the mimimum of fuss – a very British thing and I found this a real comfort to me being on the receiving end.

I’m no stanger to NHS trauma care having broken my left ankle coming off a previous bike a few years ago – once again everyone who I saw worked hard to patch me up. I did my bit by wearing the right kit but nonetheless a top job thank you!

Glad to be home though…

I’m non weight bearing on my right leg at the moment. My left leg is not used to doing the work but it’s coping. I’m taking it easy but having learned from experience I must not get to much of the ‘I am helpless’ mindset and I’m trying most things for myself. Lots of stretching and body weight exercises (whilst keeping weight off the right leg) are the order of the day. So wish me luck and any advice would be great.

However I look at it. I have a bit of a “stretch goal” to achieve to make the trip. I’ll be out of plaster for sure however it’s more a question of how strong my leg is. My big fear would be to become injured in a silly accident as a result of a leg not up to the extra strains the trip will bring. Of course there is no predicting what will happen so at the moment it really is a case of sitting tight and seeing how my body heals.

I do however have a secret weapon. Both myself and my partner are very interested in nutritional therapy and I’m looking at getting the best food and supplements inside me in order to be ready to meet the challange of being fit for the fith!

If you think of Steve Austin (a.k.a The Six Million Dollar Man) and you know what I’m thinking .I have the red tracksuit on order already….

Fit for the Fith – My war cry as I hobble into a period of weightless uncertainty…

Well that’s it. Patrick is home safe and sound – he’s got his leg up in the air and a dog that is really happy to see him!

We’re all very relieved that the man himself is home, and we’re crossing everything for a speedy recovery so he can get straight back on the bike.

Hopefully tomorrow we’ll have some shots of the damage to the bike and we can assess what needs to happen to get the man himself back on the road – he’s even applied for some print outs of his x-rays, which will certainly brighten our flickr stream up!

Thanks very much to all the people who’ve emailed me to help find some gloves for Patrick – sorted now thanks to the wonderful Ness!

Patrick is still feeling a little groggy after all his meds, which isn’t very nice at all. He’s up and about on crutches, which is very positive news, but still feeling under the weather. I think it’s all catching up with him now and he’s starting to feel a little poorly, which is to be expected.

If all goes well and his test come back clear he’s hoping to get out of the hospital tomorrow and start the long road back to fitness.

He’s asked me to find him a pair of weight training gloves, or cycling gloves – just something to stop his hands getting blistered with the crutches – so if you’ve got an idea where I could get those drop me an email.

Patrick has a dirty great big slab of metal in his leg – 1 metal plate with 7 screws holding it in. We’ve been down to see him this afternoon and he’s in fine spirits! Took him some reading material, and some fresh strawberrys.

Also been glad to hear that you can get over this quite quickly – asked the guys over at Horizons Unlimited what they thought and they’ve come back saying he’ll be back riding fit in no time. One chap in particular broke his leg and was back up and about in 8 weeks – so here’s crossing our fingers that Patrick will be up and about ready to battle his way to Russia.

He’s trying to get hold of a copy of his x-rays so with any luck we’ll have those up soon!

The news is in – Patrick’s operation has gone well.

There was some ligament damage and it sounds as if more pins were needed than initially thought. But the important thing is that the operation went well and with any luck our fellow traveller will be out tomorrow – crutches and plaster complete.

The only problem now of course – is how on earth do you keep a very active fellow ‘active’ when he’s got one leg strung up?

Patrick is heading down for an operation this morning to pin the bone, and see if there’s any damage to his ligament.

We’re all crossing everything here that it’s nothing more simple than a pin, if it’s a plate then Russia may be off for him. It’s something none of us want, but if anyone is going to get over a broken leg, get fit and ride to Moscow, it’s Patrick.

Patrick has broken his leg. Yes you’ve read right. He was involved in a small accident this morning, which left him sitting in A&E with an x-ray of a cleanly broken right fibula.

More news as soon as we have it – at this point he’s still in hospital and we think he’ll be in a cast for as much as eight weeks. All fingers crossed for a speedy recovery.