Maximum injury from minimal effort!

[Smanky 747]

My partner and I would ride our bikes at dawn around the bay on the days I wasn't doing my second job and loving it until I fell off said bike seven weeks ago and broke my tibial plateau (along with tearing my ACL, PCL and meniscus). I've had to stay immobile for the first seven weeks because of the nature of the break (multiple pieces), and the surgeons wanting to try to heal the bone without surgery. I have a long road of physio to get back ON my bike, but get back on I will, since I'll likely never run again after this injury. ACL reconstruction surgery is still on the table, depending on how things go.

I will, however, be joining my local gym once I get the medical all clear because I enjoy weight training and will need to get strength back into my poor wasted leg. It's amazing how terrified I was of injuring myself when I was morbidly obese, and yet slim me managed to do this! Oops. This was a motorbike-level injury, achieved on a pushbike going at maybe 10km max, coming to slow turn. This seems to be my unwanted super-power - hurting myself badly doing the bare minimum. I don't even get a good story out of it! It's a skill!

I only managed to do this because I stupidly took my hand off the handlebar to indicate a right turn, knowing full well I don't have good one-handed balance. So lesson here is learned. I have NEVER felt pain like I did with this injury. Knocked the gallstone attack pain right off the top of the ladder, and I thought that was bad (not even close!). 0/10, don't recommend!

[summerseeker 2,124]

So very sorry to hear this, poor you. I hope the worst is behind you now. Seven weeks immobile is awful, I know your pain. Hugs

[KimA-GA 540]

Ouch… lots of healing to ya…

[Sunnyway 344]

Here is the walking tricycle I use for exercise. It's very stable and can be used by people with various disabilities. I got it because my weight and bum knee prevented me from walking or running. However, I love to run with the tricycle because it supports my weight and balance. I try to go at least one mile every day, but have gone as as far as three miles on it. Without it, I can walk only a few blocks.

Notice that there are no pedals! One's feet are the locomotion and brakes.

I do not recommend gravel! My friend and I usually ride on sidewalks, back roads, and parking lots. It folds in half and the wheels and seat can be popped off so it fits in the trunk of my car. My friend travels with hers, riding it in airports right up to the jet way where it is gate-checked just like a wheelchair.

Check it out on Alinker.com. Alinkers tricycles cost about $2900 US, but the company has "rent-to-own" and crowdfunding programs.

Edited November 7, 2022 by Sunnyway

[TheRealMeIsHere! 863]

That SO sucks!! I KNOW because I've been there. 2005-ish

Tibeal plateau fracture- fractured down the center of my tibea. ANY weight and it could shatter. No weight bearing for a while. Tore ACL, MCL, PCL. These took upwards of a year of therapy and a cadaver ACL to heal. I still use a brace for stability during certain activities. Soft tissue injuries are FAR worse than bone.

Everyone is different and hopefully you heal quicker and stronger 🤞🏼

[Smanky 747]

8 hours ago, TheRealMeIsHere! said:

That SO sucks!! I KNOW because I've been there. 2005-ish

Tibeal plateau fracture- fractured down the center of my tibea. ANY weight and it could shatter. No weight bearing for a while. Tore ACL, MCL, PCL. These took upwards of a year of therapy and a cadaver ACL to heal. I still use a brace for stability during certain activities. Soft tissue injuries are FAR worse than bone.

Everyone is different and hopefully you heal quicker and stronger 🤞🏼

OMG, three ligaments - argh! Cringing at the very thought of how much pain you were in. Yeah, these sorts of injuries are the long-haul type.

I tore the ACL off the bone in my OTHER knee in a skiing accident way back in 2002, so at least I'm already familiar with the very long process of soft-tissue damage never healing 100%. I did get a ligament reconstruction a year later. It's now going to be my "good knee" 🙃. I swear, it's like I just have it in for knee ligaments. Like they've personally offended me over the years.