My Last Ride
On January 11th, 2017, I departed on a ride to Kelli's Korner (Paradise, MO - near Smithville, MO) for lunch with four friends (Carl, Gary, Bill and Larry). It was a beautiful day, which was all the excuse we needed for a ride. I was leading the group and we were taking a long way there. Riding north on county road N, about 6 miles north of Hwy 152 and I-435, the road turned and I didn't. I exited the road into a field. Fortunately there were no fences, trees, rocks, oncoming cars, etc. I have no explanation for this except that I was out of it for awhile. I remember crossing the center line but I was looking down at that time, which is weird. I have no memory of seeing anything after that until I was laying in the field separated from my motorcycle. I do remember a sensation of tumbling but that is all.
My first thought was to drive my motorcycle out of the field and get it cleaned up so Chris would not know what I did. What a ridiculous idea that was. After I'd been up a short time I realized that I could not lift my right arm and it felt like I might have broken ribs. The motorcycle was significantly damaged, yet Gary was able to ride it out of the field so the tow truck could take it.
The motorcycle ended up being totaled and I went to the hospital, where they determined I had 6 broken ribs on the right side, two broken ribs on the left side and a broken scapula. I was released from the hospital on January 13th. After 4 nights at home I returned to the hospital with a collapsed lung. A chest tube was inserted and I spent 10 nights in the hospital before I was released for good.
The hospital took a CAT scan from my waist to the top of my head looking for what was broken. In addition to the broken bones they found a tumor on my right kidney, which is believed to be a renal cell carcinoma. It will be removed next week. I'm told by doctors that if I had not wrecked, gone to the hospital and had the CAT scan that the cancer would have eventually killed me. So the wreck saved my life. God works in mysterious ways!
As you can tell from the title of this post, I've decided to quit riding motorcycles. Since my retirement almost 10 years ago a majority of my riding has been with Chris as my passenger. This wreck beat the crap out of me and I shudder to think what could have happened to Chris had she been sitting behind me. I no longer wish to take that risk.
Chris and I will still travel, we'll just do it in a car. I will also continue to blog our travels and to take pictures along the way. One door closes and another opens.
Life is good and I am blessed!
My first thought was to drive my motorcycle out of the field and get it cleaned up so Chris would not know what I did. What a ridiculous idea that was. After I'd been up a short time I realized that I could not lift my right arm and it felt like I might have broken ribs. The motorcycle was significantly damaged, yet Gary was able to ride it out of the field so the tow truck could take it.
The motorcycle ended up being totaled and I went to the hospital, where they determined I had 6 broken ribs on the right side, two broken ribs on the left side and a broken scapula. I was released from the hospital on January 13th. After 4 nights at home I returned to the hospital with a collapsed lung. A chest tube was inserted and I spent 10 nights in the hospital before I was released for good.
The hospital took a CAT scan from my waist to the top of my head looking for what was broken. In addition to the broken bones they found a tumor on my right kidney, which is believed to be a renal cell carcinoma. It will be removed next week. I'm told by doctors that if I had not wrecked, gone to the hospital and had the CAT scan that the cancer would have eventually killed me. So the wreck saved my life. God works in mysterious ways!
As you can tell from the title of this post, I've decided to quit riding motorcycles. Since my retirement almost 10 years ago a majority of my riding has been with Chris as my passenger. This wreck beat the crap out of me and I shudder to think what could have happened to Chris had she been sitting behind me. I no longer wish to take that risk.
Chris and I will still travel, we'll just do it in a car. I will also continue to blog our travels and to take pictures along the way. One door closes and another opens.
Life is good and I am blessed!
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