| Author | Message | ||
     Ratbuell |
Tomorrow is five years since I died. 7/16/08, took an 1125R for a demo ride after a fresh ECM flash. Road I rode daily as a demo route. Bike I'd done track days on. Good weather. No chemical influences. Good rest the night before. ATGATT. But...something happened. Something went wrong, and I ended up in a fence made from telephone poles. Got a helicopter ride to Maryland Shock-Trauma. Died repeatedly on the flight apparently. According to the timestamps on the x-rays, they had me bolted back together at 3:30 AM. 2 shattered legs (each filled with titanium to this day). 1 skin graft where my tib/fib exited my lower right leg. 1 broken hip. 4 cracked ribs. 4 cracked vertebrae. 1 collapsed lung. Lacerated liver. Bruised heart. Torn rotator cuff. 2 head injuries. Apparently....I'm just too ••••••• dumb to quit...so here I am today, 5 years later, still riding, still Buelling, still ornery as ever  August/Sept 2008 archives for DC Storm Fronts have some tidbits here and there. 5 years. Time flies. Life changes. You never know what's coming...or when. So hug your loved ones and pay attention to every single moment. When your number's up...you're as prepared as you can be. But if your number doesn't come up (which is hopefully the case!), you have all those days...years...MOMENTS...that you didn't take for granted. And always remember...you NEVER know where you're going to end up. I'm in an amazing place now...but it's nowhere I'd have ever imagined myself being. Not in a million years. Long road? Sure. But worth every step. Live...or be ALIVE. In the hospital, August 2008 (pardon the "I'm on narcotics" eyes, lol):  ...and tearin' it up at Buelltoberfest '10, down at the Dragon:  Rubber down, Buellers. And, thank you for being such an incredible group of people for all these years. | ||
| Harleyelf |
Many happy returns, Rat. It just wasn't your time. | ||
| Panhead_dan |
Most don't get a second chance at dyin. Nobody gets a second chance at living. Happy anniversary!! Will you maybe be going for a celebratory ride? | ||
| Panhead_dan |
by the way, you got a headlight out.  | ||
| Ratbuell |
Got a hell of a day tomorrow. First, crash site. Next, MSP hangar to see if the flight crew is around or if they can be located. Then, Hopkins/Shock-Trauma to find my Orthopaedist for a hug and a thank you. Finally, Kernan rehab hospital where I spent the better part of 8 weeks being pushed to learn to walk again. More hugs, tears, handshakes and thank-you's. Might ride...but with a projected heat index of 107? I'll probably take the Jeep just because with all that physical therapy...I'm VERY aware of my limits these days and I know I'll dehydrate in a matter of miles. No sense doing it again...lol. | ||
| Ratbuell |
nah...all four work just fine   | ||
| Panhead_dan |
 | ||
| Reepicheep |
Congratulations on a hard fought recovery! | ||
| 86129squids |
Joe, good buddy, have yourself a great Tuesday, keep cool (it's HAWWT here too, gotta cut the grass), and make the most of the hugs and handshakes this week. I'm honored to have met and rode with you to HC '10, always good to see you here and on down any given road. Do holler anytime you're down around these here parts, we'll get with Vern and our other local Buell-buds for a shindig. Oh yeah, and some good RIDIN'! Keep on keepin' on! | ||
| Pwnzor |
May God continue to bestow His blessings upon you. | ||
| Etennuly |
Joe, congrats on your fifth "came back to live through it" year!   I am glad you stuck around. I sure have enjoyed riding and hanging around with you even though you are a bionic . About the only place us mortals have an advantage is passing through airport security checks! My hat is off to, to those who did their job that day. They came together to rebuild a great guy whom I am sure they did not even know at the time. I have been wanting to ask, did you end up with a rebuilt title after being through your wreck, or is your title still good, you know, as your mother intended it?   | ||
| Oldog |
Thanks for sharing the thoughts Joe, I hope that you have a long and happy life and look forward to meeting you again some day the trip and the "thanks" stops are way cool Wish some one could go with you and take pix. | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
Having had a "head-on" crash with a small van a few years ago, & got away with no more than a couple of cracked ribs, bumps & bruises. I too try to "live" every day, good on ya Joe keep kicking. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Well it was very disconcerting being back in my rehab ward...fuzzy memories through a morphine haze...but I walked on the ward and one of the supervisors lit up - "I know YOU!!!" - and the nutritionist just about fell out of her seat. Most of the PT's have moved to other jobs/wards...but one of the assistants also recognized me immediately - the woman he was walking around with a walker had to just about hold HIM up for a second. I remembered the gym. I remembered the parallel bars - longest 12 feet I've ever walked in my life. I remembered the stretching tables, where I endured near-intolerable pain while laying on my stomach, while the PT fought to bend my left knee past 30 degrees from straight. He could barely get my foot six inches off the pad before I started screaming...but we kept at it. I remembered the garden, where I got to take one or two outside "walks" in my wheelchair. Many tears were shed with the supervisor, and the nutritionist - I recognized their faces but couldn't remember their names, but since I met them when I was medicated and in the brain injury ward, they told me not to feel bad. I thanked them for...everything. They thanked me for coming back to say hello - and we all cried some more. What an incredibly dark chapter of my life...and its amazing that revisiting it can be filled with so much joy, and gratitude, and pride. I've come a long way. And the lady patient with the walker? I told her to buckle down and even though it hurts like hell and she's tired enough to fall over...it will all be worth it. She took a good look at me standing there in front of her....and SHE started crying. And she promised she'd do everything they told her to do while she was there. And that was worth the trip. | ||
| Lemonchili_x1 |
It's so easy for someone like me, who's never really had life changing crisis, to become complacent and forget how easy it could all be gone, or someone close could be gone in an instant. Thank you for sharing Joe, thank you for reminding me to be ALIVE and make the days count | ||
| Panhead_dan |
Excellent! | ||
| Ishai |
So cool!! | ||
| Ratbuell |
Graham - I've been through it, and it's easy for ME to forget. I'll do something stupid, or careless, and actually yell at myself to snap out of it and pay attention. "you did it to yourself once,•••••••...do NOT do it again!!" Biggest thing I learned? Tell your loved ones that they ARE your loved ones, every chance you get. Remind them always. And cherish every moment with them...because nobody knows when things could change. | ||
| Ratbuell |
The day I got home from the hospital/rehab, 154 lbs, 6'4" tall:  Five years later (ten minutes ago) - not too shabby for a dead guy :  ...I need to go clean that mirror...lol (Message edited by ratbuell on July 16, 2013) | ||
| Blake |
Awesome story Joe! I'm sharing it with my nephew, a young physical therapist assistant. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Tell him to keep at it, Blake. He will change lives. | ||
| U4euh |
AWESOME JOE, think the saying should be changed from awesome to simply, ALIVE thanks for sharing,and reminding us, a small glimpse of what was undoubtedly and rightfully so emotional day! | ||
| Two_seasons |
Glad you are with us Rat  | ||
| Brumbear |
I remember you posting your whole ordeal wow 5 years already GOOD ON YOU RAT!!!!!!!! | ||
| Kenm123t |
Joe is way tougher than any Iron Butt rider I have a friend Kevin that was hit last fall lost a leg and has Joes outlook He is still in rehab but is determined to ride again Its great to have you here Ride Safe | ||
| J2blue |
Cheers! | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
Joe We have never met but g and I hope to someday and are both very appreciative of your buell insight, and trouble shooting prowess. So glad u recovered and with us all now. Life is short. B. | ||
| Buellerandy |
Way to stay stubborn man! |
