Ash is in hospital

Well had my first accident this morning was going from the toilet chair to my wheel chair but the nurse just did't have it right and when i hopped up i went to put my right foot down, well that was stupid no right foot and i went down, but the brain kicked in and said not on the right leg, lucky my bum is soft lol, but the good thing i won't do that again lol, well shower time.

Ash

Well i finaly had a hot shower, fu ck that felt so good, the nurse took off the leg dressing and gave the stump a good clean and fresh dressings on the stump and other patches here and there, the stump is looking great and healing up good, now just relaxing in my wheel chair waiting for lunch did my hour wirkout at rehab after my fall and crash to the floor.
Some pics of my stump 5 days after the chainsaw cut.
Àsh

ashman said:

Well i don't know if they let me into the cider lol, but my rehab hospital at Brighton has acepted me just got to wait for a free bed so as soon as that hsppens, only 1km from home so the excape is looking better, but its up hill from there to home lol.
Some of the things you got to answer before you can leave like if you have a heart sttack do you want to be saved or put on a machine to live etc etc, fu ck i am only going to a rehab hospital, how bad is it fown there lol.
I will put a few pics up later with the copped off leg and of my fixed up face and arm healed up pretty quick.

Ashley

Click to expand...

I mentioned before about rehab hospitals. The one I've been to here is great and I'm guessing it will be even greater there. I also have had home nursing/rehab - basically a waste of time and money here! Being home alone with no help SUCKS!

I fully understand your desire to be home, but I am glad you're going to rehab. Just remember, it's not jail. If it's doesn't work for you, say so!

One funny rehab thing: I had a little woman for a PT and another little woman for an OT and then of course nurses. They insisted on putting a strap around me and held on whenever I got up and they were in the room. I finally made them promise to let go if I started to fall as they would only make it worse, and I would feel bad hurting them in the process. The stupid part is that I was in and out of bed by myself for the bathroom all day and night without human help.

Hey Ash, didn't mean to get into your business with the injuries but thanks for sharing. Good to see you on the mend.

Saber said:

Hey Ash, didn't mean to get into your business with the injuries but thanks for sharing. Good to see you on the mend.

Click to expand...

Not at all, i have accepted my plite and sharing is helping me more, just hope i don't over bore everyone, but talkng about it and everyone is keen to know well most do, the good thing not much pain, i been in the wheelchair all morning and back is not reàl comfortable so back in the bed just before lunch.

Quite sobering to see all those pics, Ash. We've all accepted the dangers, but that's pretty scary.

Thinking about you quite a bit this last week.

t ingermanson said:

Quite sobering to see all those pics, Ash. We've all accepted the dangers, but that's pretty scary.

Thinking about you quite a bit this last week.

Click to expand...

Agreed! No matter how defensive we ride, slightly faster or slightly slower could have made the few milliseconds difference in Ash and wife having nice Christmas ride or this hell. Today you have to be so defensive that it's takes away a part of the joy of riding. And then defensive works at intersections, at least when people are trying to follow the rules, but not all problems happen at them or with people following the rules.

I was at a party a few years ago and a State Motorcycle Cop was there. He was riding to work when a guy in a car made a left turn into him on a dead straight road - the car's bumper hit hard just behind the Cops right foot. Both were doing 60 mph. The Cop got MANY fractures including a shattered hip, back broken in multiple places, and was in the hospital a long time. The good news is that after about two years from being released from the hospital he could get up from his wheelchair and walk short distances. Some asked if he would ride again? He said he thought he would be able to. At that point his wife and two daughters made it clear that he would not be back on a bike and that they sold his personal bikes and he was on permanent disability from the police so no police bike in his future.

Hi Greg, i know its early days to decide if my bike days are over, not, bikes are my life the Thruxton will be going, my dirt bike will be going but my Norton will be staying, i have already band my wife from riding, but i will find away to get back on the Norton without resorting to ES or left foot change, i didn't build it for that, some say the ES make no difference to the bike handling but i built my hot 850 Commando/Featherbed for one major reason, handling, light weight, everything from exhaust to foot pegs that will never scrape when cranked right over, from crank, pistons, headwork etc, the idea to put a ES and a big heavy battery to power it is just not in the cards, as well where would i put the battery, my Norton is all compacked for one reason to push it to its limits through the tight corners, it will out handle any Commando, thats a big claim but i know how well the Featherbed sticks to the road and a rider who has built it, improved it and ridden it hard since 1982 when i put it back in the road.
Put extra heavy stuff on it will beat the purpose of the conversion, but i not going to give up riding it the way i built it, i will find a way.

Ash

You will be back on the bike and kicking with your foot by this time next year.

Motorcycles are dangerous but we do it anyway.

Stump looks good.

When I used to race there was a lad who had had a crash, or crashes, and as a consequence he only had a left arm and hand, and a right arm to the elbow. He also had a serious limp/drag a leg. I can remember seeing him one day fitting a chain to his race bike (I’m going to assume, perhaps wrongly, that someone helped him to fit it) but as it is possible he was using a split link it may not have been re-riveted. His race bike was modified so that the front brake and clutch were on the left bar, the throttle was fitted so it rotated forwards to go faster. He was fast, very fast, and I believe his best terminal speed was around 230mph (370 if you use Kippers)

I am also in the team that would suggest you go the electric foot route for starting, a modern Lithium battery is surprisingly light weight for its output

ashman said:

Hi Greg, i know its early days to decide if my bike days are over, not, bikes are my life the Thruxton will be going, my dirt bike will be going but my Norton will be staying, i have already band my wife from riding, but i will find away to get back on the Norton without resorting to ES or left foot change, i didn't build it for that, some say the ES make no difference to the bike handling but i built my hot 850 Commando/Featherbed for one major reason, handling, light weight, everything from exhaust to foot pegs that will never scrape when cranked right over, from crank, pistons, headwork etc, the idea to put a ES and a big heavy battery to power it is just not in the cards, as well where would i put the battery, my Norton is all compacked for one reason to push it to its limits through the tight corners, it will out handle any Commando, thats a big claim but i know how well the Featherbed sticks to the road and a rider who has built it, improved it and ridden it hard since 1982 when i put it back in the road.
Put extra heavy stuff on it will beat the purpose of the conversion, but i not going to give up riding it the way i built it, i will find a way.

Ash

Click to expand...

Seeing your stump (looks a good job to me) I'm confident at even with old school bionics you'll quite easily be able to shift with a normal shifter or a heel/toe shifter. With a modern bionic foot - probable will just work. It might take longer to have pain-free kick starting but many left-foot start standing on the timing side of the bike so that is an for-sure solution.

Fortunately, you're a young guy and have a setback to resolve before being called old - many, including me, think with much older brains and bodies and recovery is a bigger issue. I cannot ride. Long story but in Oct 2024 I tore my right shoulder apart and it must be replaced. At the time I could not put my hand on the throttle even using my other hand to help - I couldn't even put my seat belt on in my car. Today, I can get it on the throttle but twisting the throttle and braking are not only painful, but not reliable. This has lead to one issue or another and I've still have not had the surgery. When I do have the surgery, my right arm must be in a sling for 3 months, and then no riding (according to the surgeon) for 9 months. By the time I'm able/"allowed" to ride again I'll be at least 77. I can still build bikes, but must bring them down to the floor much earlier than I like as I cannot reach up to work on them. I also must use my engine hoist for many more things than before. While writing this the surgeon who is doing me cataract surgery that was scheduled to next week called to reschedule - some nonsense because I had a exploratory heart cath (no problem found) a couple of months ago and the surgery center requires a 90 day delay. I'm emergency cancelling/rescheduling many things because of this. For one thing my stepson took time off as a FedEx pilot to take me to surgery - now he gets no pay for that time. I just got scheduled for PT (knee/hip) in mid-Feb/Mar, today was to be the last in Jan. That entire schedule must now be cancelled/changed. That kind of crap is why my shoulder is still not fixed - surgery rescheduled twice and then cancelled because I could get cardiology clearance until I got a pacemaker that fixed nothing and is now slowly killing me.

So sad to hear about your problems Greg, preventing you doing the things you love and hopefully i be in a better situation, aging and old injuries is the curse of all riders its something i don't want to even think about, not yet anyway.

Àsh

I learned long ago, no matter how tuff a spot you in .... someone is else worse off , if ya think on that for a "couple of whiles" kinda eases your troubles ... for example I'm just starting my 3rd year of terminal cancer survival ... reading bout you two men makes me fell better ... hope you both return to your old selves quickly

Well some pics of recovery, bad arm all good now and face looking better nose all heeled up so got my good looks back lol, the nurses asked if i wanted to shave but i am going wild while in hospital.

Craig said:

I learned long ago, no matter how tuff a spot you in .... someone is else worse off , if ya think on that for a "couple of whiles" kinda eases your troubles ... for example I'm just starting my 3rd year of terminal cancer survival ... reading bout you two men makes me fell better ... hope you both return to your old selves quickly

Click to expand...

I tell myself every day that things could be a lot worse. My wife, even 5 years into Multiple Myloma ("bone" cancer) still looked like a super model and everyone knew that I would die long before her. I was her sole caregiver from when diagnosed in 2005 until she died in 2012 so I don't know the cancer death sentence personally, but I sure know it from a caregiver perspective. She only lived 7 years because I could afford to stay with her and pay for experimental treatments neither would have happen except that I am self-employed and worked a lifetime to have the money to survive old age.

Well day 21 and i had my morning wash and a visit for number 2, back to my space and a switch to the wheel chair, my daughter brought some clothes up last week so today am in normal clothes T shirt and shorts the nurse gave me a hand to put the shorts on she asked if i had some underpants but told her i don't wear them lol, i am going to try to get up and visit Debra today being a weekend its quiet here, was going to try and get up there by myself but just cruising the hall ways here my shoulder is hurting so might need someone to wheel me up, other than that nothing else to report, all quiet on the eastern front.

Ash

Keep on keeping on Ash!

You should call yourself @kommando , oh, but that's already taken.

I haven't been on this site much lately, so learned of your unfortunate accident just now. Talk about a crappy Christmas!! This could have been any one of us, so it is a bit chilling. Here in South Texas, the drivers are ridiculously dangerous. I hope to keep riding a long time and then hang it up just one day before a major accident swallows me up.
I've always enjoyed hearing the details of your bike and adventures. It's encouraging to read about how you're keeping your spirits up through all of this. If you want to ride again there is no doubt that you will. Years ago I encountered a guy riding a Gold Wing with only one arm. He didn't stop long enough for me to see the mechanical details, but I expect a guy who can build a bike like yours will figure the situation out.
I'm glad it wasn't a whole lot worse.

I know one thing, I was in for a heart job and the night before the operation, I got my first first shower in weeks and did it feel good. I stayed in as long as I had the energy. Rehab takes time, but the people you will meet will be very helpful. You lose so much strength in just a few weeks, it takes a while to build back up. Be patient. Best wishes. Carl H.

Ash!! You have something in common with Roger Miller! Pay attention just after 1:50.