Our Crash, Monday October 9th at 5:49 PM

We were on the Pt. Burwell ride. After stopping at Pt. Dover, we split up into about 3 groups to return home. Pat and I headed to Brantford to see how my youngest sister was making out with her Beauty Supply Store that was to open the next day. I almost went back down to Colborne St. (Hwy #2) but decided to continue up Wayne Gretzky Pkwy to the 403.

We stopped for a red light at Holiday Drive with 1 car in front of us. I was concentrating on getting onto the 403E ramp just after we would pass through the intersection. When the light turned green, Pat noticed a car opposite us in the left turn lane but it wasn't moving and didn't have a turn signal on. A few seconds later she saw the car moving as if to turn left but didn't think it was going to make the turn and looked ahead to the 403E ramp we wanted to take. As she glanced back at the car turning left coming towards us she was startled to see it wasn't going to stop and we were struck head on by it.

Both of us were thrown over the handle bars, the hood of the car and landed feet first on our backs. Although there are marks on our helmets, we were lucky that our heads did not impact the ground. Pat was thrown about 5 feet further than me. By the time I crawled to her, I saw a man on a cell phone, presumably calling 911 and the man in the car that hit us still in the car with the air bag in his face. Within minutes there were 2 RN's that stopped to help. I called my daughter, since she was still in Brantford, to tell her about the crash. She asked me where they were going to take us. At that time I looked up and saw the EMS people with backboards and asked them where they were taking us. The time of the accident was reported as 5:49 PM and my call to my daughter was at 5:53 PM so it only took the EMS 4 minutes to get there.

Waiting for Xrays in the ER at Brantford Hospital


Back to the ER from Xrays


Before my Surgery at OTMH


After Surgery
I had a fractured bone in my left foot, 2 big toes on my left foot were fractured and worst of all, both the Tibia and Fibula were broken. They sent me to Oakville to a specialist who put 2 stainless steel screws in my Tibia. A few days after surgery I was fitted with a GII knee brace instead of a cast. This allowed movement only in the one direction and kept my leg from twisting. Best of all, I could take it off to apply ice packs and for sleeping.



Finally, a Computer, but no Internet!


Pat after Surgery at Brantford General
Pat had some kind of tendon, ligament or sprain to her right foot and was fitted with an AirCast that she had to wear all the time except for bathing. It soon developed open sores and became very painful, but for some reason the surgeon was not too concerned about it.

Her left foot had a screw put in a broken ankle bone and 2 pins put in her big toe after constructive surgery was performed on it. At the crash site we heard them mutter something about a possible amputation, but she still has 10 toes.

She also had a fractured pelvis and possibly damage to her tail bone. On her right buttock, a sore developed and a bursa sac has become very enlarged and painful since it appears to have filled with blood.

I Made a Surprise Visit to Pat in Brantford


Crash Intersection


Clothing


The Bike Was a Write-Off


Sunrise of Oakville
It was made very clear to us that we would not be able to return to either Pat's house or mine because of the number of stairs. Pat had a Discharge planner in Brantford and I had one in Oakville. Between the 2 of them working together they managed to get us into the Sunrise of Oakville retirement home since they also provide short term assisted living.

This place is almost like being on an all inclusive vacation since all meals are provided as well as houskeeping and laundry. The food is great and the staff is friendly and helpful. We can have a glass of wine with our meal and the desserts are plentiful. The resident dog is named Ace and popcorn is made daily at 2:00 PM. There is a 24 hour self serve Bistro where you can get coffee and hot chocolate, cookies, fruit, home made muffins, ice cream and there is usually a sandwich in the fridge in case someone gets hungry during the night.



Halloween at Sunrise


Back to the Brantford Hospital
Tuesday November 14th we went by private ambulance to Brantford General Hospital to have Pat's cast and pins removed. Sean showed Pat that it wasn't really a saw, only a vibrating blade, but she still didn't believe that it wouldn't hurt when he cut off the fiberglass cast.

Pulling the 2 pins out of her big toe was a little more painful. It wasn't the pins being pulled out so much as the doctor squeezing her toe that caused her pain.

Goods news came when the doctor said he was going to put an air cast on the left foot instead of another fiberglass cast and she would be able to wash it in 3 to 4 days. He also said the right foot was ready to start putting weight on it a little at a time so she could start having physio now.



Pat's Feet November 17th, 2006


My Xrays November 23rd, 2006


Shopping Trip Monday November 27th, 2006
Pat came back after her physio all excited about being able to walk on her right foot without the air cast boot. However, her foot was swollen making her shoes too small and my joggers were too big. We figured we would take a cab up to Wal-mart to get her shoes that fit, but while we were at lunch they announced that there was a Sunrise bus trip to Wal-mart. Pat went in her wheelchair and I went on crutches. I was able to get a fold up wheelchair from Wal-mart to keep up to Pat while shopping. About half an hour later we were finished and heading back to the bus. Now that we know there are weekly shopping trips by bus, maybe Christmas won't be quite so bleak.



Will we ride again? You bet we will!!
The new Vstar 1300 looks like our next choice. All 2007 Yamaha models will come with no studs on the seats or bags. It has a new engine design with 18 HP more, fuel injection, water cooled, doesn't require an oil filter re-location kit, uses belt drive and has aluminum wheels using tubless tires.

The dry weight of the 1300 Tourer compared to the 1100 Silverado is 39 lbs more at 639 lbs, so after adding coolant to the 1300, it should be less than 50 lbs heavier than the 1100.





More Xray Pictures of Pat's Ankle
Pat saw her surgeon in Brantford Dec 19th and I saw mine in Oakville on Dec 20th. We were both given the all clear to walk on our left legs without her cast and my brace. We are both in physio therapy to strengthen our legs but Pat will be a while before she is walking without her air cast.


Surprise, we got a 2004 Vstar 1100!!
We found a 2004 Vstar 1100 that was too good a deal to pass up. I rode it home yesterday, December 22nd, just in time for Christmas. We have to clean out my garage some more to get the bike in with the Tbird so I have the bike here at Sunrise under cover of the front porch. The weather is dry and sunny today so I'll go for a ride after lunch.