Today, exactly 1 year ago, i was out dirt biking and came up short on a jump. I ended up breaking my foot in 3 places, but more importantly I broke my L-2 vertebrate and compressed it by 50% ... when I went to the E.R. my doctor told me if I had compressed by L-2 by 51% I would have been paralyzed.
Tough thing to deal with since I had an old motocross peer who was paralyzed a few years ago
2 Days after I broke my back I had the surgery (insurance took 2 days to decide whether i should have my operation in the hospital i was at or transfer me from Riverside to Kaiser's Zion hospital in an ambulance). Now i have 3 fused vertebrates along with 7 screws and 2 rods in my spine.
It really sucks because i'm only 22
But I am not paralyzed and I can still do most of the things I used to love to do.
I'm lucky enough to still be able to ride a mountain bike so its not all that bad(even though I miss riding my dirt bike more than anything!!)
But since this is the 1 year anniversary I just wanted to share my story, thank you for anything who read this entire topic
Here are the pics of my spine
They took bone from my hip (lower scar) and put it into my spine, I had such a loss of bone in my back they needed more to help with the fusion. Those black marks on the left is where the tire of my dirt bike hit me and left some thread marks


Here it is in x-ray form, just a few weeks after my surgery. You can see the middle vertebrates have more bone in them from the fusion.


Thanks again for taking a peak at my topic

I'm glad you're doing well. I can relate to your story because when I was 27 I had my C6 and C7 vertebrae fused (neck). I too was close to paralysis, but since my spinal chord was compressed at my neck, I would have been paralyzed from the neck down.

I have a titanium plate and screws in my vertebrae. They didn't take bone from my hip. Instead, they used cadaver/donor bone.

It's always in the back of my mind that I have a surgically repaired neck, so I'm cautious with obstacles and whenever I get a feeling I could eat it bad, I slow down or walk. It's just not worth it. Be safe out there, and congrats on your recovery.

Congrats on the recovery!

_________________
Best riding advice I ever got... "make sure you have air in your tires"

Glad that you have recovered well and still able to do your fun activities. Stay well and be safe out there buddy.

_________________
THOSE WHO KNOW, RIDE TURNER

I was there that day.(PR day) It is a streach to call that a jump but glad you are ok. Just yankin your chain for crshing on the smallest jump at Perris. I was going to ask how you got so messed up on that part of the track but I can see your bike hit you in the back.damn thats bad luck, Were you wearing a full chest protector?