2018 had already a sad start. With my father passing I had some quite difficult times. It was hard to focus again on the sport I love. So I flew to the Canary Islands to start training again. I had never been fitter. Then I crashed. Can't explain the why. But I know that it hurt. Oh, dear, that hurt. Bloody impressive that I survived that 52km/h++ flight of the bike.
My helmet was cracked into pieces, blood ran from my forehead. I was not able to breath. Nor was I able to cry or scream. My lungs made a strange sound. I had the feeling of choking (which was not that untrue). I did not try to move.
I was found some painful long time later. Luckly I was able to tell the most important information before the ambulance arrived, so that my buddies received the news. With the fear of a major spinal cord injury I was transported to the local hospital in critical condition.
The next thing that I remember was that the doctors made a thorax drainage by putting a tube with constant underpressure into my ribcage. Still uncomfortable - even with luxury painkillers. Almost half a litre of blood instantly ran out of this "garden hose". Finally I was able to breath again, as my lungs had the space to inflate again.
For the pain I received a epidural catheter (with ends near the spinal cord) with top class opioids which at least killed some pain of the 14 multiple broken rips. It could not kill the pain of the broken collarbone nor of the shoulderblade nor of anything else. But it helped me to breath. I was lucky enough not to crack my spine or my head.
Four long days I waited for the ambulance flight back to Vienna. Eventually I was transported back to my hometown hospital were I checked in on the intensive medical care unit of another 2 weeks. Finally I received surgery on my collarbone, as my lungs had made healing progress and I was put off the breathing support machine (which had assisted me on fully inhaling). Also I got finaly rid of the drainage and catheters.
4 weeks after the crash I finally left the hospital - on foot. Glad, happy, sad, frustrated, weak, slim, unshaved, bikeless.. you name it.
I am the luckies man alive to overcome this shit without any permanent damage. Alive.
