close

This picture is from Saturday's Masters main event at South Park. I was riding good all day and this lap was no exception, up until just about this point. Leading the way as we plunged in to the second turn, one of my competitors was nice enough to show me the outside white line and make sure I stayed there all the way to the far outside curb jump lip of the big triple step. This left me no chance of continuing over the big doubles of the pro section so instead of cutting across the track and crashing in to others I decided to shut it down and live to race another day (that day was Sunday).

I was pretty shot for Sunday but I put together the best effort I could, making it to the main event with a few more points than Saturday. I managed to squeak out a third place finish in the main. I had qualified for nine consecutive main events (four since the injury) in the masters class but this was my first podium, which was great and only slightly tainted by the idea of what could have been on Saturday.

Check out F*ck BMX for more pics and Team Long Island : BMX for race footage.

time

This picture is from the first main at Shoreham last Sunday. I'm still holding on to the track record for the time trials but the field seems to be tightening up every week. Check out the Shoreham site for details on how the 16 and Over Expert/Pro Open class has been evolving here. With time trials and last chance qualifiers, the local BMX scene has never been so much fun.

My time trial results for the first four outings:

Date	Time
June 7th 2009	42.3
May 31st 2009	41.4
May 24th 2009	41.5
May 10th 2009	43.0

shoreham

I was able to put down the fastest lap during the inaugural running of the Shoreham BMX Time Trials @ 43 seconds flat. Check the full results here.

I was definitely psyched to be on top of the speed chart although I didn't expect it at all. The good thing about being solo is that the lack of strength in my left leg wasn't as much of an issue since there was nobody to shut me down out of the gate.

Should be cool to keep track of the lap times throughout the season.

finally

After 9 months, finally back on the track, Woodbridge VA to be exact. This picture is from day 1, moto 1, first race lap of the weekend. I put together some really good motos and kept my transfer points low but by main time both days I was just running out of energy.

Results for Woodbridge 09:

Day 1 - M1=2, M2=4, M3=1, Main=6
Day 2 - M1=2, M2=2, M3=4, Main=7

Point standings through Woodbridge:
Position 16, Points = 29-2

thirteen

It has been a while since I updated this site. I just didn't feel like I was getting anywhere, certainly not enough progress to bother anyone with. Even when I got the ok to put weight on my left leg, I thought that would be reason enough to post but that day actually felt more like a huge set back than anything else. The doctor asked me why I wasn't walking on it two minutes after he told me it was ok to. Like I didn't just spend nine weeks keeping that leg from touching the ground, at all costs.

About four weeks in physical therapy, three times a week. Lost one crutch after two weeks, graduated to a cane after another week, and have been attempting to walk free of aid for the past week or so. It's not pretty but it is nice to be able to limp around for a minute every once in a while.

So Sunday was thirteen weeks since the crash broke my leg. I packed up my helmet and my bike and headed out to Shoreham with no clue what to expect.

It's safe to say that I was the happiest kid, uh... rider at the track that Sunday. I probably put in ten or so laps, got a few decent gate starts (I start with my right foot) and at one point I even forgot about the injury and tried to pick up and pedal over the first roller (and seriously scared everyone that knows my situation).

About as solid as I was my first trip to Shoreham BMX in 1987, just as scared and a little less confident. I can barely walk but I managed to find my way around a BMX track for one afternoon. Seemed like something worth writing about.

hardware

Originally the doctor told me that he would be inserting a metal plate and approximately 12 screws in to the broken bone in my leg. Now I didn't ask but for some reason I assumed that the plate would be about the size of a business card and that the screws would be like a 1/2 inch long at the most. Obviously I was way off on this one!



During my visit today the doctor told me that the bone appears to be healing very well. He checked my range of motion and said that he was surprised at how much movement I had recovered in just five weeks. I will be starting physical therapy next week for ROM and strength but will not be putting any weight on the leg for another three weeks.

My knee is still quite swollen. When I asked him about that he said that there was still a lot of water on my knee and that with this type of injury meniscus damage is a possibility. Once I am putting weight on the leg and I have been walking for a few weeks he will send me for an MRI to determine if there is any damage to the knee cartilage. We will discuss options for a second surgery once we know for sure.

thanks

So it’s been a little over a month since I arrived back on Long Island from the Music City National. Not much going on in the way of news with my leg so I figure this would be a good time to say thanks.

In order of appearance:

Thanks to all of the guys in the masters class who came out on the track to see if I was ok. I was pretty fuzzy after the fall so I don’t remember who was all standing there but I do remember that Domingos Lammoglia was one of the guys that helped me off the track. Thanks! I also seem to remember Tommy Opincar saying that he was sorry? I wonder what that was all about…

Thanks to my boy Chris Giacomazzo. Chris really made sure I was taken care of. He got me out of the hospital, got my pain meds, boxed up my bike, got me to the airport, cut the security line with me, and made sure I got on the plane. Can’t thank you enough!

Thanks to Southwest flight attendant Valerie Boy. She was the best “stew” ever. She hooked up a bunch of pillows and blankets to create a make shift ottoman for my bad leg. She also made sure I had ice for my leg and she went through the trouble of writing me a note that said I was her cousin and that the crew on the next plane should take care of me. How cool is that!

Thanks to my brother in law Kenny. Besides getting all my crap from the airport and driving my car home (it’s a standard shift) he has been hanging out and getting me out of the house which was what I really needed. I know it’s not easy to hang out with someone when they are all messed up such as I was. Thanks bro!

Thanks to my lovely wife Lynnsey. In all reality I should probably insert a thank you to her between each of these. Lynns has been so good at helping me deal with this whole broken leg thing. When she picked me up at the airport I could tell by the look on her face that it was bad. That was the last time I saw that look. From the usual “everything will be alright” stuff to really helping me deal with what actually happened, she has been there for me. She was there for me when I was in so much pain that I just wanted to give up (yes, it really did hurt that much). She made sure that I got a second opinion when the first doctor I saw wanted to see how it would heal without surgery. Lynns, you mean the world to me. Thank you for everything.

Thanks to my mother in law Celeste (who I affectionately call Mama C). She made sure that I was at every doctor’s appointment and every test on time. She also made sure that I had lunch, coffee, or any other little thing that would make my day better after being poked, prodded, scanned, or x-rayed. Thanks Mama C.

Thanks to my next door neighbor Joe. Joe has been nice enough to mow my lawn whenever he mows his own. I’m sure my dogs would thank you also if they weren’t busy trying to run out the front door when you stop by. He also has a pretty big selection of new movies that he let me borrow to help pass the time. Thanks Joe.

Thanks to Mike, Robert, and Marty at my job for understanding why a 33 year old man that you work with broke his leg riding little kids bikes. Thanks to Crystal and Rick for picking me up and driving me home from work. The first few days back were tough and you guys made it as easy as you could for me. Thanks!

Lastly, thanks to everyone out there who has held a door for me, paused to let me walk by, let me cut in line, or did anything that made my day a little bit easier. I would do the same for you!

staples

After being bumped from my usual Friday appointment I finally got to see the orthopedic yesterday. The staples are now out and I am psyched. The doctor took another set of x-rays and informed me that the bone is healing perfectly. I asked the doctor for a copy of the x-rays. Apparently he was too busy to get me a copy but promised me that he would make it happen on my next visit. I will be returning two weeks from this coming Friday for my third post-operative visit. I'll post the x-rays featuring the metal plate and screws as soon as I get them. Should be cool.

scar

Went to see the orthopedic today for my first post-operative visit. I was excited for a few reasons. Reason one, the last time I talked to the Dr. I was in a hospital bed and heavily medicated so I had a lot of questions for him. Second reason, this would be my first chance to see the new scar. The PA came in and started unwrapping the ace bandage that had been on my leg since the surgery. She then cut through the bloody gauze and got my leg fully exposed. I took out my phone to take a quick pic. The PA said, "I can probably get you a better shot from this angle".



She was right. The scar looks pretty sick, bigger than I thought it would be. They took a few x-rays of my leg to make sure that the bones are still sitting the way the Dr. left them when he closed up my leg. I was told that everything looked perfect. I have to remember to ask for a printout of the x-ray.

The biggest question that I had for the Dr. was, "When will I know what is wrong with my shoulder"? He basically told me that since I can't walk right now, fixing the broken bone in my leg was the most important thing. He said that there is no way he would even consider sending me for surgery (assuming I needed surgery) on my shoulder while my leg is in this condition. An MRI would be a waste since it would have to be repeated anyway and who knows, maybe it will heal by the time my leg is better.

Point taken.

home

The surgery on my left knee has been completed successfully. I am now the proud owner of a metal plate and 12 little screws that will live in my left leg for the foreseeable future. The way it was explained to me is that the screws thread in to the metal plate, then in to the bone which makes the whole assembly very strong. Cool! My orthopedic was so happy with how well the surgery went that he ordered my leg to be placed in a Kinetic CPM as soon as possible, following the surgery. I woke up in recovery confused and in quite a bit of pain to my leg being forcefully attached to this thing:



I spent the next 24 hours with my leg in the CPM, 2 hours on, 2 hours off. My doctor decided I was ok to be released at around noon time on Sunday and the nurses got my paper work together just under 3 hours later. When my doctor gave me the ok to go home I felt great, by the time they actually let me leave I felt like my leg weighed 100 lbs. I was in quite a bit of pain for the remainder of the night. When I woke up this morning I couldn't get out of bed. My first thought was that I should not have left the hospital when I did. Slowly I was able to get up and get moving. I have been resting as much as possible and feeling a little better as more time passes. Regardless, it is good to be home.

broken

As you may or may not know I have broken my left leg and severely bruised my left shoulder during the running of the Masters class main event on day 2 of the Music City National in Nashville Tennessee. The leg injury is a Tibial Plateau Fracture which is really more like a broken knee. The doctors have not evaluated my shoulder at this point due to the severity of my leg injury but I do know that no bones in my shoulder have been broken. After getting a second opinion it has been decided that the injury to my leg is far too serious to chance letting it heal without surgery.

I have been scheduled for surgery at St. Charles hospital on Saturday, July 26, 2008 at 8 AM. The surgery will include the addition of a metal plate and some screws that will hold the broken section of the bone in place (an internal cast) so that there is no guessing at how the bone will heal. There are also some floating bone fragments that will need to be removed. The surgery will be followed by 8 weeks in a brace with 0 weight being applied to my left leg, followed by physical therapy.

I was also informed that there is a good chance that I will lose some range of motion in my left knee. I was told that I would not even be able to think about riding BMX for at least 6 months and that it is possible that I will not return to the level that I was at when I got injured.

They tell me I will be in the hospital through Sunday, possibly Monday and that I will be in excruciating pain.
I will try to post updates as frequently as possible.

Thanks to everyone for being positive and being there for me!