Out of commission for a while

[Anthony Scozzari]

All,
As the long riders know I have some strange attraction to things in the rode. Well on my commute home from work on Monday I hit something which turned my wheel suddenly and I went down directly on my hip. I was going up Palomar airport road on that slight grade before El Fruerte doing all of 11 mph.

I broke my hip close to the femur and had surgery that night.  They placed some long titanium rod contraption in my femur and hip to hold the 3 pieces together. Traveling by air with the wonderful TSA should be more fun now!

I'm in the hospital for another day and then home. Supposedly I can get back on a bike in 6-8 weeks. I will be looking for a watch out for the crap in the road sensor to attach in the meantime. I'll miss riding with you all, I've greatly appreciated finding this group 18 months ago!

Thanks,

Anthony

[karlos]

Anthony - We must find a new nickname for you (your other thread). Like Joe Btflspk (does anyone remember Li'l Abner?), the cloud over your head appears to be a reality (nail in the rim post).

Seriously, though, "Joe"... I wish the hip crash never happened and am wishing you a strong and speedy recovery.
Karl

[James Hutchings]

Now what are we going to do?  Can you loan your Garmin to Jeff during the healing time so he can stay on course.
Couldn't you ask for Carbon shafts? 
Seriously, this is very bad news.  Get well soon and do everything they tell you to do for the recovery. 

[Evelyn Marshall]

If u managed to break ur hip at 11mph imagine what u would have done going fAst?.... Is there a personal cycling assistant that could  sag in front of you, sweeping the nails rocks and whatnot off the friggen road?
Get well soon!

[Burton Reiff]

So sorry Anthony....wishing you a speedy recovery

[Anthony Scozzari]

Thanks everyone, I sure missed being out with you today!!!   

Evelyn, we can check with a real engineer or physicist but I actually think if I was going faster I wouldn't broken my hip since the forward momentum would have been increased and I would had skidded more instead of just the thud down on my hip.

Here is my pre surgery X-ray - the bone should be attached where you think, pre surgery picture - morphine is powerful stuff - look at the pretty colors, and a couple of fun ones of gown and walker!!

Ok pictures later, I don't know how to attach from my iPad.

[Stephen Jones]

OMG Anthony, hope you recover fast and get back to dropping me.  I do have a really old, crappy set of wheels that i might consider selling...Get well soon

[Evelyn Marshall]

Anthony ur right! I just asked the other Anthony " Skidding Anthony" and he agrees...  Road rashed to hell but nothing broken!
I hope u don't mind but I went ahead and looked up the origin of the name "Anthony" and it means ..."one who falls off bicycles"    

[Anthony Scozzari]

That's great Evelyn!!!  Biggest laugh I've had since Jeff brought me training wheels, or when Sean and Ursala brought me a bell and cup holder to attach to my WALKER!!

Still lots of pain and my leg has now swollen and I have huge bruise.....on the bottom of my leg since all I can do is lay/sit on my butt.  The bruise moved down and around with gravity.

I'll be back!!

[Sean Brennan]

I had the opportunity to vist the NCCC patient this past weekend and I must say he has adapted well from his bike to his new sporty walker. While the walker is not carbon, it appeared to be of all aluminum construction rather stiff but lighter than steel. Best of all, his walker wheel set is clearly more durable than his bike wheelset and fortunately, has no spokes. We all know Anthony's awesome leg power is no match for any known earthly spoke material as he breaks than as frequently as the rest of us dream of cycling through France with a group of super models (that may be just me), in any case he breaks lots of bike parts. I have contacted NASA and asked if the Mars rover can retreive some new Martian bike building material so that poor Anthony can ride his bike without fear of breaking off critical bike components.

But I digress.....during my visit with Anthony he was in good spirits, looked good, and on the road to healing. My only concern was his lack of sharing. Clearly, he had been given some good medication that could benefit us all but no, offer to share. I will ask for a new NCCC by-law that will require the sharing of appropriate medication with fellow club members.

But I digress.......Considering his situation he was optimistic and never once seemed to feel sorry for himself. I think his positive atitude will speed his recovery. In the mean time, I expect given his competitive nature Anthony will be hanging out at senior centers challenging others to walker races for money. My bet is on Anthony, anyone want to take the other side of the bet???

But I digress.....Given the extreme nature of his surgery and how he explained the hammering of titanium rods into his femur, and looking at his x-rays, he seemed to be doing well. And he will be missed on the Saturday rides.

[Sean Brennan]

Out of commission is an understatement……I just saw Anthony’s post surgery x-rays. Not only will this guy have trouble getting through airport security he could be cast as the villain in the next terminator movie. The dude has about 50 pounds of titanium hammered into his femur bone. Seriously, He has a titanium rod that runs from his hip to his knee. Now look down at your own thigh and measure the distance from your, hopefully not to graphic, groin to your knee and that is the hardware he now sports in his leg. The rumor is…….even while heavily sedated he tried to get the doctor to use carbon fiber to match his bike but the doc ignored his requests.

And did I mention hammered….that is the way Anthony explained the procedure. The doctor hammered the rod from the top of his femur down to his knee. While I am no expert, my bet is Steve, with his years of wood working experience, could have done the job better and cheaper than the doc. I’m just say’in, who ya gonna call the next time your femur breaks in two.

Speedy recovery Anthony………be well.

[Anthony Scozzari]

Thanks Sean!  It has been very nice seeing you, Ursala, and Jeff!  I do appreciate the training wheels for my bike and the horn and cup holder for my new walker. 

As some of you know I developed a pulmonary embolism and was put back in the hospital where I am currently typing this.  I have dominated the little circle here with my walker and can't seem to find and decent competitors to race to the next corner or aide ( nurses) station!  This new little issue might keep me off the bike a bit longer but I hope not. 

I'm still in good spirits and when I can figure out how to load the cool titanium rod pictures I will.

Thanks for the good wishes and ride safely!  I hope to drive out to the start on a Sat/sun ride in the next few weeks to chit chat.  Take care,

Anthony

[Anthony Scozzari]

Here some pre and post surgery pictures along with one of my cool walker. 
Anthony

[Nerius Landys]

Oh my Goodness, is there a titanium rod in the middle of your leg bone, going lengthwise?
You're a stud!

[karlos]

Studley, for sure. But, I'm missing the bell on the walker and the training wheels?