Life-flights are no fun!

Or so I've been told as I have no memory of the $40k ride from Rd Atlanta to the hospital. After they drilled a hole in my skull to relieve pressure and stuck a tube down throat so I could breath, I regained conciousness in a few days.
I KNOW EXACTLY WHY THIS HAPPENED and am posting so that you, my race friends, will not make the same mistake.
My brain is back to the point where I can accurately reflect the horror of my experience. I am still not mentally 100%, but getting close. The doc said 5 to 6 yrs.
It was the GNF and by simply completing my races I would have the points to win 5 championships.
So when the motor blew at the previous race I located a fleabay replacement and changed out the blown motor. I didn't even check valve clearance.
So no surprise that at the race it ran like shit. Fast enough to get those damn championships and stay out of everyone's way. My pit neighbor Kurt knew my motor was shit and offered to lend me his EX. I declined his offer 'knowing' that I could make it through on the shit motor.
Well low and behold the thing seized in the first race and I landed very awkwardly on my head. Still won 3 championships on points. Doesn't mean much now.

So racers, never shortcut you bike prep. If you are short on time and can't get it done, don't race. If you don't have the $$$ to run a safe bike, don't race!

What happened to me can happen to any of you; just don't let it be for the same lazy-ass mistake I made.

 

Whew...I though you had done messed up again.

 

I've been messin' up for 64 yrs!
But I discovered adult diapers.

 

When you live to tell the story they aren't bad.

 

I could be in a parallel universe...

 

Need to add to this:
If your friends tell you your bike is shit and say "don't ride that sketchy thing, take this one instead", listen to them.

 

Opinions vary on that.

 

My throttle had started sticking *just a bit* and I thought "eh, no big deal, I'll switch out tubes when I get home tonight"......................didn't make it home until nine days later and still dealing with insurance companies on the $31K bill from that little helicopter ride.

I take my maintenance uber fucking seriously these days.

 

I took a ride in one of them in 2005.....at least that's what the insurance company said. I don't remember even one second of it.

 

Says the guy with the sketchiest EX500 on the planet

 

Shakes is tight, yo. Plus it only tried to kill people when the tires were wrong.

 

Thanks for sharing and I am glad you are feeling better

 

Lol, not sure why this just popped in my head but I remember being on the helipad after landing and it being pretty cold and my junk just being out for everyone to see surrounded by about 10-15 people all doing something to get me unloaded..............I was pretty drugged up but remember making a joke about how cold it was to one of the woman doctors

 

I woke up mid-flight and made some comment along the lines of "why am I the only one naked?" I recall some laughter before the lights went out again.

 

My crash happened in 2005, and I was told that while the ER doctor was evaluating me for the level of concussion that I received, he asked me my name...I didn't know. He asked me my address and phone number....I didn't know. He also asked a few other questions and they said that I didn't know the answer to them either (I don't remember any of this obviously). Finally, they said he asked me if I knew who the President of the United States was (remember, this was 2005) and they said that I smiled really big and stated "Of course I do.....Richard Nixon". With that answer, he told them to call in the Life Flight helicopter. I still laugh outloud at that one.

 

I was taken out and remember getting back to the pits barely. I typically race by myself but k on a lot of people. I remember asking everyone if I should race they were like Ya go for it. Don't really remember the 2 afternoon races. Had a bad concussion.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

 

There are a few high points here: being retired Army and having Tricare resulted in my $40,000 chopper ride costing $14.
The other is no longer having to work a potty trip around zipped up leathers and such.
And I know, Kurt, I'm sure I should have borrowed your EX, but at least the adult diapers you lent paid off! So Yo! friends when you see Kurt right before a race standing still and smiling, you will know what's up!

 

Been life flighted twice since 011. Was out cold during the 2nd one in late 012. Still remember nothing from that day or the next week for that matter. 1st one all I saw was clouds going by the window as the tech straddled over me taking my vitals every 5 minutes or so. $19k each for mine. Not fun.

 

Did they actually cost you $19K each time, or your insurance? I ask, because there are insurance services that are pretty reasonable to help cover that expense. I've not purchased one yet, but the guys that race AFM in N. Cal have some threads on the plans they recommend.

 

I bought helicopter insurance about 2007 or 2008. It's a network that serves something like 28 states and costs me around $60 or $65 a year, and that's for both of us...my wife and I. They will pay the entire difference of what your primary insurance doesn't cover. Example: $50,000 bill and your insurance pays $25,000....they pick up the other $25,000.

www.airmedcarenetwok.com