Sunday, July 3, 2011

Mt. Hamilton Motorcycle Ride

Today, I rode my 2008 Honda CBR1000RR motorcycle to the top of Mt. Hamilton to visit the Lick Observatory. The Lick Observatory was the world's first permanently occupied mountain-top observatory.

The ride from South San Jose to Mt. Hamilton follows Mt. Hamilton Road's many twists and turns. Mt. Hamilton Road is a twisty, exciting one-lane road for motorcycle riding. A few bicyclists also pedal along the road to Mt. Hamilton, but it's a fairly steep ascent!

When I reached the top, I took a few photos and rested.







The Honda CBR1000RR is a fantastic motorcycle with exceptional power and acceleration. It has excellent handling and turns quickly. Although I prefer the sound of my previous motorbike - a 2000 Honda VFR800FI - there is no comparison in engine power. The CBR1000RR is much more powerful!



Unfortunately, on the ride down the mountain, I crashed (low-sided) on one of the turns. I believe there was gravel on the road, and my rear wheel just slipped. The crash happened so quickly that I had no time to react. When I got up, the bike's left side was damaged, and my left arm felt weird. I did not feel any pain. I tried to pick up the motorbike but could not do so.

A friendly Harley Davidson rider stopped by and helped me out. He helped me lift the bike, and I could ride it back home. I noticed that I could not lift my left arm and thought it was a bruise. I noticed that using the clutch was painful, so I tried to stay in the same gear (3rd gear) the whole way back.

When I got home, I parked the bike in the garage and decided to go to the Palo Alto Medical Foundation Urgent Care Center to check my arm and shoulder. The X-ray showed a fracture in my humerus.

Dr. James B. Laroy told me that it would heal by itself and prescribed some painkillers. Unfortunately, he was completely wrong and almost cost me a full recovery. Once broken, surgical operations to repair bones must occur within 2-3 weeks. During this time, one must find a competent surgeon. However, I did not think I needed to find a surgeon, so I was not looking for one. A few days later, I returned to Palo Alto Medical Foundation for a checkup, and another doctor reviewed my X-ray. He said that I needed to see a surgeon right away as my fracture was complex and needed surgery immediately. He recommended that I see Dr. Colin Eakin in Palo Alto.

I scheduled an appointment to see Dr. Colin Eakin. He reviewed my X-rays and explained the surgery that could be done. I designed the surgery for July 13, 2011 (10 days after my accident). The surgery went very well, and I had metal plates inserted in my humerus to repair the bone and put all of the bone fragments back together.

It took about a year of Physical Therapy at Baysport in Courtside Club to recover most of my arm and shoulder movement. Tegan Johnson-Galvaz, my physical therapist, helped me heal and helped me stretch and get stronger.






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