Mountain Biker Breaks His Neck
Mike Vandeman
Mike
Doctors miss broken neck in mountain bike fall man
Jun 24 2009 by Iain Pollock, Dumfries Standard Wednesday
A LOCKERBIE man was released from hospital after a horrific mountain
biking accident, despite having the �classic symptoms of a broken
neck�.
Andrew Stevenson, 37, was injured during a day out with pals at the
Scratchmere trail near Penrith in Cumbria.
He was catapulted over the handlebars of his bike and landed on his
head with a sickening thud.
His wife Debbie told the Standard: �He took the full impact on his
head and heard his neck crunch. Immediately his whole body was pins
and needles.
�He had a full face helmet on and his friends had to clean soil from
his face. They made sure he was totally immobilised and called the
ambulance.�
Medics put Andrew on a back board and fitted a head collar before
bringing in an air ambulance to transport him to the Newcastle General
Hospital.
The father of two was given a CT scan but released from the hospital
the same day.
Debbie, who works for the NHS in Dumfries, added: �Because he was
getting out we thought he was okay.
�I even pulled a jumper over his head because they had cut all his
clothes off apart from his cycling shorts. I just assumed he had a
trapped nerve that was making his hands nippy because they told me he
had a CT scan and there were no breaks.�
Andrew, who works as a community policeman in Moffat, was in such pain
that he went to the accident and emergency department at Dumfries
Infirmary the next day.
He had an MRI scan which identified a prolapsed disc putting pressure
on his spinal cord, but doctors suspected there was more severe damage
masked by swelling.
�They said he had the classic symptoms of a broken neck,� Debbie
added.
Andrew was taken by ambulance to the spinal injuries unit at the
Southern General Hospital in Glasgow last Tuesday ... three days after
the accident on June 13.
He has been immobilised on a bed since as doctors wait for his
condition to improve.
Debbie said: �The doctors have no doubt that it�s broken but because
of the swelling they cannot see it. He is due to have another scan on
Monday when they will decide what to do. He could be released with a
neck brace or they may need to operate.�
In March the Standard revealed that Laurieston weather consultant
Geoff Monk walked about for a month with a broken neck after a fall.
He was also taken to the Southern General Hospital for treatment when
the extent of his true injuries was realised.
--
I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to
humans ("pure habitat"). Want to help? (I spent the previous 8
years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)
Please don't put a cell phone next to any part of your body that you are fond of!
Kayak44
> So much for the safe, family sport.... Evolution at work....
What would you know about family? You are unable to have one since
Synanon forced you to get a vasectomy.
VtSkier
> So much for the safe, family sport.... Evolution at work....
Mike, you are an asshole.
Oh, and thanks for alerting us not to get hurt in Scotland.
(trim)