# Used my face as a crumple zone!



## slug56 (21 Jul 2014)

Hi all 

Had a bit of an accident about 4 months ago now. I like looking at grizzly photos and I'm sure I'm not the only one, so I thought I'd share.

I was descending a fairly steep hill with a stone bridge at the bottom crossing over a river. I hit some gravel on the way down and that was it. My last thought before the impact was "this is going to hurt". I went over the handlebars and my face almost exclusively took the impact on the stone wall. My immediate after thoughts were "ouch, that hurt", "Is my bike okay?" and "I wonder if I can carry on with my ride?". No concussion and didn't knock myself out which meant yes I had to endure the pain, but also that I hadn't likely caused any brain damage.







To try and cut it short, the paramedics said I'd definitely broken my nose, and I thought I'd knocked my front teeth back because I couldn't clamp my molars together any more - the front ones kept getting in the way (no overbite). It turns out I'd fractured my skull in a line above my top teeth, so my teeth were for all intents and purposes floating without being attached to anything, urgh!






In total I had 5 skull fractures, broke my nose and fractured my palate. A 6.5 hour surgery later and I now have 7 metal plates in my face. Practically back to normal now. I have a small scar across the bridge of my nose and you can't see anything else as they went in through my gum for the lower half of my face and my inner eyelids for the top half. Apart from a bit of scar tissue in my lip (annoying) and some sensitivity in my front teeth, all is good.






And now you can just see the scar on the bridge of my nose:





So... pretty lucky to still be here and to have made a full recovery!


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## welsh dragon (21 Jul 2014)

Glad you made a full recovery.


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## RWright (21 Jul 2014)

Ouch. Nice to see you recovered.


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## ianrauk (21 Jul 2014)

Blimey


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## coffeejo (21 Jul 2014)

Meep. (How was the bike?)


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## slug56 (21 Jul 2014)

coffeejo said:


> Meep. (How was the bike?)


Apart from a deep scratch on the handlebars that went through the bar tape and some gravel lodged in the shifters, it was in perfect condition!


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## numbnuts (21 Jul 2014)

OUCH Very glad your OK now


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## fossyant (21 Jul 2014)

Ooch. Some good repairs done there.


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## ScotiaLass (21 Jul 2014)

Ouchie!
Looks like you had a great team working on you!


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## Saluki (21 Jul 2014)

Lordy. The medics did a really neat job on your face.


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## Arjimlad (21 Jul 2014)

Crikey ! Glad you are OK - the wonders of modern medicine !


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## Dave 123 (21 Jul 2014)

I think the scar adds to the devil may care good looks.....

And I'm glad you mended!


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## Accy cyclist (21 Jul 2014)

Were you wearing a helmet?


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## Sods_Laur (21 Jul 2014)

*winces* glad it wasn't more serious!


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## AndyRM (21 Jul 2014)

Chapeau to your surgeons!


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## AndyWilliams (22 Jul 2014)

Crikey. This scares the shi* out of me. Glad your ok now though.


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## mcshroom (22 Jul 2014)

Glad to hear you've recovered well and that looks like some good work by the medical staff there. 

Oh, how was the bike 



Accy cyclist said:


> Were you wearing a helmet?


Unless it was full face then I can't see how a helmet would have changed the outcome (whether one was worn or not)


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## Pat "5mph" (22 Jul 2014)

Ouch!!
I skipped the pics 'cause I'm a wuss


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## Accy cyclist (22 Jul 2014)

mcshroom said:


> Glad to hear you've recovered well and that looks like some good work by the medical staff there.
> 
> Oh, how was the bike
> 
> ...



His upper cranium looks untouched. Perhaps a helmet saved it?


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## jefmcg (22 Jul 2014)

Wow. Glad you have recovered so well, and kept your spirits up when everything was such a painful mess.

Scar can be easily covered.


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## Keith Oates (22 Jul 2014)

Glad to know and see that all turned out so well but that must have been a very uncomfortable time when going through those repairs !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## slug56 (22 Jul 2014)

mcshroom said:


> Unless it was full face then I can't see how a helmet would have changed the outcome (whether one was worn or not)


Correct  I was indeed wearing a helmet, but it completely missed.
I definitely agree with all the comments here about the surgeons. I had a first-class service from start to finish, which isn't something you tend to hear often about the NHS.


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## glasgowcyclist (22 Jul 2014)

slug56 said:


> I was indeed wearing a helmet, but it completely missed.


 
I wonder if Brand has read this thread?

GC


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## neil earley (24 Jul 2014)

Hell of a way to get a nose job! glad you made a full recovery.


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## Fab Foodie (24 Jul 2014)

Saluki said:


> Lordy. The medics did a really neat job on your face.


Could have given him a better one though


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## Sara_H (24 Jul 2014)

Ouchy. My OH had a similar vrash, he had a Le Fort 3 fracture which sounds like what you had - his eye sockets, nose and top teeth were floating independantly of his skull!

Funnily enough his nose was already a bit bent, but it was streightened out a bit after the surgery.

Good to hear you've made a full recovery.


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## slug56 (24 Jul 2014)

Sara_H said:


> Ouchy. My OH had a similar vrash, he had a Le Fort 3 fracture which sounds like what you had - his eye sockets, nose and top teeth were floating independantly of his skull!



That's the one. Le Fort 1 and 2 here. I actually think I came out of it with a slightly straighter nose... And straighter teeth for that matter!


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## Sara_H (24 Jul 2014)

slug56 said:


> That's the one. Le Fort 1 and 2 here. I actually think I came out of it with a slightly straighter nose... And straighter teeth for that matter!


Ouch! It's about 4 years since OH did his. He gets a bit achy in his face in cold weather.


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## Rickshaw Phil (24 Jul 2014)

That looks pretty horrendous. Glad you've recovered so well.


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## ComedyPilot (25 Jul 2014)

Oh my god......! 

The last picture is horrendous...............!


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## slug56 (25 Jul 2014)

ComedyPilot said:


> Oh my god......!
> 
> The last picture is horrendous...............!


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