Bikers Nightmare

 

We were biking through the mountains of West Virginia when we encountered hair pin curves on wet pavement. We drifted off the road and our bike spun and lunged forward.

 

“What's happening,” I screamed, tightening my grip on Pat.

 

“I'm trying to get us back,” my husband yells.

 

We hit something and became airborne. That's all I remember.

Our friends Randy and Carrie Carr, who were cycling with us since we left Cleveland for Charleston, later told us our Harley had hit a rock and catapulted into the air doing a complete somersault. Both of us lost our grip and fell off.

 

I landed in a ditch and 1,200 pounds of motorcycle landed on top of me. Randy, being a large strong man, lifted that bike off of me and set it aside. He said my eyes had receded back into my head and he thought I was dead.

 

Patrick was cut and immobile. He kept asking, “How's Julie?” They didn't want to upset him further so they replied, “She's going to be ok.”

 

Earlier we had passed a couple on a bike towing a small trailer. It was a God thing that the gal on that bike was a nurse. When I regained consciousness she was cradling my head in her lap. She told me in a soft voice to remain calm and to be still.

 

Two helicopters arrived and landed on the road. They put one of us in each chopper. I remember thinking how odd, I had always wanted to fly in a helicopter but I won't be able to see anything lying flat on my aching back. I passed out again.

Hours later, when I woke up in the hospital, it seems I had been given an MRI of everything except my hurting back. I was sick that night from a concussion.

 

It is a miracle that we both survived. Patrick had a broken T-5, T-7 vertebrae and a broken neck. When we left the hospital days later, we were quite a sight. He was in a full body brace and I was in a neck brace.

 

I was in physical therapy for five months before an MRI was taken of my back. I had broken the same bones as my husband. I should have been in a full body brace like he was.

 

It is frightening to think that since I didn't have a full body brace, I could have easily done something to exert myself that would have left me paralyzed. I couldn't have surgery because the break was too close to my lungs.

 

Today we are both walking miracles, Pat is back riding his Harley, but it is not for me. I still have back pain which I manage daily best I can, “thank you Lord.”

I'm grateful to God and praise him to this day for his mercy and blessings.

 

Julie Clarke

Charleston, WV