Daniele down : Cape Town

[Skylark]

Shame poor guy, good to see Daniele on the mend, strengths bru!

[Frail. "Will forever remain "Frail"]

Glad to hear he is on the road to recovery.

Difficult time ahead.

Stay strong.

He and his family are in my thoughts and prayers.

 

David

[daniele]

This is from my wife last week:

 

A lot has happened in the last 10 days. For those of you who missed the posts before, Daniele was involved in a very severe accident last Tuesday night cycling home after work, and a car hit him causing the bicycle to snap in half and daniele's body to smash the windscreen of the car and the roof and passenger side of the car were dented in, before falling to the tar. It was a miracle that he survived the incident and I am so grateful to the people who stopped to help him and called the ambulance for him. He was taken to Milnerton mediclinic where he received the most amazing care from the most amazing doctors and nurses. His recovery was not smooth and even involved being intubated and ventilated for just over 24 hours. His Giro helmet proved to be worth the money spent and saved his head and was intact. With a head injury and severe concussion, shattered clavicle, collapsed lung with lung contusion and bleeding into the lung, 5 fractured ribs and and flail segment, 2 comminuted fractures of the pelvis, deep laceration right knee and haematoma left knee, 4 units of blood transfused, a chest drain and surgery to repair the shoulder, and lots of patience with 10 days in ICU, we have received the good news that he can be moved to the general ward. He managed to start to walk yesterday for the first time and breathing is getting easier everyday. Thank you to his guardian angel Peppino (daddy) who decided it was not yet his time to go. If you see the picture of the car and consider the vulnerability of one's body without protection on a bicycle, we all realise and sigh a sigh of relief that Daniele Cafiso is still here with us today. Thanks to all those who have been praying and thinking of him . It will be a hard journey back to normal, and we need to just take it day by day now during his recovery. We are easily prompted to ask "why us?", but to keep us positive we are reminded everyday that it could have been so much worse.

[daniele]

This is still from my wife few days after:

 

Hi everyone. Daniele is looking a lot better today. He is off the oxygen and possibly may have the chest drain removed today and may be allowed to start to mobilise a little despite his 2 pelvic fractures which we discovered yesterday as well. If all goes well he may be moved from ICU to the ward tomorrow. Thanks again for all the love xxx

[daniele]

This is the final update:

 

t is with great relief that I have brought Daniele Cafiso home today from hospital after 12 very difficulty and painful days. Although the injuries all still need to heal, which we know will take time, at least he can now recover in the comfort of his own home and sleep in his own bed at night, and have the healing energy and love of his fur "babies" around.

There are so many people who carried us through this ordeal, and were amazing everyday in their care and kindness. Thank you to the good samaritans and passers-by who stopped to help Daniele. Zahn, Rhiannon, Irene you are three that I know of, and if there are others I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the selfless act of stopping and helping a stranger, calling the ambulance, keeping my husband safe and protecting him until the paramedics arrived. Thank you to the paramedics of ER24, and Willem Jordaan especially for picking Daniele up in his moment of most fear and pain on the Potsdam road straight after the incident happened, where we are still not quite sure what exactly happened and phoning me to tell me that they had him in their care. Thank you to the ER staff at Milnerton Medi-clinic, especially Jessica Paul and Johan the Sister on duty who took such wonderful care of Daniele, as well as the Radiographer and radiologists who carried out the scans and X-rays no matter what hour of the night it was. Thank you to Dr Wilandi Jacobs the surgeon who came in late at night after hours to put in his chest drain and CVP and make sure that he was stable.

Thank you to the ICU staff who are truly angels that are among us. Patrick, Jilajay, Taj, Amanda, Charlotte, Khaya, Caira, and sister Deleen, you were all so supportive to me looking after me as the family member as well as giving the highest level of care and kindness to Daniele, making sure to pull him through his multiple injuries, times of fear and confusion and severe pain. It is so humbling to feel what it is like to be a patient and not a doctor. But also even more terrifying knowing "too much" and what all can go wrong with reference to the injuries that he sustained.

To the anaesthetists who helped control his pain and give him the anaesthetic for the Shoulder procedures that Dr Christelle van der Watt carried out so effortlessly. To Dr Tania Kotze who managed him as the Captain of the ship with his multiple injuries, and Dr Rod who stood in over the weekend, who were there everyday, keeping a close eye on his progress. To Dr Haug for making sure his brain was still functioning normally after the massive impact his head had taken and the severe concussion he suffered afterwards. To Dr Peter Smith for looking after his knees and hips. To the physic therapists who coaxed him into using his lungs again despite the broken ribs and pain he was enduring.

And to all the colleagues and new friends that I have made through this experience, who looked after me and made sure that I was holding up everyday, you all know who you are. Made sure I was eating, took me for coffee, came to check on me, sent me messages, phoned. The group of cyclists who are his "other family" who took me under their wing and send me whatsapp's encouragement messages everyday, made sure I was managing, and came to sit with me at his bedside waiting for him to heal.

And to all the friends and family, far abroad and here at home, who sent messages of encouragement and prayed for us everyday, made me feel safe, and sent angels to look over us to carry us to the day that has finally arrived today. 

I was not sure that today would arrive, or when it would arrive, and although I am emotionally and psychologically exhausted as I write this post, I am so thankful and grateful to be able to spend another day with Daniele, cook him another dinner, make him another cup of coffee, and wake up together one more time. After 12 days we are able to leave the hospital. And yes you may say, thats not so bad, but it could have been so, so much worse..........

And although a long road of healing and recovery lies ahead, the broken bones will heal, the scrapes and scratches will disappear, and he will ride his bicycle again and will be just as strong one day in the not to far away future.

Don't ever take a day for-granted, and cherish everyday you have with your loved ones, as we never know how long our time on earth will be, and how much time we have left. xxxxx

[daniele]

From me I can only say a heartfelt thanks to all the hubbers that have prayed and cared for me over the past few weeks. I feel very humbled by the reaction of hundreds of people from all around the world that my incident has caused. 

I do not recall much but I know I have been through hell and back and it has been thanks to the help of my wife as well as people like you and that I have managed to make it through. 

I wish to thanks from the bottom of my heart all of you who reads these few lines and have contributed with the pages in the Hub Forum, I am very thankful.

As my father used to say to me: Do good and forget about it, do bad and think about it for the rest of your life. Karma will always find her way back into your life, one way or another......

 

THANK YOU AGAIN!

 

Daniele Cafiso

Writing from home today, 7 Nov. since the accident happened on Oct.25th.

[SuperDooperSnooper]

I am very glad you survived and are doing so well through this horrible ordeal.

 

Best wishes with the road to full recovery and may you enjoy the joy of cycling again soon!

 

 

I would like to urge everybody to try and avoid something like this from ever happening. Think for everybody else on the road, whether you are in your car or on your bike. It only takes one second for things to go awfully wrong...

[NelAndre]

Welcome home Daniele and heal up soon.

[T-Bob]

May the road be a smooth one on this next part of the journey. Well done to you and your wife for hanging tough and coming through. 

[Skylark]

Yay! A long journey ahead but what a relief to be back home :thumbup:

[Bankie99]

So wonderful to hear that you are on the road to recovery and all the best.

 

That intersection as you coming over the N7 bridge is very dangerous and me/group i ride with have had a few close calls there.

 

Problem is Du Noon informal settlement that is down the road and there seems to be no regard for us cyclists and taxi's or cars/trucks/buses just turn right in front of you expecting you to stop even though you have write of way.

 

My club mate was lucky to escape an attempted bike jacking by 2 black males yesterday morning whilst out cycling alone on that road coming from Sunningdale side heading towards Durbanville direction.

 

I will honestly try and avoid that road as far as possible or be extremely careful there.

[Hairy]

So Daniele

 

Now that you out of critical care and back at home with time to spare, let's get a little more positive.

 

Are you spending hours in the internet shopping and looking for a new bike build. I hope you are, and that you are enjoying doing so.

 

When you are up and about with a new bike, pics are compulsory

[Gen]

From me I can only say a heartfelt thanks to all the hubbers that have prayed and cared for me over the past few weeks. I feel very humbled by the reaction of hundreds of people from all around the world that my incident has caused.

I do not recall much but I know I have been through hell and back and it has been thanks to the help of my wife as well as people like you and that I have managed to make it through.

I wish to thanks from the bottom of my heart all of you who reads these few lines and have contributed with the pages in the Hub Forum, I am very thankful.

As my father used to say to me: Do good and forget about it, do bad and think about it for the rest of your life. Karma will always find her way back into your life, one way or another......

 

THANK YOU AGAIN!

 

Daniele Cafiso

Writing from home today, 7 Nov. since the accident happened on Oct.25th.

Good to hear you are on the mend..good luck with your recovery.

[Warren_G]

Sjoe strength to rider and family!

[Frail. "Will forever remain "Frail"]

From me I can only say a heartfelt thanks to all the hubbers that have prayed and cared for me over the past few weeks. I feel very humbled by the reaction of hundreds of people from all around the world that my incident has caused. 

I do not recall much but I know I have been through hell and back and it has been thanks to the help of my wife as well as people like you and that I have managed to make it through. 

I wish to thanks from the bottom of my heart all of you who reads these few lines and have contributed with the pages in the Hub Forum, I am very thankful.

As my father used to say to me: Do good and forget about it, do bad and think about it for the rest of your life. Karma will always find her way back into your life, one way or another......

 

THANK YOU AGAIN!

 

Daniele Cafiso

Writing from home today, 7 Nov. since the accident happened on Oct.25th.

Hello Daniele

 

Glad to hear you back home with "Furry friends".

Take on one day at a time.

Great to hear you that nothing could stop the continuous love and caring you so desperately needed in your time of need.

 

Stay Strong.

David

[CASSIE1975]

Awesome news Daniele   welcome back home and may your recovery be a smooth one