TyronLab Posted February 27, 2020 Posted February 27, 2020 Might be because I have a new kiddo on the way that I'm hyper emotional, but that had my throat pretty lumpy... But in a very manly way... ... I'm not crying, YOU'RE CRYING! On a serious note though, much respect for picking yourself up and doing your thing again. You're a f***ing badass dude! sniip Kalahari Vegmot, The Ouzo, Riaan H and 2 others 5
Hairy Posted February 27, 2020 Posted February 27, 2020 Might be because I have a new kiddo on the way that I'm hyper emotional, but that had my throat pretty lumpy... But in a very manly way... ... I'm not crying, YOU'RE CRYING! On a serious note though, much respect for picking yourself up and doing your thing again. You're a f***ing badass dude!Don't worry man ... probably just a spec of dust (or a stone) that blew into your eye causing involuntary tearing! BSG 1
Big_Al Posted March 3, 2020 Posted March 3, 2020 Hey Kalahari Vegmot, Sorry to hear about your terrible story! Came across this, though it might be something you could try in the future, It is supposed to be an open source design, so you could get hold of the guy and ask for the models/drawings and have it made up locally. https://www.chansunglee.com/zenos Hairy and Kalahari Vegmot 2
Chris_ Posted March 3, 2020 Posted March 3, 2020 The first thing that flashed across my mind was that this was going to be a pic of your arm just chilling severed in the machine!
Kalahari Vegmot Posted March 3, 2020 Author Posted March 3, 2020 The first thing that flashed across my mind was that this was going to be a pic of your arm just chilling severed in the machine! I got that too if you want Though I fear that might get me reported.......... Chris_, DJR and Long Wheel Base 3
Long Wheel Base Posted March 11, 2020 Posted March 11, 2020 Yea sure. Hope you like reading! If anyone's got any specific questions about whatever, just send me a PM. So in Feb last year, I finished my GED. This meant it was too late to apply for any sort of studies that I thought I might be interested in or whatever(didn't have a clue really anyway...). But I was still a year ahead basically so what the hell. Decided to go farm in the US as a gap year/fundraiser towards studies. Arrived in May and so the 14-hour farm days began... It was good fun too don't get me wrong. We were a week into harvest, which meant 15/16h days, as well as a general rush on everything being done(just an upped tempo). My job was running an airsep, which separates potatoes from rocks, vines and dirt clumps. It was on a trans-load site next to a field. The potatoes would come directly out the field, through the airsep and onto semis to the french-fry-plant. The airsep broke down, so we had to send the trucks coming from the field to our second line at the warehouses. We got her fixed, so I decided to fire the transload line up and just go through everything to make sure it works 100%. I went through the line and the last thing left is the cleaning table on the airsep. That's when I noticed a rock right in the corner of the cleaning table chafing away at the side panel. The rock was about fist-sized so it looked 'safe' enough to grab it without putting my fingers around the rock. In the heat of the moment I grabbed the rock, and.......IMG-20191121-WA0055.jpgIMG-20191121-WA0054.jpgIMG-20191121-WA0043.jpgMy hand and arm got pulled in between one of the steel and rubber rollers as shown in the pictures. Not sure if it was my sleeve or fingers that got caught, but anyway... I cried out to my Lord, and in that moment He gave me the clarity to grab my phone - which was on a clip on my belt - and call for help. The machine ran for about 7 minutes thereafter and then then the help arrived and shut the machine off. We(the help...) called 911 and about 20min later the ambulance arrived. It then took them about 1.5 more hours to get me out, which they finally managed with a torch, after the Jaws, prybars and airbags had failed. I was then rushed to the nearest bigger hospital which was in Bismarck, about 50min away... At first everything looked pretty good apart from the relatively small patch on my upper-arm that was eaten away by the rollers. Day after day when the doctors would clean the dead tissue it became worse though, and after 3 debridement surgeries, the doctor said It was either get a transfer to a willing facility/doctor, or amputation. Off I went for 7 hours in the back of an ambulance to St Paul(no heli available at the time)... The doctor in St Paul tried to save the arm for another two weeks, but with each surgery there was just less and less healthy tissue left. The morning of the fateful surgery one of the residents brought me my papers to sign and I noticed it said "possible amputation". Whoa. We decided that we would just do a debridement like usual, but if it has to go it has to go. Also we wanted a second opinion from Mayo still, which was about an hour away. Little did we know the doctor was in contact with the team at Mayo in any case... When I awoke from the 8-hour surgery the first thing I noticed was that my armrest used to elevate my left arm, and therefore my arm, was gone... The elbow had gotten infected to the point where it was either going, or I was. With the next two surgeries the doctor did a latissimus flap reconstruction, skin transplant and TMR. Thanks to an amazing prosthetist the doctor had the notes and guidance to do my TMR surgery. The prosthetist, without our knowledge, talked to the doctor and put him in touch with the person at Mayo who does their TMR surgeries. This meant I had TMR done as part of my amputation from the start. TMR(google it) simply and in short means 1.) Muuuuuuuuch less issues with phantom pain(not for everyone) and 2.) More freedom with possible myoelectric prosthesis in the future. Also zero hassle with insurance approval. Talk about favour! I guess that's basically the story. A few other details I didn't mention is all the amazing people that visited me in the hospital. There almost wasn't a day when I didn't have visitors. All but 2 of whom were complete strangers to me. I got Biltong and Smarties in the hospital! Met a ton of ex-saffers as well as a few amazing 'Muricans. The nurses weren't half-bad either.... After getting out the hospital people took us(me+parents) all around St Paul/Minneapolis to sightsee and be tourists. Really had an awesome time. Not without its pains(phantom pain is excruciating, at least at first), but super amazing nonetheless. Right. Back to the farm in ND for a bit to visit everyone there for a couple of weeks until approval for the prosthesis comes through. The approval comes through in record-time, and back to St Paul I go, where I stay with some of the newly-made friends. The fitting process ended on a Wednesday afternoon, about three hours before I was scheduled to fly out of Minneapolis back to Bismarck, where I would get a flight back to SA that Sunday. I guess that's pretty much it. Upwards and onwards! It feels kind of cliché to say that, "was I to have that moment over again, I would of made the same decision". I don't know. My accident was 100% my fault, and I've forgiven myself for that. In retrospect I could see myself making the same decision, even though it was really stupid grabbing that rock out a running machine. Stress and lack of sleep doesn't go great together. Looking back though, all in all, life really ain't bad. Yea I lost and arm; yea I went through a bit of trauma; but I'm still me, and I'm still alive, doing what I love. The growth process that I have been through, the people I've met, the things I've seen, I wouldn't trade that for anything. Hey Petri, Don't know how I have only seen this thread now. I noticed recently that your profile pic had changed and I was wondering if it was you and then when everyone was talking about the black armbands at CTCT and you mentioned you arm was black I realised it was you but I had no idea it was recent. Also explains why you had been so quite on here last year.Sorry about the accident but WOW you have my utmost respect for your positive attitude.I remember when you first joined BH, you came across as a serious tjop and butted heads with a few of us including me(no offense but you know what I am talking about) but a few DMs between us and I realised you were a decent guy just messing with us. I am glad you are still with us to tell the story. Kalahari Vegmot, DJR and DJuice 3
DJuice Posted March 11, 2020 Posted March 11, 2020 Petri did a very good Argus, congrats. I am in big trouble when we go for a spin! Long Wheel Base and Kalahari Vegmot 2
Kalahari Vegmot Posted March 11, 2020 Author Posted March 11, 2020 Petri did a very good Argus, congrats. I am in big trouble when we go for a spin!Dankie. Oom in die koerant gesien?
DJR Posted March 11, 2020 Posted March 11, 2020 Dankie. Oom in die koerant gesien?Congratulations, both on the CTCT and your attitude. Kalahari Vegmot 1
DJuice Posted March 11, 2020 Posted March 11, 2020 Dankie. Oom in die koerant gesien?Die oom het in die koerant gesien. Jy is op die agterblad van die Gemsbok. Baie geluk met jou CTCT. Long Wheel Base 1
Kalahari Vegmot Posted March 11, 2020 Author Posted March 11, 2020 Die oom het in die koerant gesien. Jy is op die agterblad van die Gemsbok. Baie geluk met jou CTCT.Ok nee ek wou net seker maak... Ek het ook vanoggend uitgevind dat ek daar is Long Wheel Base and DJuice 2
Kalahari Vegmot Posted March 16, 2020 Author Posted March 16, 2020 Got the MTB sorted. Trick is to disengage the elbow mechanism and lock it manually. Then it simply became a case of mounting the LHS brake lever on the right! I won't be riding anything technical with this setup, but for our "kanaalpad" it works just perfect... CdT85, DJuice, Frosty and 5 others 8
BSG Posted March 16, 2020 Posted March 16, 2020 Got the MTB sorted. Trick is to disengage the elbow mechanism and lock it manually. Then it simply became a case of mounting the LHS brake lever on the right! I won't be riding anything technical with this setup, but for our "kanaalpad" it works just perfect... 20200316_183208.jpg20200316_183558.jpgLooks like you have a grip of steel on those handlebars. Well done on the setup, looks quite good and I guess as long as you don't use the wrong lever it might work quite good. [emoji123][emoji106] Hairy, Kalahari Vegmot and Long Wheel Base 3
Help.Me. Posted March 17, 2020 Posted March 17, 2020 Got the MTB sorted. Trick is to disengage the elbow mechanism and lock it manually. Then it simply became a case of mounting the LHS brake lever on the right! I won't be riding anything technical with this setup, but for our "kanaalpad" it works just perfect... 20200316_183208.jpg20200316_183558.jpgJust WOW....!!! I battle to take pics under normal conditions , not to mention with one hand on the sticks, you are a real inspitation for us all WELDONE !!!! BSG, Long Wheel Base, Kalahari Vegmot and 1 other 4
Long Wheel Base Posted March 17, 2020 Posted March 17, 2020 Got the MTB sorted. Trick is to disengage the elbow mechanism and lock it manually. Then it simply became a case of mounting the LHS brake lever on the right! I won't be riding anything technical with this setup, but for our "kanaalpad" it works just perfect... 20200316_183208.jpg20200316_183558.jpgHow clean and neat does that look!!!! I must say, your left arm is a lot more aero(and probably lighter) than mine-jealous!!! Hairy and Kalahari Vegmot 2
Kalahari Vegmot Posted August 18, 2020 Author Posted August 18, 2020 So I didn't have another cable splitter and bar-end shifter when I built the Alpina, and I was also curious to see if there's a better way to set up my cockpit. I like the fact that there's no extra cost involved with this setup, and having individual brake modulation is also a plus. That being said, the rear brake is mostly mush..... Other similar setups seem to have the bottom lever routed to the front break, and then the cables take a more direct route to their destinations. I guess this helps with the "mushiness" of the brake associated with the bottom lever. Routing the cables like that just looks horrid though. I would almost go as far to say it's worse than having a saddle bag... In light of the above-mentioned horridness, a mushy rear brake isn't too big of a deal...Please excuse my wrapping job........ Top view. I also started adding a pipe clamp to the area my hook rests on, to keep it from wandering of the handlebar.. I think I'm leaning more towards the cable splitter and only one lever, though it's not a big enough issue that I'll be switching the Alpina over soon. Slowbee, Long Wheel Base, gogo@ and 8 others 11
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