A tragedy for a friend

[POINTER94]

I went to see a buddy of mine race snowmobiles and was amazed at the course. I would hesistate to ride it at trail speed let lone race it. During the second race, Jeff went over the handlebars after decending a hill..<br /><br />Jeff got up picked up his sled, and came over to the pit and said how badly it hurt. So he ate and took a nap. He got up and started his third race and pulled off after the first lap. They took him to the first aid station and then to the hospital. It was found that his spleen was up against his spine and other internal injuries. He was transfered to a major hospital in Milwaukee where they removed his spleen and removed about 1/3 of his pancreas. He will be in the hospital for the next 2-4 weeks.<br /><br />Jeff owns his own business, has a 3 year old son and a pregnant wife. This is one tough SOB, and we (all of his friends) are all rallying to help out in any and every way. <br /><br />Tough break for a hell of a great guy.

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: A tragedy for a friend

I feel bad for your friend & wish him & his family well.....<br />I couldn't imagine engaging in a sport that dangerous with a pregnant wife & a three year old, especially if I were self employed...<br />I hope that he is prepared for this set back...<br />Again I hope all will turn out well & he has a speedy recovery.......JK

 

[bootle]

Re: A tragedy for a friend

 

[KRS]

Re: A tragedy for a friend

Terrible. A rollover accident is an automatic trip to the hospital, I wish they would do that in motorsports as well.

 

[JRJ]

Re: A tragedy for a friend

Wishing your friend a speedy recovery. Visits to the hospital will mean alot.

 

[dogsdad]

Re: A tragedy for a friend

That's terrible. I hope that he gets the kind of help he needs so his whole world doesn't get turned upside down. He surely is going to need it.

 

[Kenneth Brown]

Re: A tragedy for a friend

Best of luck to Jeff.

 

[beezee28]

Re: A tragedy for a friend

hope your friend Get well soon, buddy.

 

[roscoe]

Re: A tragedy for a friend

Sad news POINTER. Praying that he has a speedy recovery.

 

[PW2]

Re: A tragedy for a friend

Sno mobile racing is dangerous. Here in the Sault we have a big race every year (I-500), and last year we had three fatalities, and several major injuries.<br /><br />They had to call the race early, as the local hospital informed race officials they simply could not handle any more trauma cases in the ER.<br /><br />The body is no match for 600 lb machines hurtling out of control at 90 mph.

 

[Ron G]

Re: A tragedy for a friend

Hope he makes a speddy recovery.

 

[stan_deezy]

Re: A tragedy for a friend

Best wishes from here to your buddy Pointer. The good thing is they caught it in time: I've seen what happens when it's missed. <br /><br />All the best

 

[POINTER94]

Re: A tragedy for a friend

PW2,<br /><br />I got my sled up to 90mph (with Jeff an a wide open trail) and I was scared sheetless. But what a rush. Jeff only competes in snowcross in which they rarely if ever get over 50mph. The sled he races with is only a 440. He wears the equivalent of light body armor. In this case the handlebars struck him just below his chest protector. But with that said I couldn't agree more, it is a dangerous sport. And if anyone thinks this is some kind of garage sport you should see the multi-million dollar NASCAR type teams and programs.<br /><br />I and many others have warned him against this activity, and according to him a week ago this was to be his last race. Yamaha offered him a role in their new 4stroke series as a technical advisor for next year. He is not only a friend but one of my customers and since his father died (in his arms, heart attack, Jeff was giving him CPR when the paramedics showed) just under three years ago, he has tried to burn the candle at both ends. Work, Family, and Racing were somewhat upsidedown on his personal priority list. His youth allowed him the ability to try and balance all three by sleeping about 4hrs a night. This should event may change his priorities and might help him in the long term. <br /><br />This guy is one of the most mentally tough men I know, and with the added responsiblities of having a business thrust upon him after his fathers death and his wife miscarried and now is pregnant again, his mother died when he was 4, I don't know how I would have reacted. Sure makes my problems pale in comparison to his. This guys passion and enthusiasm for his sport was inspiring and his ability to share made the sport enjoyable for many who probably wouldn't have even tried it. Myself included.<br /><br />I'm off to the hospital to see him and his wife. I really don't know what to say but will offer my time and resources for him and his family.<br /><br />Thanks everyone for your kind thoughts and prayers.

 

[PW2]

Re: A tragedy for a friend

I've never had mine above 70 mph (I had a Ski-Doo Mach 1 with a 560 cc RoTax engine) and that was on perfect conditions on a frozen lake. I have no idea how fast that sled would go, but that was fast enough for me. As a person ages, he no longer bounces as well as he used to...<br /><br />I am sympathetic, and I hope your friend has a full and speedy recovery.<br /><br />But it is dangerous. We lost another person just south of here on a trail just last weekend when yet another sledder lost an argument with a tree.<br /><br />When my daughter was in high school in Blind River, Ontario a few years ago, it seemed inevitable that she would attend the funeral of at least one of her friends every year, with trees being the major culprit, and thin ice on the river being a close second.<br /><br />It is fun, however, if you survive.

 

[QC]

Re: A tragedy for a friend

My guess is that with friends like you, Pointer, Jeff will be fine. Hopefully, this will be nothing but a great story in years to come. Tell him to hang in there . . .

 

[Limited-Time]

Re: A tragedy for a friend

Sheety deal for sure POINTER. When wounds heal and the smoke clears hopefully Jeff will re-evaluate his “list” and realize what’s truly important. And as QC pointed out with friends to help, there is almost nothing a person can’t over come.

 

[ZooMbr]

Re: A tragedy for a friend

Any update Pointer - prayers with Jeff and family. Good friends are hard to find; on both sides of the line (to have one/ to be one).

 

[POINTER94]

Re: A tragedy for a friend

Well I went to see him yesterday for a couple of hours. He was heavily medicated (morphine drip) but was clear enough to converse. Like any good man he had to show me his new scar. Good greif. they gutted him like a fish. The new rage seems to be the staples instead of the stitches. They look like they put a zipper in from below his navel, around his navel, and up to his sternum. Jeff is about 6' 5" tall. This didn't help matters but he has to have at least 75 staples holding him shut. Then on either side of his abdomen they have drain tubes coming out of his abdomon at the level of his navel. He looks like a borg.<br /><br />Due to the trauma (as is my understanding) his bowels are not currently working but the doctors are not overly concerned. It is my understanding that they should restart on their own but he has all the necessary tubes to accomidate bodily functions. The black eye just makes him look like a pirate.<br /><br />The doctors have reduced his possible stay down to as much as three weeks and as little as one week. As I am on the road all week, my wife is available on the cell phone to assist in any way. And although we have made our home available to his wife or any family or friends his wife has chosen to stay with him at the hospital. <br /><br />Jeff is from Valpariaso IN, but as he was racing in Lake Geneva, WI the nearest trauma center was in Milwaukee. Not real convenient for his family, but Froederdt hospital is one of the best in the midwest. <br /><br />Jeff was true to form and not feeling sorry for himself or complaining but clearly in a lot of pain and may be looking at having to use insullin the rest of his life. The prognosis is good but he is not out of the woods yet. The recovery is going to be extensive. Jeff is in excellent shape and should heal quickly. Or so we all pray for.<br /><br />His wife knows him so well, she is really taking this in stride. Almost like she had been through this a dozen times. I guess being married to Jeff is full of these little accidents. I hope god see's fit to give them a little girl instead of a little boy this time. I think she could use the relief.<br /><br />Thanks everyone for your concern and prayers.

 

[stan_deezy]

Re: A tragedy for a friend

Sounds like he's doing fine Pointer and they seem to have done a good job of patching him up.<br /><br />Wouldn't worry too much about his bowels Pointer: he's probably not getting much food orally. Another reason is that it's quite common in abdominal surgery for the bowel to get a "little flakey" if the surgeons have manhandled it during the operation (it's called paralytic ileus). They'll monitor it closely though and watch for other signs that it might be causing problems: it's one of the first things you get taught about when you turn to the page of the manual on abdomens!

 

[stan_deezy]

Re: A tragedy for a friend

Any updates Pointer?