Update from the Team Drunken Scum rider - Grahame Sonter.
First attempt at the greulling Dirtworks/ Convict 100 km mountain bike race, very hard course but alas I did not finish and here is why, at the 70km mark you have to cross a river over a canoe bridge which is a bit of a challenge, I was right at the end when I overbalanced and hit the last canoe and went head first into the sand with a big thud, I knew something was wrong but I tried to ride ride on, 3 km's later the pain in my neck/upper back was bad so I truned around and went to the RFS point and summoned some medical assistance, a paramedic assigned to the race arrived and assured me that I had done something to my neck/back and to stay completley still, he did vital signs and administered 20ml of Morphine which had no effect on the pain, put a saline drip on as I was dehydrated and also my sugar levels were down, decided to call an ambulance which I had no argument with, administered another 10ml of Morphine about 50mins after the first and the pain slowly started to subside, the call had now been put to get the Rescue Helicopter to fly me out as it was only a 15min flight to the Royal North Shore Hospital, upon my arrival an X-Ray and CT scan was done ASAP and I had fractured my T6 but no damage to the spinal cord or verterbrae. I was told that this was a very stable fracture and I was "Bloody Lucky" not to be in a wheelchair. I now have 2 weeks at home in a neck brace to think about which lawn bowls club I will join. The paramedics were astounding as was the crew at the RNSH, I could not thank them enough for their professional and friendly, exact manner they treated me. A very luck man indeed.
