Good afternoon, bikers, friends and bourbon aficionados! I know! – It’s been a long time since I have made a blog post. More than anything, I believe time got away from me. That, and recovering health wise. So here is an update:

A Brief History:

In January 2023, I was t-boned by a massive white tailed buck, while riding my Triumph Tiger. I honestly don’t remember much, between “seeing” the monster deer, and being loaded in the ambulance. The deer literally ran into the side of me, bruising my side, and sending me face first into the asphalt. Thank goodness I had a 3/4 helmet on, with the visor down. It is probably good that I do not remember much. It is nice that our mind can block out horrible memories. These pictures will give you an idea of how hard I went down:

Believe it or not, after over 1 million documented miles, on Harley Heavy motorcycles, this was the first major accident I ever have had on a street bike. The most painful injuries were the seven broken ribs, and spiral fractured collarbone. The ribs healed on their own. The clavicle required surgery, and titanium hardware, due to the nature of the break. These injuries healed up quickly. What didn’t heal as fast was the severe concussion I suffered, which caused a traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Fast Forward to July 2025

For 18 months I felt healed – but had hidden injuries. My TBI symptoms (dizziness, blurred vision and fatigue) had vanished. But I started having symptoms of either Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or a nerve impingement farther up my left arm. The new symptoms, which began appearing during a July 2025 motorcycle trip, included numbness and burning in my left hand, and some weakness. Being that it was my left (clutch) hand, it made riding a lot more difficult.

Being the rock-head I am, I just kept riding after these symptoms manifested (although not as often). But, by the middle of August, I knew it was something which wasn’t going to heal – or go away – on its own. I would end up seeing a neurosurgeon to learn that the “hidden injuries,” from my January 2023 accident, were caused by severe compression of my cervical vertebrae. The diagnosis was nerve root impingement, from C3-C7, which was causing my symptoms. But the compression also caused narrowing of my spinal cord canal: myelopathy. This is a dangerous condition, as something as minor as a fall down the stairs, or minor car accident, can severely bruise – or sever – your spinal cord.

The first neurosurgeon I saw, recommended posterior cervical fusion from C2-T1, which is a radical surgery with few options to rectify future issues. Fortunately, the third neurosurgeon I met with, recommended anterior cervical fusion, from C3-C7. This surgery was performed on December 22, 2025.

Overall, the post surgery pain wasn’t too terrible. For the most part, I was able to manage the pain with a couple Tylenol. The most severe pain I suffered was not at the cervical site, but rather the muscles in the back of my neck. For these, I would have to take muscle relaxers, which I hate. Opioid pain meds bother me less than the fuzziness muscle relaxers inflict on me.

My post-operative follow up appointment was in mid-February 2026. The surgery was largely successful and I was released, by my neurosurgeon, for normal activities (riding), in April of this year. I was able to make it until mid-March. As I said previously, I am a rock-head. I also learned that the majority of the pain I was still dealing with, was from my neck muscles being stretched after receiving my brand spanking new titanium disks! (I also returned to my normal six foot height! LMBFAO!)

Fast Forward To Today

As of today, my healing and recovery are continuing. Full recovery will take up to 18 months, as the vertebrae continue to fuse together. While I did start riding in mid-March, I have taken it easy. Rarely do I ride more than two hours without stopping for a break. Additionally, I have had a recurrence of tingling and numbness in my left thumb, index finger and middle finger. Based on the EEG I had before surgery, this is most likely a failed carpal tunnel surgery.

Unfortunately, I am still suffering from pain in the back of neck, but my neurosurgeon assured me this would eventually go away. When I get these spasms, they often bring on a bad migraine headache, which sucks more than the throbbing pain.

The neck injury, and resulting cervical surgery, did not allow me to get home for either Thanksgiving or Christmas. But I made a trip back home to Illinois (seven hour drive each way) in May, and again in early July. Additionally, I have been to the mountains twice, for motorcycle trips, and made an additional trip to Camp LeJeune – just a couple of weeks ago – for my grandson’s 2/8 Marines homecoming.

Here is some awesome video from riding the Foothills Parkway – specifically the Parkway’s Missing Link – in June 2026. The views from this section are as beautiful as you will find east of the Mississippi River (they start around the 2:00 minute mark):

I am very happy to be “mostly” back to normal. I needed the trips, which Jaeger has really enjoyed! Leave a comment and let me know how you’ve been.

The Original Grey Beard Biker™
gbb@TheGreyBeardBiker.com
@_rockytop_biker on X