Story time, excuse the length, jump to the pictures and TLTR at the end if needed.
On an open ended backpacking trip through South East Asia, decided to buy a bike and ride through Vietnam. The plan was to ride south to north, possibly turning around and riding south through Laos and Cambodia. Picked up an XR150 in Saigon, rode around Saigon for a few days before embarking on my trip.
On my second full day after leaving, after only 200km's or so, crashed. Going around a mild corner doing maybe 50km/h in the middle of nowhere, the front end washed out. Felt like I was riding on ice it happened so quickly. As I'm sliding down the road, I'm thinking it's not that bad, I'm not going to hit anything and neither is the bike. Once I stop sliding, do a mental check and I'm battered and bleeding from some minor road rash, but feel ok. Try to get on my feet, nope, not happening.
The farmers watching this help me up on my good leg, and hop over to the other side of the road and set me in a chair. They also pull the bike out of the road. At this point I notice a faint dark line on the road where I crashed, I assume it was diesel based on how faint and slippery it was. As I'm noticing this, a scooter passes and crashes in the exact same spot, thankfully he was able to walk it off. The locals decide to throw some sand on the road to hopefully stop more people from crashing.
After ten minutes of sitting, the pain in my knee is getting worse and worse. The locals help me take my jeans off to check my knee, looks swollen but no visual sign of any damage. They also blot some mystery liquid/antibiotic on my road rash. Once we come to the conclusion I'm not riding away, we try to figure out how to get me to a hospital. They offer to take me by scooter, but that's not happening as I can't bend my leg. After what seems like forever of me trying to explain via google translate that I need a car, they understood and called in a local cab driver. They promise to look after the bike and I'm off to the "hospital"
The local hospital he takes me to looks like something out of a Saw movie. Everything is dirty, mould on the walls, bugs everywhere, just plain scary. The cab driver stays with me and explains the situation. They do an x-ray, no lead covering to protect my junk, done by what looks like a 15yo kid in jeans and a fake Adidas t-shirt. X-ray doesn't show a fracture, they tell me it's bruised, give me a leg brace and tell me to stay off it for a couple weeks, and a script for some mild pain meds and antibiotics. Total cost me maybe $30usd, gotta love communism.
Now out of the hospital, I need to figure out where to go. I quickly google a cheap guesthouse nearby and tell the cab driver to drop me off there. Show up at the guesthouse, without a reservation or calling ahead, explain the situation and tell them it's hopefully 2-3 days. Can't even imagine what they were thinking. They're nice enough to take me in and help me into a room. The next day they offer to drive me to the "good" local hospital for a second opinion. The good local hospital, while much better than the first, is still far from western standards. Doctor looks at the previous x-ray, comes to the same conclusion as the first, and drains 5 syringes of bloody puss out of my swollen knee before sending me on my way.
I stayed at the guesthouse for almost two weeks. They took care of me as if I was family. Fed me three home cooked meals a day. Made sure I took my meds. I can't thank them enough. Binh An Backpacker Guesthouse in Ba Ria if you are passing through.
After almost two weeks, my knee wasn't getting any better, so they took me back to the "good" local hospital. Dr thinks I may have a ligament injury and orders an MRI. MRI tech doesn't want to do it for some reason, I think because I'm Canadian, not sure why. Finally he agrees to do it, and then turns me away when he finds out I have metal plates in my arm.
No idea what to do at this point. I'm crippled in a foreign country and don't know anyone. Finally make the decision to leave the guesthouse that has been taking amazing care of me and go back to Saigon. The guesthouse owner arranges for the same cab driver from before to drive me to Saigon.
I tell him to take me to City International Hospital in Saigon, which google told me was a good tourist hospital. What a breath of fresh air. Everything is clean and new, and everyone is super friendly and helpful. Nicer than any western hospital I have been to. Immediately see the head orthopaedic doctor, he sends me off to get an MRI. Explain the metal in my arm, and he brushes it off as no problem. MRI techs felt the same. MRI shows a clear fracture in my tibial plateau, where the big shin bone becomes the knee. He gives me the option of surgery to put in a plate and screws or a full leg cast. I go for the cast and decide to fly home.
Travel insurance (World Nomads) came through and flew me home business class on their dime.
Got it checked out by a local doctor as soon as I got home. He says that he would have operated if caught earlier, but the bone was not badly displaced and was already setting so I should be ok with letting it heal without surgery.
In total, I was in Vietnam for 2.5 weeks after the crash. Got the cast off at 4 weeks and allowed to bend my leg but not bear weight. Allowed to start putting weight on it at 8 weeks, transitioning from crutches to walking as I felt comfortable. Started walking unassisted at 9.5 weeks. Felt comfortable in my leg strength to get back on the back at 10 weeks and 1 day. That was three days ago.
Feels great to start getting back to normal physically.
TLTR: Bought a bike in Saigon, crashed going around a corner on diesel. Injured my knee which wasn't diagnosed properly for two weeks. Flew home, and am now back on the bike after 10 weeks since the crash.
XR150 ready for some adventuring
Break, what break?
Oh, that break...
This is after they drained it, one is not like the other
Wear your gear, road rash is not fun
Not cheap Vietnamese gear
Was a lot worse, almost healed here
On an open ended backpacking trip through South East Asia, decided to buy a bike and ride through Vietnam. The plan was to ride south to north, possibly turning around and riding south through Laos and Cambodia. Picked up an XR150 in Saigon, rode around Saigon for a few days before embarking on my trip.
On my second full day after leaving, after only 200km's or so, crashed. Going around a mild corner doing maybe 50km/h in the middle of nowhere, the front end washed out. Felt like I was riding on ice it happened so quickly. As I'm sliding down the road, I'm thinking it's not that bad, I'm not going to hit anything and neither is the bike. Once I stop sliding, do a mental check and I'm battered and bleeding from some minor road rash, but feel ok. Try to get on my feet, nope, not happening.
The farmers watching this help me up on my good leg, and hop over to the other side of the road and set me in a chair. They also pull the bike out of the road. At this point I notice a faint dark line on the road where I crashed, I assume it was diesel based on how faint and slippery it was. As I'm noticing this, a scooter passes and crashes in the exact same spot, thankfully he was able to walk it off. The locals decide to throw some sand on the road to hopefully stop more people from crashing.
After ten minutes of sitting, the pain in my knee is getting worse and worse. The locals help me take my jeans off to check my knee, looks swollen but no visual sign of any damage. They also blot some mystery liquid/antibiotic on my road rash. Once we come to the conclusion I'm not riding away, we try to figure out how to get me to a hospital. They offer to take me by scooter, but that's not happening as I can't bend my leg. After what seems like forever of me trying to explain via google translate that I need a car, they understood and called in a local cab driver. They promise to look after the bike and I'm off to the "hospital"
The local hospital he takes me to looks like something out of a Saw movie. Everything is dirty, mould on the walls, bugs everywhere, just plain scary. The cab driver stays with me and explains the situation. They do an x-ray, no lead covering to protect my junk, done by what looks like a 15yo kid in jeans and a fake Adidas t-shirt. X-ray doesn't show a fracture, they tell me it's bruised, give me a leg brace and tell me to stay off it for a couple weeks, and a script for some mild pain meds and antibiotics. Total cost me maybe $30usd, gotta love communism.
Now out of the hospital, I need to figure out where to go. I quickly google a cheap guesthouse nearby and tell the cab driver to drop me off there. Show up at the guesthouse, without a reservation or calling ahead, explain the situation and tell them it's hopefully 2-3 days. Can't even imagine what they were thinking. They're nice enough to take me in and help me into a room. The next day they offer to drive me to the "good" local hospital for a second opinion. The good local hospital, while much better than the first, is still far from western standards. Doctor looks at the previous x-ray, comes to the same conclusion as the first, and drains 5 syringes of bloody puss out of my swollen knee before sending me on my way.
I stayed at the guesthouse for almost two weeks. They took care of me as if I was family. Fed me three home cooked meals a day. Made sure I took my meds. I can't thank them enough. Binh An Backpacker Guesthouse in Ba Ria if you are passing through.
After almost two weeks, my knee wasn't getting any better, so they took me back to the "good" local hospital. Dr thinks I may have a ligament injury and orders an MRI. MRI tech doesn't want to do it for some reason, I think because I'm Canadian, not sure why. Finally he agrees to do it, and then turns me away when he finds out I have metal plates in my arm.
No idea what to do at this point. I'm crippled in a foreign country and don't know anyone. Finally make the decision to leave the guesthouse that has been taking amazing care of me and go back to Saigon. The guesthouse owner arranges for the same cab driver from before to drive me to Saigon.
I tell him to take me to City International Hospital in Saigon, which google told me was a good tourist hospital. What a breath of fresh air. Everything is clean and new, and everyone is super friendly and helpful. Nicer than any western hospital I have been to. Immediately see the head orthopaedic doctor, he sends me off to get an MRI. Explain the metal in my arm, and he brushes it off as no problem. MRI techs felt the same. MRI shows a clear fracture in my tibial plateau, where the big shin bone becomes the knee. He gives me the option of surgery to put in a plate and screws or a full leg cast. I go for the cast and decide to fly home.
Travel insurance (World Nomads) came through and flew me home business class on their dime.
Got it checked out by a local doctor as soon as I got home. He says that he would have operated if caught earlier, but the bone was not badly displaced and was already setting so I should be ok with letting it heal without surgery.
In total, I was in Vietnam for 2.5 weeks after the crash. Got the cast off at 4 weeks and allowed to bend my leg but not bear weight. Allowed to start putting weight on it at 8 weeks, transitioning from crutches to walking as I felt comfortable. Started walking unassisted at 9.5 weeks. Felt comfortable in my leg strength to get back on the back at 10 weeks and 1 day. That was three days ago.
Feels great to start getting back to normal physically.
TLTR: Bought a bike in Saigon, crashed going around a corner on diesel. Injured my knee which wasn't diagnosed properly for two weeks. Flew home, and am now back on the bike after 10 weeks since the crash.
XR150 ready for some adventuring
Break, what break?
Oh, that break...
This is after they drained it, one is not like the other
Wear your gear, road rash is not fun
Not cheap Vietnamese gear
Was a lot worse, almost healed here
that's a good start.
