Hello! It’s Janet, aka your Cocoa Beach #onewheelbabe

So here is my story……

I have been riding my one wheel for over a year and have almost 800 miles on it. I’m very comfortable riding it. When I’m riding, I’m happy. The board just feels like it’s part of me.

I have heard about other people taking nosedives on their boards, but up to this point, I always thought it was because they disrespected the board and pushed it beyond its ability. I never worried about it because I always respect my board.

The one wheel has a feature called ‘pushback’. If you try to go faster than the board allows, it will pushback. You feel it. The nose will literally pushback.

However, this past Saturday, November 19th, I felt ZERO pushback. Believe me, if I had, I would have allowed myself to slow down. Instead, the board just shut off. No pushback. No warning. Suddenly, at the same moment, I heard the board shut off and felt the nose hit the ground. I was sent flying forward like Superman! I ride goofy so my right side hit the ground hard.

A couple people nearby ran over to help me. At first, I was just in shock, letting the realization of what just happened connect to my brain. I felt confused. WTF!!!!! Is this for real? Am I really laying in the street on my stomach???

I felt kinda okay. I didn’t really hurt. I just knew I was lying face down in the road. but then I tried to roll over. OMG… nope that wasn’t gonna happen!! I continued to lay there for a few minutes and then tried again to get up. After a four unsuccessful attempts to even roll over, I decided I would need an ambulance so one of the awesome people who came to assist me called 911.

A few minutes later I had the entire Cocoa Beach emergency crew there! I was only 4 blocks away so it didn’t take long. Four paramedics were able to roll me over (it hurt but at least the pain was quick) and as a team they lifted me onto a stretcher. For a moment I was suspended in mid-air which felt very cool.  

Of course the big question from everyone was “How fast were you going?” I had no idea so I checked the app on my phone. 18.8!!!!!!!!! What?!? No wonder the thing shut off! The max speed for me is typically 16 miles per hour. I’ve never gone over that due to the ‘pushback’. So, hmmm why didn’t I have pushback this time??? Yep that is the big question from me!

A short ride later I was at Cape Canaveral hospital, Up until this point, I didn’t feel too bad, as long as I didn’t move! So first thing the doctor ordered was X-rays. I hope to never have to relive that experience. When the crew rolled me after way over to slide a board under me, I felt like I was being ripped in half. The pain was so damn intense I finally bawled my eyes out. I cried and shivered uncontrollably throughout the X-rays. 

Next came pain meds and a shot. I don’t even recall what. I just wanted the pain to end and didn’t care what they gave me. 

X-rays didn’t show much so now I was headed to get CT scans. Of course I had to be rolled over halfway again so they could slide a board under me. I started panicking before they even did it! I mean, just an hour earlier I felt like I was being ripped in half. I definitely was not looking forward to that again! Thank God for pain meds. It hurt this time but not as bad. But it did make me want to make them stop. They were hurting me! Instinct kicked in and I grabbed the technician like I thought I could make him stop. And starting screaming!!  

Well as I recovered from all this terrifying pain, the doctor gave me the news. I have a fractured right collar bone and 3 fractures in my pelvic area. It may sound bad, and believe me, it isn’t great, but I’m grateful my injury wasn’t worse. It could have been very bad! Luckily my injury requires no casts or surgeries, just time and lots of PT.

Good news, in the last couple of days, I have progressed slightly each day. I’m a fighter. I refuse to allow anything to take away my smile. My motto has always been MAKE IT HAPPEN! And that is what I intend to do. I will struggle through the pain and eventually I will be perfectly fine again. I am thankful this year for this. I may not be able to walk right now but I’m not paralyzed. I will walk again in time!

At first I couldn’t bend my legs, raise my legs, sit up or stand up alone. I could already do all these things within the first 48 hours! I may have to slow down and take my time doing them, and it hurts a lot. But no pain, no gain, right?

At the time I am writing this, i am still in the hospital. I will be here until I can walk and get myself up at least 3 steps so I can return to my home. It’s definitely more of a struggle to walk because I can’t really use crutches or a walker due to the fractured collar bone. So for now, I shuffle and slide my feet. Maybe I’ll come up with a cool new dance move?!?