RiderDown......Mark Smedley

[Wysong]

My good friend Mark Smedley was sent by Life Flight to Memorial Herman Hospital from a practice session at Splendora Motocross on Saturday 3/11/06 with a broken Pelvis. I talked with his wife Vicki and he will be in surgery today. I will post more details as I receive them. Please keep Mark and his family in your prayers.

[Tatonka]

David I'm really sorry to hear that, you've talked about Mark often. I wish him & his family well, they are in our thoughts and prayers. Please keep us posted on his condition & progress.

BV

[Gatlin5]

Hey David,

I'm really sorry to hear about Mark, please keep us updated.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family.

Joe

[Tatonka]

David - please let us know what address we should send a card to & if he is going to be in the Hospital for any length of time do they have "Care Pages" so that we can send our wishes & communicate that way?

BV

[50ccMoM]

My family is praying for Mark and his. Keep us posted on his recovery.

Angie

[Leanh4419]

Our family will keep Mark and his family in our prayers.

Lee Ann

[Wysong]

I talked with Mark today and he is in good spirits even though his surgery has been moved back to either Thursday or Friday. I found out he is in the Jones Pavilion at Memorial Herman Hospital, Room 508.

More later...

[Mark & Vikki Smedley]

This is Mark's wife Vikki. He is now in room 509 in Jones Pavillion at Hermann Hospital. He will probably be in the hospital until at least Sunday. If you want to send a card you can send it to our home and I'll take it to him: Mark Smedley, 1409 Glourie Dr., Houston, TX 77055. Today they are saying that his surgery will be around 7 AM Thursday, so I hope it doesn't get moved back anymore. We are experiencing much of the usual hospital B.S. so please pray for us to have patience and self-restraint.

It really lifted Mark's spirits to see David & Caren Wysong yesterday.

Thanks for everything!

[Tatonka]

Vikki - thanks for the update, you guys are definitely in our thoughts & prayers. May God grant you truckloads of that patience you need to deal with the Hospital!! :roll:

Take care & keep us posted!

BV

[Gatlin5]

Hi Vikki,

We'll keep him in our thoughts and prayers and we are wishing him a speedy recovery.

Joe

[RuthieC]

Vicki-

We are praying for you and Mark. Keep us updated. I hope he recovers quickly.

Ruthie

[mark975]

Hi ya'll. This is Mark. I really apprieciate all the thoughts and prayers. After only 3 weeks I am ready to go back to work monday. Praise God. I look forward to working with David Wysong, John Herne, and the rest ya'll at RiderDown helping other riders. thanks again. :D :D :D

[Wysong]

Mark, it's great to hear that you are up and ready to go back to work and also planning to help us at RiderDown by helping injured riders and their families. I've seen you and Vikki in action before and I know that this great cause is something you both will love being a part of. We have our RiderDown Volunteer Package in the works and we'll get it out to you ASAP.

Let's stay in touch,

David

[Tatonka]

Mark - great to hear from you! :P It's great that you are getting back to work already, I hope you're ready. Did they have to put any pins or plates in the pelvis? I know from personal experience how amazing the human body can be when recovering from bone fractures..... :roll: :?

Keep us posted and best wishes with your recovery!!

BV

[Gatlin5]

Good to hear from you Mark and that you are on the mend and feeling well enough to get back to work.

Look forward to meeting you one of these days.

All the best,

Joe

[mark975]

Hi,

This is Mark's wife Vikki. The steel plate the doctor used to stabilize Mark's pelvis broke today. He wasn't doing anything strenuous so it must have been defective. They will have to do the surgery again next week (possibly Wednesday) to replace the plate and then he will have to start the recovery process all over again. If you want to call him our phone number is 713-647-8807 or his cell is 281-932-8102.


Please pray for God to continue to reign over this situation and please pray for God to give me continued strength and stamina (I have been on Long Term Disability for 13 years). I'm really running on empty right now.

Thanks!

[Gatlin5]

Hi Vicki,

I am soryy to hear that and I feel just terrible for Mark and you. I have been through it for 6 years myself with my wife. All you can do is take each day as you can and when you can step away from it for a moment do anything you can to take your mind off of it.

If you need some help at the house, I'd call the local hospital and see of a volunteer organization that can send over personel to help you get Mark comfortable, the last thing you need to do is get hurt yourself.

Is there anything we can do?

We'll keep you both in our prayers. Please keep us updated.

All the best,

Joe

[MXJeff]

Vikki you as well as Mark are in my thoughts and prayers...

this is a tough time to deal with and hopefully knowing there are people thinking about you and having well wishes will atleast divert your mind from your reality for a moment :)

[Wysong]

I have a pretty sad update on Mark?s condition. As you know he went back into surgery today to repair the broken plate that is screwed into his broken pelvis, well in the process they managed to nick his bladder which caused the contents to then spill out into his insides. They fixed the bladder, but are now very concerned about infection and therefore he must have some type of halo installed on his side which he will need to wear for the next 6 weeks before they proceed in the process of replacing the plate attached to his pelvis. He also must keep a catheter attached for at least 2 more weeks.

The above came from a phone call I just received from Vikki Smedley, Mark?s wife. She will personally give an update when she gets to a computer and correct any mistakes I might have made, but that how I heard it.

Mark was still out when I talked with Vikki and will be pretty unhappy when he gets the news. He was planning on making some of the RiderDown rides we had planned.

God Speed......Mark

David

[Gatlin5]

Gosh, I' am so sorry Mark, Vicki and family are having to go through this. If there is anything we can do or I can do please don't hesitate to ask.

Our thoughts and prayers will continue!

Joe

[Tatonka]

I am so sorry to hear that. Our thoughts & prayers are with Mark & his family. With all the modern miracles these Doctors perform it's always hard to comprehend the mis-steps that unfortunately do happen.

If there is anything that we can do please feel free & don't hesitate to ask!!

Get well - we're all pulling for you!

BV

[50ccMoM]

Vicki,
So sorry to hear the bad news. Hang in there. Im praying for you and Mark and the rest of your family.

Angie

[mark975]

Hi,

This is Mark's wife Vikki. David covered most everything but here is an update.

There were complications during Mark?s surgery. There was scar tissue on his bladder evidently caused from the first plate breaking and when they were trying to remove the scar tissue the doctor nicked his bladder. This caused the bladder to empty into the pelvis area and they became afraid of infection if they replaced the plate. So they called in a urologist to work on his bladder and consulted with several other pelvis experts and decided the best choice was to use an external fixator (similar to a halo that is used for broken necks). It is screwed and pinned into his hips and he has to wear it for 6 - 8 weeks and he will need to use a wheelchair during this time. This will hopefully fix the pelvis and nothing else will be required.

Please continue to pray for this situation. Mark and I continue to be grateful that our sovereign Lord is in control and we are blessed by all of your prayers.

Psalm 27:1
The LORD is my light and my salvation?
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life?
of whom shall I be afraid?

[Tatonka]

Vikki - thanks for the update. Stay strong & keep the faith! Tell Mark to take it easy in the wheel chair - no big airs!

BV

[Gatlin5]

Vicki,

I'm so sorry you and Mark are having to go through this. Our thoughts and prayers will be right there with you.

There will be something special coming your way I'm sure once you have endured this challenge, they have a way of making us stronger and letting us see life through different eyes.

God Bless,

The Frontiero's

[mark975]

Mark is home now. It is very difficult for him to get comfortable and he is still experiencing quite a bit of pain. He is basically confined to the couch or wheelchair for the next 6-8 weeks.

Please pray that God would show us what to do financially during this time. We have already exhausted our savings and we are unable to borrow against Mark?s retirement. He has a very small amount of disability income that is 20% of his normal salary. We were recently blessed by some friends who paid for Mark?s union card. Mark has excellent medical insurance so that shouldn?t be a problem for us. We just need God?s provision to cover rent, utilities, etc?

God has brought us through many seemingly impossible situations in the past and we have faith that he will do it again. His Grace and Mercy never ceases.

Thanks for all of your prayers!

In Christ,
Vikki Davidson Smedley

[Gatlin5]

Hi Vikki,

I'm glad to hear Mark is home but sorry he has had to go through so much. I hope each day will get better for him.

On the financial end the best thing you can do is sit down and make a plan. Plan out what are the priorities you need to cover and what area's can you cut back on. Then make some calls to people who expect monthly payments and let them know whats going on and how much you are able to pay a month, what you can do to make it up over time and let them know you will keep them updated on a monthly basis. Even if your mortgage is $1,500 and you can only pay a couple of hundred, people will work with you if they know you are doing your best and are accessible. They only get nervous when people don't stay in touch.

We will discuss your situation at our weekly board meeting.

Have faith, deal with one day at a time, plan but don't worry about tomorrow when you have to work through today.

We'll keep the prayers coming and if you need to talk we are right here or you have David's number, give him a call.

[50ccMoM]

I have also been down this financial road. Gatlin is right. Just do what you can and stay in touch with your creditors. I remeber spending hours and hours on the phone and computer daily just dealing with the finances. Most were very understanding and didnt even request a letter from the doctor. So hang in there ....This too shall pass. Everyone is praying for you and your family.
Im so sorry that on top of the financial burden that your husband has to be in so much pain.

Thinking of You in PA,
Angie

[Tatonka]

Mark, I hope things are going well for you & Vikki. We'd love to hear an update on your progress. We're all still pulling for you!

BV

[Linda]

Wow what a roller coaster ride you've been on and it did'nt seem like it was one of those fun ones. But it sounds like your faith in god has helped extremely ,praying for you and get well soon Mike & Linda

[mark975]

Hi Everyone,

Sorry it has been so long since I've posted an update. Every day seems so busy and it?s hard to find time to be on the computer. Mark went for a follow-up visit last week. The urologist tested his bladder where it had been repaired from where the doctor nicked it and he said it looked fine so they were able to remove the catheter. Mark was very happy about that. We also found out that the doctor who discharged him from the hospital this time nor the nurse gave us any information about bandaging his wounds or the area around the pins that are sticking out of his body. We were also given incorrect information about how many times a day to clean the area. As a result Mark has had to go through excruciating pain because the pins rub blisters on his skin and they pop and the skin gets stuck to the pins and when he moves it tears. This went on for 2 weeks and is still not healed. The doctor showed us last week how it should be wrapped with 3 rolls of gauze on each side. If the skin ever heals the gauze will protect his skin and he won't have near as much pain as he has had so far. Please pray for me because every time I think about what Mark has had to go through because of all these "mistakes" I feel violent :evil: . I'm also worried about what else they may do to him because he still has to have the external fixator and pins removed. I don't share a lot about this with him because it just stresses him out when I'm upset. Anyway... Mark will go back to the doctor in 3 weeks for x-rays and will probably have the fixator and be confined to bed and the wheelchair for 4 - 6 more weeks. In spite of all the challenges we have faced God continues to bless us with caring friends and family :lol: . I feel extremely lucky that Mark wasn?t injured more seriously. We have visited with 2 riders at the hospital in Houston that have broken their neck and back and it just breaks my heart :cry: .

I hope to have more time in the future to be more involved with Rider Down. There are so many messages I want to reply to but Mark is calling from the other room so I have to go.

Thanks for everything!

Love in Christ,
Vikki

[Gatlin5]

Vikki,

It sounds like you are moving forward in a lot of ways, try to concentrate on the positives. Get pissed for what some of these so call professionals have done, write down your frustrations and what grief it has caused you then move on and let it go. Take a shoe box and write on it "My let it go box", another good box is the " In God's hands" box, this one is for the things you have no control over and by placing your concerns or troubles into that box you have physically handed it over to God. I know that sound s a little strange but it works. As Mark gets better you can always come back those concerns and take back what you can handle, you'll find that most of it has been worked out. If you feel you need to move forward with your complaints, if for nothing else to help the next person that may benefit from your actions, you should do it.

My family has been through a rough 6 years of a continuing medical crisis and it is still continuing. I don't tell you this for pity just to let you know there are much worse things to deal with for the both of us. For some reason we are suppose to go through this, if we stay positive and look for signs why instead of why me we will be told, in a manner of speaking, what purpose this is preparing us and our love one for.

Hang in there and take it one day and one moment at a time.

All the best,

Joe

[Wysong]

Hang in there Mark.....I'll plan to come by your house next Tuesday or Wednesday.......I'll bring lunch.

David

[mark975]

What's up everyone,
This is Mark. Sorry I haven't been in touch. Everything has been goiing well. This Friday, (5/26/06), I will be going back to the doctor and if everything looks good maybe I can get rid of this towel rack that is mounted to me. But I am not going to speak to fast this time.

Angie, (50ccmom) I just recieved your card. Thank you very much. That was nice of you. :D

[Tatonka]

Mark - great to hear from you, we're all all pulling for good news from the Dr. on Friday!

Towel rack? I thought it was a grab bar for pulling wheelies in the wheelchair! :twisted:

Take it easy.....

BV

[Gatlin5]

Hi Mark,

Good to hear you are doing so well, we'll keep our fingers crossed for you on your next drs. appointment.

I hope you don't mind but David sent us this picture of your awesome looking cross bar pad. :lol:

http://f5.putfile.com/5/14218443731.jpg

[50ccMoM]

Mark,

I hope you only get good news on Friday !! Sounds like you are feeling better.


Angie

[mark975]

BV
Not sure about the grab bar pulling wheelies, I'll get back to you on that. However, Vikki has learned it is a useful tool in getting me to see things her way. :shock:

[Tatonka]

Now that's funny! :P

Good luck tomorrow at the Doc's!

[Gatlin5]

I don't know what's worse, what your wife has you buy or mine :twisted: :shock: :lol:

Glad your good humor is intact.

Joe

[50ccMoM]

I don't know what's worse, what your wife has you buy or mine :twisted: :shock: :lol:

Glad your good humor is intact.

Joe



You guys make it sound like you don't deserve it..... :roll: Yeah Right ! :lol:

[mark975]

Well there ls good news and ok news from the doctor today. The external fixator aka "Yes Dear" was removed today. My surgeon said everything looks to be healing perfectly. :lol: The ok news would be that I get to stay in the wheelchair for another month. But I guess it's better to be safe than sorry.


I would also like y'all to keep James Marshall in your prayers. James is a local rider that was parallized 2/11/06 at the San Diego supercross. You can read more about James at www.helpjames.org or www.houstonmotocross.com in the forum under James Marshall. James was easily in the top three in the state and was starting to come into his own at national level. James is one the nicest people you will ever meet always got time to help his fellow riders. Thank you and y'all have a happy memorial day.

Be safe and keep it on two wheels. Bye :roll:

[mark975]

Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to let you know that on Wednesday Mark's doctor released him to walk without his walker or crutches and if all goes well through the weekend he can try going to work on Monday. We are very excited and thankful to the Lord! We are also grateful for all of your prayers over the last 4 months.

Please continue to pray for Mark’s healing and stamina. I know he still has some challenges ahead of him but after all that he has been through I’m hoping it will seem easy.


Love,
Vikki

[50ccMoM]

Mark & Vikki,

That is wonderful news ! Im sure Mark is excited to get back to work. Thanks for the update. Good luck !

Angie

[Gatlin5]

Great News Vikki! Way to go Mark, glad you are well on your way. Better do something real special for Vikki she has surely been through it these last few months.

All the best,

Joe

[Tatonka]

That is great news - congratulations on the progress! Don't get too carried away & get all rambuctious. Mark maybe hold off a little bit before you take Vikki dancing!;)

[mark975]

We just wanted to express our appreciation to everyone at Rider Down. You have been such a blessing during the last 4 months. Your postings, cards, gifts and visits have been such an encouragement. We can’t wait for life to get back to normal so we can get more involved!

Blessings!
Mark & Vikki Smedley

[Tatonka]

Mark - I hope all is going well. Please let us know how things are progressing with your recovery and the whole situation. You've been down a tough road. I'd love to be able to get together later this month when we're in Houston for the GMB V event - I'll talk to David more about it.

Take care!

BV