Death Detoured

“Ah make the most of what yet we may spend,Before we too into dust descend”
Omar Khayyam

On Sunday 8 October 2006 I was surfing with my son Clint. It was the day after a strong shamal had pushed down the Gulf bringing 2m high waves to the coast of Dubai (yes! one can surf in Dubai). While the swell had fallen off a bit the wind was offshore and the waves were peaking up nicely before breaking very quickly down the line. It required a strong paddle and very quick takeoff to stay out in front of the wave. It was low tide and the waves were breaking in transition from about 4ft deep water very quickly into less than 1 ft. After a few decent rides I jumped on a very fast, steep wave. I got in one turn off the lip when the wave closed out on top of me in about 9 inches of water slamming my head hard into the sand. I heard a very distinct "crack" and immediately wondered if that was it - the end of my adventure! I jumped up quickly, held the back of my head and then realized I couldn't move my neck. A quick check of fingers and toes to find all functioning without numbness but I knew something was seriously wrong. Without moving my head I lay down flat on the board and pulled myself to shore where I sat on my board for a minute.

Once it was clear that my condition was not going to pass, I staggered up to the truck and dragged myself into the driver's seat. I blew the horn and flashed the lights until Clint, who was well outside catching some nice barrels, realized something was wrong and came running up the beach. With his help I drove to our house which is only 800m from the beach and called for an ambulance. In Dubai, the emergency response number is 999 (inverted 666!!) and is manned by Emiratis who have little skill in English. If I was not fluent in Arabic I am sure the ambulance crew would have never found me. As it was it took them more than 45 minutes to arrive and after some encouragement from me (they thought I was just fine!) off we went to the hospital. At the emergency room the Duty Doc checked me out by conducting some physical tests of muscle strength and reflexes and said it was probably only soft tissue damage but they would run a CT scan just in case. So they carted me off to radiology, scanned my skull and cervical spine and then wheeled me back to ER.

A few minutes later the Duty Doc rushes in - "Any trouble breathing?
"No".
"Do you still have feeling in all extremities?"
"Yes"...
"Well you have a fractured vertebrae in a very sensitive location whatever you do don't move your neck!
"Ok"...

Turns out to be fractured C2 (hangman's fracture). Severe fractures of this vertebrae are almost entirely fatal as they result in immediate cessation of vital functions (breathing and heartbeat). Luckily this was a "minor" fracture with very little displacement. The outcome is I spent a night in the hospital and must wear a C collar for the next 3 months. While uncomfortable and inconvenient it is a fate preferable to both of the other options which are death or having a very delicate surgery where they put a screw through the bone!