Bike Crash and Broken Back

Firstly, let me tell you what I'm sure you're all wondering about, and yes, the bike is ok.  I haven't posted since last year because there was nothing new to report.  Everything was great, I was pain free and loving life.  After getting my first road bike, a Specialized Roubaix, last year, I had discovered a new found love of cycling.  I did 8 separate 100 mile rides last year and my mileage total came in at about 2400 miles for the season.  I was well on my way to shatter that mileage total this year having logged over 1200 miles and joining a cycling club when I hit a bit of a road bump yesterday.  Well, more specifically, while doing a 72 mile group ride with the club, a rider in front of me hit a very hard to see, yet very deep pothole and crashed.  This caused myself and a few other riders to crash as well.  I landed on my side, impacting the other riders and bikes between my pelvis and ribs on my left side.  After taking a second to asses the situation, I realized I had some back pain in my left lumbar area, and due to my previous back surgeries, I decided it best not to move.  In all seriousness, the last thing on my mind was my bike, and instead on the injuries of those around me and myself.  5 riders went down in the crash in all, 2 of us were taken by ambulance to the hospital.  At least I got a lay flat seat ;)

The rider who hit the pothole, and most likely who I fell on, suffered a broken clavicle and some broken ribs.  We were all wearing helmets which surely prevented life altering head injuries.  At the hospital, I received a CT scan and chest x-rays and awaited my diagnosis, hoping for at best, a torn muscle in my back, or at worst, newly herniated discs and potential damage to my existing artificial disc requiring rehab, surgeries and a new seemingly unending path back to health AGAIN.  The ER doctor came back in and told me that I had broken my back.  More specifically, I had broken the L3 and L4 transverse spinous processes on the left side.

He had done a consult with an orthopedist and said that I would not require surgery or a brace, but I should follow up with my orthopedic surgeon within the week.  He said the bones should heal within 4-6 weeks and I will just need to take it easy.  The good news is that it doesn't appear that any other discs were injured and my artificial disc looked fine.  I think this is a major vote of confidence in the Spinal Kinetics M6-L to be able to survive a bad bicycle crash at approx. 20mph which included an unnatural spine side bend to the side, although I would caution others not to try to replicate this experiment willingly, and to still treat your M6-L with caution and respect!!!  Today, I am pretty sore, and slow, although the pain is not as bad as when I herniated, and later re-herniated my disc before having it replaced.  I am again super grateful for my parents who came up to look after me for a few days and the friends, family, and new friends from my cycling club who have given me such support.  I may send an email to Dr. Chris Dare in the UK who took over after my spine surgeon in the UK, Nick Boeree was tragically killed and I will update again later after I meet with my orthopedic surgeon.