Letter: Forever grateful to the residents of Vail
On June 16, 2022, I was having one of the best bike rides of my life when I came around the corner about to start going up Vail Pass and suffered a crash. I’m a little foggy since surgery, but I remember everyone’s face. Names have kind of slipped away, but I remember each and every one of you who stopped along the way to help.
You all kept me comfortable, and safe, and I generally felt that you all had great concern and care for me. I lay on the side of the path on my side with people I’ve never met or will probably ever see again who dropped everything that day to help me.
If you ask anyone who knows me, they’ll tell you that cycling is a big passion of mine. I do it for many reasons. This includes exercise, camaraderie, stress relief, and I generally feel a sense of community. That was no more evident than on June 16. I suffered a femur fracture and was taken to surgery the same day.
To the EMTs and paramedics who hauled me down the hill with care and concern, and everyone who stopped to ask if I was OK — thank you! To the fine gentleman who left to get a cell signal and call for help, and the extraordinary lady who never left my side except to be sure to stop any other bikers who could come around and hit me — thank you!
To the staff at Vail Health Hospital who took exemplary care of me, including nurse Angela in the ED, the two X-ray techs who had my pain as their concern when taking X-rays, the pre-op nurse who engaged me in bike racing talk and telling me about his trips to Belgium which made my jealousy supersede my pain, the circulating nurse in the OR for making me feel like we had known each other for ages, to Dr. Hackett and his team with Sarah his PA, Dr. Foster his fellow — thank you!
Support Local Journalism
Thank you to the anesthesia team that made my comfort a priority and made my surgery successful! A special thank you for a personal phone call for concern from Dr. Adam Lindsey who was attending the same Vail hip course as I was to see if there was anything he could do for me.
A thank you to nurse Rob who cared for me overnight even though he had other much sicker patients than me. Christina, the aide,who helped me take my first few steps after surgery — thank you!
Names are very important to me and I wish I could remember all of yours. But know that I am deeply appreciative of your care and compassion and it’s your faces I see when I reflect on the generally magnificent show of humanity I experienced.
I am well into my recovery and back on the bike. I reflect on you all daily. You are wonderful people and I am forever grateful. God Bless you all.
Dr. Michael Woodbury, hip and knee surgeon
Norfolk, Nebraska
