After the Crash
by Mick DoohanWell, I guess it's just hurry up and wait now.
I got out of hospital a few days back, about a week after the operation, which went okay. There were four surgeons doing the work, including doctors Ting and Kevin Louie, who did most of the corrective work on my right leg after I crashed at Assen in 1992. They took three and a half hours to fix me up. They put two plates and 12 screws in the top part of the tibia, because I'd basically broken the top off below the knee, and they put one plate and six screws in the wrist. The collarbone is also on its way to getting better - I'd half separated the AC joint and broken the end off it.
Before the operation they were talking about using this new bone cement on the leg; I just told them to do whatever's easiest. They were worried about giving me another scar, but I said one more won't make any difference!
The crash was a bit of a shame, but it's one of the occupational hazards of going racing. You've got to take the good with the bad, and until this I'd had a pretty good run.
I can remember what happened: I was wide open in third, so the rear must've stepped out a couple of inches and hit that damp white line, that's why I crashed. I remember going over the top and thinking 'Oh, I've crashed'. I must've broken the leg when I was getting catapulted through the gravel trap, trying to stick my head up my ass! I think the trap did most of the damage, then the wall did the collarbone and a lot of the bruising.
The next thing I remember was coming too while I was lying by the track, and then I must've gone under again and woken up again in the medical center, where the guys were asking me if I minded them cutting off my leathers. They needn't have asked!
I'd also touched a white in the dry morning session and the rear spun up then too. The thing is, I don't know why Jerez had to make the lines so slippery - I hit a couple in the rain in Japan and they were nothing like that. In fact you wonder whether they need them at all - we all know where the edge of the track is! I also think we need to do something about improving gravel traps, because they do a lot of damage when guys crash. I thought the whole idea of having a riders' safety representative was that things like this would get looked after. I ask Franco Uncini (he's the FIM riders' rep) about stuff like this all the time, and it just becomes a joke in the end.
When I arrived in hospital in San Francisco they filled me up with drugs to kill the pain, but I didn't feel too good after that, so I asked them to get me off all the drugs except one pain-killer. I'd prefer to deal with the pain and not have the headache that comes with all that stuff. I'm not trying to be a hero but I really didn't feel too bad. I've hurt myself a few times now, so I guess I must have a fairly high pain threshold.
Of course I've thought about retiring - I think about it all the time! But I still enjoy riding the bike and that's why I keep racing. The moment I'm not enjoying it anymore, I'll stop. Obviously I don't enjoy crashing and hurting myself. I've not had so many crashes over the last six years, but a big one like this does tend to make you wake up a bit. As far as next year goes, I don't know whether I'll be racing or not.
I've had Selina and Dickie Smart, who's been one of my mechanics since I got into GPs back in 1989, staying with me in San Francisco. It's been good having them around, and Wayne Rainey came by to visit me too. Now I'm staying in the States for a while for some post-op care and treatment, then I'll probably head back to Europe and maybe go to Assen and the Donington charity thing. After that I'll be in Monaco and then I'll fly to Australia for the birth of our child.
Realistically, we are looking at Brno as the earliest I'll be back racing, but that's the very earliest. See you around soon.
###Five time world champion Mick Doohan writes an exclusive internet column for amasuperbike.com which is funded in part by the parts and accesories department at american honda.
