'I saw my leg was a mangled mess'
»Play Video
SEATTLE -- It was a sunny, warm day along Highway 410 near Mt. Rainier when a man crashed his motorcycle last month.
"This most beautiful scenery that I've encountered in my life," says Mark Hall. "My flickers were flickering on my motorbike, and I didn't realize how my speed in the descent had increased and I was looking down, next minute I was on the other side of the road."
The accident changed his life forever.
"And I came head on to this car which was coming up and as I hit this vehicle, I was thrown onto the side on to the rocks," Hall said. "I saw my leg was a mangled mess. But other parts of me were still OK -- thank God I didn't hit my head."
Mark was wearing a helmet.
Medics airlifted him to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, delivering him into the skilled hands of Dr. Doug Smith. The accident robbed Mark of his lower right leg.
Eight days later, he was out of the hospital and back to see the doctor before returning home.
As painful as Mark's injury is, Dr. Smith's skill allowed him to keep his knee joint.
"My instinct was saying I have to have my knee," Hall said.
Smith said it was a really bad injury below the knee. "But the decision was made to try to save his thigh and his knee, if we could. He will have trouble getting his knee moving though - over the next year with the muscle damage."
Hall's recovery time may be longer, but he should have more mobility in the long run.
"We always look at limbs with the hope of saving a limb that can have some function," Smith said.
Smith spent seven years consulting with the U.S. Military after the war on terror started. He now does two-to-four amputations a week.
"I think it would be a wonderful world if nobody ever lost an arm or a leg but unfortunately it's happening more, not less," Smith said.
And not just because of war injuries.
"People can tend to be risk takers," Smith said.
More than half are trauma related -- accidents involving motorcycles, boats, climbing and more. And the rest?
"I think people are living longer so we're seeing more amputations from vascular disease and diabetes," Smith said.
Regardless of the reason, patients are thrilled to have Dr. Smith on their side.
Smith said people really do have an amazing ability to adapt.
Meanwhile, Hall says he is determined to be walking strong this time next year to come back to Seattle with his wife and two sons - ages 8 and 13. It will be quite the trip. Mark is from South Africa and was here with his buddies to ride motorcycles when the accident happened.
"This most beautiful scenery that I've encountered in my life," says Mark Hall. "My flickers were flickering on my motorbike, and I didn't realize how my speed in the descent had increased and I was looking down, next minute I was on the other side of the road."
The accident changed his life forever.
"And I came head on to this car which was coming up and as I hit this vehicle, I was thrown onto the side on to the rocks," Hall said. "I saw my leg was a mangled mess. But other parts of me were still OK -- thank God I didn't hit my head."
Mark was wearing a helmet.
Medics airlifted him to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, delivering him into the skilled hands of Dr. Doug Smith. The accident robbed Mark of his lower right leg.
Eight days later, he was out of the hospital and back to see the doctor before returning home.
As painful as Mark's injury is, Dr. Smith's skill allowed him to keep his knee joint.
"My instinct was saying I have to have my knee," Hall said.
Smith said it was a really bad injury below the knee. "But the decision was made to try to save his thigh and his knee, if we could. He will have trouble getting his knee moving though - over the next year with the muscle damage."
Hall's recovery time may be longer, but he should have more mobility in the long run.
"We always look at limbs with the hope of saving a limb that can have some function," Smith said.
Smith spent seven years consulting with the U.S. Military after the war on terror started. He now does two-to-four amputations a week.
"I think it would be a wonderful world if nobody ever lost an arm or a leg but unfortunately it's happening more, not less," Smith said.
And not just because of war injuries.
"People can tend to be risk takers," Smith said.
More than half are trauma related -- accidents involving motorcycles, boats, climbing and more. And the rest?
"I think people are living longer so we're seeing more amputations from vascular disease and diabetes," Smith said.
Regardless of the reason, patients are thrilled to have Dr. Smith on their side.
Smith said people really do have an amazing ability to adapt.
Meanwhile, Hall says he is determined to be walking strong this time next year to come back to Seattle with his wife and two sons - ages 8 and 13. It will be quite the trip. Mark is from South Africa and was here with his buddies to ride motorcycles when the accident happened.
We are really lucky to have Harborview in our backyard, the Orthopedic Trauma Surgeons we have there are among the top 1% on the nation. Stories like these really make you appreciate people that can do this kind of job. I know I couldn't.
I've been riding for over 35 years now (damn I'm feeling old...) and I have no idea what "my flickers were flickering" means... Out of context I would say that it meant that his girlfriend was on the back of the bike and her nipples were hard (nature's thermometers), but that doesn't appear to be the case.
Â
More to the point, it sounds like he wasn't watching where he was going, and did'nt control his speed correctly. I wish him a speedy and full recovery, and I hope he keeps on riding...
Â
"My flickers were flickering on my motorbike" - for those of us that don't ride motorcycles, what does this mean?
I'm wondering if he was talking about how the sun shines through the trees and causes almost a strobe ligh effect as you are driving?
I ride and I still don't know what he means....
This is a great article about great Medical professionals that work in our area and we are blessed to have them and the awesome facilities that they work in. Now on to this yahoo with his flickering flickers. The laws of motion and inertia work the same in this country pal. When you are riding too fast for the road conditions and beyond your capabilities you find yourself taking up space in our awesome and as of yet un-socialized medical system. Think about that when you bring your wife and kids back for a visit and decide to throw a leg over another motorcycle on our roads. Oh and how about the driver of the car you rode head first into? How are they? And, how are you going to pay for all the damage that you have caused? Lets see there is the car that you hit, and that driver's possible injuries, the bike that you most likely borrowed that I am sure was totaled, and of course our awesome medial system isn't free either. Yes welcome to America where we still have this concept of personal responsibility. You know in Mexico they wouldn't let you leave the country until you have made arrangements to pay for all the damage that you caused. But then you would have lost your leg in their oh so awesome medical system.
Lighten up Francis. The story doesn't say if the car was damaged, and for all we know he works for an insurance company so he may have better insurance coverage than 99.9% of everyone out there...
Â
There is a reason it's called an Accident...
Â
My goodness. You need a visit from the happy fairy. ; )
I always tell my nephews that every nursing home has about a quarter of patients who are life long residents from motorcycle accidents. I hope that slows them down, because it's true. I had a friend die at age 19, on literally his first ride right after he got the motorcycle. He ran a stop sign and hit a car, and was too injured - his blood kept clotting so the doctors couldn't save him. Anyway, this guy is lucky to be alive. Motorcycles are great, but people who want to ride like speed demons and weave in and out of traffic are only showing themselves to be fools. I'm not accusing this guy of that, sounds like he was going too fast and it cost him a leg though. Glad he's recovering and in good spirits.
Maybe his friends can help foot the bill for him.
A nice story to read finally. I'm sorry about the loss of the leg but he's alive and one smart cookie for wearing the helmet. Sounds like a foot loose and fancy free kind of guy.
 @granny_mac:Â
I have a BKA also, and beling to the Amuptee Coalition of America. One of the first issues of their magazine I received show a AKA (above knee amputation) person who lost his leg at the hip due to a motorcycle accident, and his business was building custom motocycles. He had customized his own bike so he could continue riding.
Â
It's all about the attitude.
The surgeons we have today are absolutely amazing. Â These guys can put people back together from random parts or tissue grown in a pee tree dish. Â Modern miracle workers.
Â
 @JoeKing do you mean a petri dish? though your version is much more hilarious...
Love his spirit!!!! Keep the positive going Mark!!