Doc Ernie's Blog : Doc Ernie's Blog : Ernie Franz M.D. : Spinal Cord Injury, Disability, and Rehabilitation

Well, perhaps you are thinking this all seems too easy, or why did it take him so long to just advance to cycling on his own.  You will have to believe me, it was not easy, though I had plenty of motivation to succeed, my spinal cord injury and general lack of balance and strength meant several falls were inevitable.  Though Keith and I finished Chilly Hilly 2006 without incident, soon after that I was to experience quite a number of low speed falls.  Being however an "experienced" cyclist, I always managed to land on my left (non-drivetrain) side, protecting my bike, yet causing a couple of left hip & elbow bruises along with a few head bangs. 

 

Continue Reading...

• Email This
• Print
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

By early summer 2005 I began thinking with my wife and PT what we could do for the one year anniversary of my trauma.  Soon a plan was hatched that involved my bicycling past the scene of the crime on the day of the life changing trauma, this time to make it home!  Problem was, I had not yet ridden a two wheeled bicycle on my own.  By late July, it was time to give it a try.

Keith Heinzelman, my PT, and Kelly Campo, another PT whom had known me for a long time, came over to our house to figure out how we could get me on my mountain bike.  We were unsure how my balance would be, what my leg strength would be like, how braking and shifting would work.  On that memorable day I kept my gait belt on so Keith could run alongside me and remain attached somewhat to me, as a father would with his child, as I attempted to balance and pedal.

Continue Reading...

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (1)
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Two and one-half months after my discharge from the Harborview Rehab floor, Keith Heinzelman and I set out to ride the Chilly Hilly 2005.  With a huge amount of emotional and physical support we were accompanied by friends, family, church members, Seattle Symphony members, Bill Davidson framebuilder from Elliott Bay Bicycles, and Josh Golden my PT from the Harborview Rehab floor.

The day was a bit foggy and cool, but it was dry!  Off we went....

Continue Reading...

• Email This
• Print
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

In January of 2008 I was asked by my friend and Harborview trauma surgeon Jerry Jurkovich, MD to be present with he and US Senator Patty Murray as she introduced her proposed Trauma Bill to the press and local TV stations.  It was certainly an honor to be asked to be a part of this effort, which will begin to help fund uncompensated trauma care.  This growing financial crisis for many critical "safety net" institutions, such now as Grady Hospital in Atlanta, has resulted in 20 US trauma centers closing since 2000.  Though efforts are being made to keep Grady, and other such institutions open, I believe some radical changes will soon be necessary in the way we deliver and pay for health care. Continue Reading...

• Email This
• Print
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Bicycling has been in my blood ever since I was a kid, but I became more serious about it in my college days at Indiana University, home of the Little 500 annual bicycle race and the fantastic movie Breaking Away, filmed while I attended IU.  Although I never came close to finishing on a podium, I did dabble in both mountain bike and road racing from time to time during my Emergency Medicine career.  When I was struck in 2004, beyond commuting by bicycle, I had been doing frequent training rides and a bit of racing; logging around 4000 miles in the twelve months prior to my injury.

When asked by a counselor while laying nearly paralyzed in my hospital bed what I loved about cycling, I remember saying it was feeling the wind in my face, the tension of the crankarms pulling on the chain, the sound and feel of the road underneath me, all the while spinning with my heart rate around 160-165.  Speed.  Efficiency.  It just all felt so right, a sweet spot in a complex life, a break from the chaos of the ER, a sort of Chariots of Fire experience, such that when I rode I felt God's pleasure.

What follows then is the story of how I came to get back on the bike....

Continue Reading...

• Email This
• Print
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Although update #1 reflects my most current "work" related volunteer activities, I have also been involved in a few legislative actions which will be touched on here and in another post to follow.  The information below is specifically in regard to Washington state's Crime Victim's Compensation program; the post to follow this will be in regards to US Senator Patty Murray's Trauma Bill. Continue Reading...

• Email This
• Print
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

I will attempt to quickly bring you up to speed with how I currently fill my days.  It has been both a challenging life, and yet a satisfying one at the same time.  Still hard for me to comprehend, but my family, and particularly my wife, believe I am now a much better person post-trauma, than I was prior to August 23, 2004.

A few of the activities I have mentioned in detail below these paragraphs were recently covered in The Trauma Report, a publication printed once every three years by Seattle's Harborview Medical Center.  It was an honor to have been chosen to write a brief article for that publication, in which 3 trauma stories were featured, mine being one of those.  By following the link in this paragraph you will find the article.  Reading further below will certainly give you a more complete idea of the service activities I have pursued in this new life...

Continue Reading...

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (2)
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

I wanted to share that since my injury I struggle with depression and loss of a life and career I truly enjoyed. Yet, I am even more dismayed to find that anyone, including physician colleagues, have had to suffer for their honesty about undergoing treatment for depression.... Continue Reading...

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (1)
• Trackbacks
• Share Link