he might be a chimera by now...50 units of whole blood! If any pro
rider has a chance of a spurious stem cell transplant from a
transfusion...this Marco Bui does.
from cyclingnews:
Battered but unbowed, Bui hits the comeback trail
By Tim Maloney, European Editor
Marco Bui (L) and Giovanni Battaglin
Photo ©: Tim Maloney Click for larger image
After a superb season where he won the Houffalize World Cup cross
country race and finished third in the European championships, mountain
biker Marco Bui finished 11th in the elite men's cross country race at
the world championships in Livigno, Italy. But disaster suddenly struck
Bui that day as he ran into a car when it unexpectedly turned in front
of him; the 28 year-old went under the Toyota Yaris, which literally
crushed both his legs. "I only remember a big impact", Bui explained to
La Gazzetta dello Sport's Gigi Perna. "Then I was on the ground with my
massacred legs... the doctors told me I blanked out all the rest."
Bui suffered an open fracture of his right femur, tibia and fibula,
crushed his left knee and foot and ruptured his spleen, which was
removed. He needed almost 50 units of whole blood in the first 24 hours
after the accident while in the hospital at Bassano del Grappa, where
three teams of surgeons worked almost 18 hours straight to save Bui's
leg.
"It was really hard when I woke up after the first operation. They were
really great in the hospital, but at my age it's hard to accept what
happened... sometimes I was afraid because I thought they might still
have to amputate my leg, even though the doctors told me I was out of
danger." Bui received plenty of support while recuperating in hospital
from friends, team-mates and above all, former Giro d'Italia winner
Giovanni Battaglin, who owns the Full Dynamix team. Battaglin told
Cyclingnews that "Marco is determined to come back and if anyone can do
it, I know he can."
Bui will need all the encouragement and support he can get, as the road
back to cycling will be a tremendous physical and mental challenge. Bui
has already had several operations to repair his broken legs and has
more ahead of him in the next few months before he can begin his
physical therapy, which could last as long as one year. "I know I'll
probably need a year before I can get back on my bike, but I won't
quit. I want to ride again," Bui explained. "Others like Marco Pantani
and Herman Meier have come back even if they weren't as badly hurt as I
am. The worst thing is that this came after my best season, where I won
at Houffalize. Sometimes I try to move my legs and I dream of coming
back like I was before."