6: Iron Butt Rally 2019 - Results and Aftermath

Finish Friday June 28

As one would expect most riders spent the day Friday sleeping after completing check in and scoring.  I know that I hadn't placed very high but I was good with that.  Finishing was this year's objective.  That evening everyone gathered in anticipation of the banquet where the results would be announced.

After a few announcements, Lisa Landry took the stage and began announcing the finishers.  In all there were 25 riders that DNF'd (Did Not Finish) which seems oddly high compared to recent IBRs.  It stood testament to the difficulty of this year's rally.  Finishers started with 71st place and as each rider was called, they would come forward to receive their finisher plaque and have a picture taken.  I was so happy to hear my name called in 55th place.  I'd done it and had the proof to show for it!!

IBR Finisher!

When it came time to recognize the Top 10 finishers, Route Master Jeff Earls took the stage and called forward the Top 10 riders in no particular order.  My good friend Steve Gallant and fellow Trophy rider Paul Meyer were both included along with long time big dawgs Jim Owen (2x winner), Eric Bray, and Wendy Crockett.  Paul was announced as the 8th place finisher followed by Jim Owen at 7th.  Eric Bray took 5th.  The question remained did Steve hold on to his lead position after Leg 1?  It wasn't meant to be.  Despite a massive Leg 2b run and a couple of missed bonus opportunities, Steve took 3rd place in his rookie season.  It was so awesome to be there and cheer his success.

Now there were only two, Mike Heitkamp and Wendy Crockett.  Excitement filled the air with the possibility of a first time female winner.  The room erupted in joy and ovation as history was made and Wendy Crockett secured the win with an epic final leg.  It was an honor to have witnessed history being made in our sport.

2019 IBR Winner Wendy Crockett and her Yamaha FJR

 The Day After - June 29

Saturday broke bright and sunny promising to make today's ride home a steamy affair.  Karen and I made our way downstairs for breakfast and farewells to the people that made this such a wonderful experience.  Karen's cough that she had had for 3 months was bothering her a bit more today.  And for the first time she expressed concern that she was having trouble catching her breath.  This allergy season had been particularly rough on her and she had already been through one round of antibiotics for bronchitis.

Packing up I bid farewell to my trusty old riding boots.  Karen had brought my other pair down to the finish so instead of stinking up the car, we just left them in the room.

I hopped on the bike and Karen started up her car and we hit the highway for the trip home.  It was mostly uneventful and we made it home safely.  Karen said that she was going to go back to the doc on Monday so we retired for the evening.

The Aftermath - June 30 and on

Waking up late Sunday morning we went out to breakfast and Karen was really having a hard time breathing.  She kept insisting that it was bronchitis due to her allergies.  I said enough is enough and we went to a nearby satellite emergency room associated with our main hospital.  The ER Doc came in and said her lungs were clear sounding, her BP and heart rates were good and that they were going to send her home with more antibiotics.  I spoke up and told Karen to tell the doctor about the pain she felt in her calf and her groin.  When I said that the doctor's eyes looked like saucers and immediately ordered sonograms and a CT scan.

A few hours went by as the tests were run and finally a nurse came in with a syringe. "Is that an antibiotic?"  Her reply was, "Oh no. You have a blood clot in your lung and this is heparin."  Shortly after the ER Doc came in and told us that Karen had blood clots in both lungs and up her right leg.  Double Pulmonary Embolism and Deep Vein Thrombosis, she called it.  She informed us that Karen was being immediately transferred by ambulance to the main hospital downtown and a cardiologist was waiting for her.

I jumped in the car and ran home to get some supplies for her hospital stay.  Arriving at the hospital they had her in the cardiology unit.

The next day Karen was wheeled down to the surgical unit for a catheterization procedure.  3 leads were inserted into her neck and run down into both lungs were a fairly new drug was used to break up the largest of the clots.  She spent 2 days in the Intensive Care Unit but as you can see she was in good spirits.


The Cardiologist who performed the procedure came in the day after surgery and explained to us that the one clot in her right lung should have killed her.  She was extremely lucky.

Obviously, the IBR was the furthest thing from my mind during this time.  As Karen jokingly said, "It was about her now that the IBR was over."  The rally, the trophy, the accolades meant nothing. Getting her well was the only priority.

After 3 days in the hospital Karen was able to walk out, a little sore, but well enough to walk out of the hospital.  I'm grateful to say that her recovery is going quite well but most likely she will be on blood thinners for the rest of her life.  No reason was found for why this happened.

Not to be outdone, it was my turn.  A week after all this happened I ended up in the same ER thinking that I had a kidney stone or a blocked gall bladder.  Tests and scans revealed everything was in order except for my diverticulosis was acting up.  I missed a few more days of work before finally being up to move around.  I've been seeing a chiropractor as well to deal with back pain brought on by the IBR.

The first time I really got to celebrate finishing the IBR was when a small package arrived in the mail.  This made it real.

There are so many people to thank that I could fill up pages and pages of blogspace.  Mike Kneebone, Lisa Laundry, Jeff Earls and all of the IBR Rally Staff made this rookie effort so memorable.  Congratulations to old friends and new friends on completing such an awesome rally.  If all goes well, I hope to make another run at the IBR in the future where I won't be that wide eyed rookie being conservative.

Thank you, Reader, for taking part of your valuable time to read my text.  Safe travels everyone.