Been over 8 years & have achieved so much, Team KMR

[offroad_racer]

Hey Fellow UBPN,

To start my name is Keith Minnicks. My accident occurred on 2/14/2004 (right before my 20th bday) in Glamis, CA. I was on here for the first year or two after my accident. I have not been back on in a long time.

My initial hospital stay for a month was about saving my life and recovering from severed aorta artery, broken ribs, punctured lungs, trachomety, etc.

When I got home was in incredible pain, I dont remember exactly but I had avulsed like nearly every nerve trunk and more. Complete paralysis on left upper extremity.

Later that year I had a nerve graph by Dr Hentz at Stanford. I lived in Santa Maria, CA after my accident and for the next two years I was getting physical therapy twice a week and going through pain management. It eventually got to were I was only taking Methadone 10mg (16 tabs/day) and norcos 10/325 (6-8/day). Had tried neurontin and all kids of other pills. I wore a soft neck collar and a sling.

I started seeing a orthopedic dr who made this big device that pulled my arm up into the socket and pushed my head over. I wore that almost through my associates degree graduation in 2006. The fall of 2004 after going through serious depression during the summer after my accident from loosing everything and not being able to do what i loved anymore plus death of a close friend I was ready to give up. I decided I could have it all again by going to school. Within two years I completed three AA degrees and several certificates of completion and a 3.7 gpa. School and doctors were my entire life for those years, no girl friends. Before my accident had my own house in vegas, a great job, several toys and girl friends.

I applied to several universities all over CA and to University of Oregon because a semester before I graduated my family had left me in Santa Maria and moved up to Lincoln, City Oregon. USC and UN of Oregon were my top two choices and I decided to be near my family. I forgot to mention I tried to move back to vegas like 3 months out of the hospital. It lasted barely a month and I nearly rolled my truck and trailer towing from Santa Maria to Vegas by myself.

After two years I had seen no more development at physical therapy in my arm. I had only gained bicep control from my nerve graph which took nerves from calf/ankle and chest. My hand was beginning to atrophy. I had finally began to hold my weight as well. Before my accident I was 5'11 160 cut/toned and I left the hospital 5'9 and 118lbs no muscle mass what so ever. For two years my weight would go up and down. It has been 150-160 for years now but has been hard getting muscle mass.

Before I left I tried to get a nerve implant stimulator, believe it was Fall 2005. Due to all my scar tissue in my neck they were unable to get trial leads in and my choice was to go for the surgery completely with a 50% chance of it helping or not and being left in my body. After I moved to Lincoln, City OR were my parents were in Summer of 2006 i no longer received physical therapy. Which helped out my nerves and muscles in my neck and had actually help get my neck somewhat straighter. Now my neck is hard as a rock and crooked again.

Had my second part time job during the summer. My university was a few hours from were my parents lived. I was such an independent person before I got hurt but I hated how much I needed there company and support. In fall I left for Eugene and lived in an apartment. I completed one semester at UN of OR, my pain level had gotten so high from the cold wet weather and no family what so ever I spent several days alone. This was also the first time I began going out to bars and enjoying college life. A little bit of dating but I still wore neck collars and slings.

Spring of 2007 I decided to move back to Vegas with my brother into an old friends house temporary and went to work for my boss before at his new job. I could not transfer to UNLV until Fall 2007. My brother stayed for about a month and went back to OR. I was working full time as a trailer salesman and rented a house by myself with no furniture. That year I had kidney stones like 4 times. I had terrible roommates, was forced to move out and rent a room who kicked me out illegally while I was at the college. That led to courts and me winning but no place to live. November 2007 my family had move back to CA this time So CAL. I visited and fell in love with weather. In Oregon the pain caused tremendous pain, and in Vegas I sweated just walking around due to the methadone. I finished the semester and had got kidney stones again, I ended vegas with getting surgery for the stones and moving back in with my parents.

They were property managers in Riverside, CA but a month after me moving there beginning of 2008 they got a new job as property managers at a new disability apartment building in Irvine, CA. Weather was amazing, my brother and I got an apartment next doors to theirs. I was back with my family, but had independence. I had decided I was going to transfer one more time and complete my Accounting degree at CSU Fullerton. I had great insurance again, and even gad a FT accounting job during the summer. Had my first real relationship since accident lasted for over a year living with me. I was doing more at the college, playing sports. I had cut my pain medicine down, due to all the side effects. Constipation and drowsiness were the worst.

In 2009 began the start of the journey of becoming the man I once was. I had the opportunity to have my truck get built into a race truck at a friends house. During the time I was sending proposals to companies all over the nation. Due to my salesman experience, my story and achievements, and ability to write I had big companies sponsoring me before my truck was even done.

In 2010 my parents lost their job and moved permanently into there recent vacation home in Bullhead City, AZ were I graduated High School. Brother and his gf (now fiancee) moved with them there and I was once again alone. I wanted to complete school and I liked the weather. Now single and a friend screwing me over giving me a uncomplete truck I took it to my parents house in AZ. Not wanting to let my sponsors down and to achieve my dream to race and compete again at high speeds. My dad, brother, and I got the tools we needed and finished building a off-road race truck. Never before welding or fabricating. We did everything from paint and body, to electrical and plumbing. Took the truck to the biggest off-road expo before it could drive in 2010 at my own dime to show off for my sponsors. We worked on the truck during school breaks, it was 4.5 hours from were I lived.

In late 2010, I began searching for a DR to amputate my arm. It was causing more pain due to pulling on shoulder and was always in the way and I had burned it a few dozen times over the years. With no feeling below the elbow I constantly would find myself feeling a blister from a flame after I had burned myself. School was harder then ever before. I blew through community college but I also only did school and doctors. Now I was doing this and the truck was a huge part of my life. Constantly contacting potential sponsors. The junior/senior level accounting and business courses were getting super hard. Fir the first time ever I got a D in a college course and had to redo it.

In summer of 2011, I connected with a girl I dated in High school in bullhead city. She had a son and we dated for a year and a half long distance when I was away in CA at school. She was the best thing to come into my life. Made me happy, confident, and supportive. In october 2011 was the 2011 Off-Road expo and this year we drove the truck in. It was 90% complete. Two weeks after the expo my GF flew to Irvine and joined me in Laguna Beach, CA as I had my arm amputated after the elbow. The goal was for less weight and hopes for a prostetic that could help me drive he race truck, to were I could shift it myself.

Recovery only took a few days and has been the best thing since my injury. I can now pretty much do anything one handed, I can weld and do all kinds of stuff on my truck. I had also found Perdiem (over the counter) in 2011 after trying senkot S from my pain dr in Lake Forest and ever since then I have never had horrible pains from bowel movements and lost nickname pebbles. A few months later I stop taking my norcos as well unless I was in tremendous pain. I also had drop to taking 2- 10mg methadone tablets over the years and at most take it 3-4x a day sometimes only twice a day. Working on my truck and hanging with friends made pain go away and when it was there I had learn to cope with it as long as I could. It has been like this since then.

January 2012 marked the start of my off-road racing career. My first race was in Primm, NV around the 20th and truck had been completed just weeks before. By this time I had 16 sponsors giving me thousands of dollars in products. My co-ilot new to sport shifted for me, I drove the race truck, and my family was my crew. During 2012 I raced all 5 races of HDRA for 4th overall in a sportsman class full of big HP v8s with my stock v6 out of 30 competitors. I raced an additional race with another series, did a Make-A-Wish "Wish ride" event, 2012 expo, and had a full feature article in Off-Road Magazine. My first pro class race was at end of year and I got a third my first podium. I was on Fox Sports West several times from three races they aired showing me, my truck, and my father. I was also on two news channels and in Dirt Sports Magazine and Dusty Times Newspaper. I graduated from CSUF in spring 2012 and a month later my gf and I broke up due to not agreeing on living arrangements and our future. It went on and off for a year but ended completely beginning of this year. Nothing serious since her.

Since graduation I have spent 95% of my time out in Bullhead, I go home to irvine for rent and dr appointments. The racing career has taken off. For 2013 I decided to move to the pro mini Trophy Truck class 7200 (v6 motors) in the SNORE series. My first race I got a 1st, then a 2nd, and then a 1st at my last race. My point lead is so big and as long as I start every race the championship is mine. I raced the toughest and biggest race in the states the MINT 400 only to make it 16 miles before another racer slammed into me breaking the truck to were it could not continue. Just 18 days later I got a second place at the next race. After 2012 I sent new proposals out again and picked up even bigger companies all giving me full rides. Had companies coming up to me. So far I have been in Dusty Times from 2 of my 3 races this year, had a second article written about me in Icoms newletter, and a full page advertisement for FK Rod Ends as a Team Driver in this months issue of Dirt Sports.

Racing has been amazing. It is hard with my disability and the pain gets extremely bad in my neck during the race but I fight it as long as I can. My dad and I have had an amazing bond these last three years. I have made videos from races and on-board footage. All self taught, you can watch them on my youtube channel. Team KMR (Keith Minnicks Racing) formerly FAST Racing and our race shop FAST Fabrication have facebook, instagram, and twitter pages. Along with full build write ups on a couple online forums of my dad and I's process during the build and our racing since the completion.

I have not pursued any kind of accounting career, and not sure what I want to do. Need to decide were I want to live permanently and race or career. Hopefully meet another woman to share these things with. My truck is having a new custom body being made from our new sponsor currently in CA. Our next race is in September and then this years Expo again in October. Have to decide if I go for bigger paying sponsorship for 2013 or if I cut back on the racing and pursue accounting in CA. I have also wanted to look into getting some kind of surgery for my neck. However everything I have been told has not been positive. Most likely scenario neck would go back to the way it is now.

Also after my amputation I saw a prosthetic DR. I got a claw in Fall of 2012 and have only tried to wear it once. I can only use bicep movement, its hard to get on by myself, and I have got so accustom to doing things one handed. Plus been working on race truck almost 24/7 getting it ready for races that I cannot wear it in the garage and it means I am always in AZ. The doctor that helps fit it and teaches me how to use it is in CA. So it sits at my apartment in Irvine. Lately, been thinking of amputating at shoulder since arm is tiny compared to right or getting a purely cosmetic prosthetic.

Anyways, that is my life post accident. Since 2011, I no longer wished for my old life. Besides the way I look and everyday nerve pain, I live a normal life. Here are some articles written about me and my pursuit.

Most recently, this months issue of Dirt Sports magazine has a full page advertisement for FK Rod Ends with two big race photos of me (first race and mint 400) and a small picture from a race of my dad and I with the statement "Don't Just Follow Your Dreams..... Live Them!" across the top and in the middle a nice little paragraph about my accident and my achievements and how they are proud of me. You can see it on mine or FKs facebook page. The clips from the TV shows I have been on are in my youtube channel along with all my other videos.

My first full feature 3.5 page article in Off-Road Magazine sot in Barstow, CA http://www.off-roadweb.com/features/130 ... esilience/

This video is from this years Mint 400 a fun amazing race, showing the time my team and I had. This is the last video I made. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzawjRx_P2M

first article written about me in a sponsors newletter. http://www.icomamerica.com/en/media_eve ... s_1102.pdf

second article icom wrote about me, first one was before I had actually raced. http://www.icomamerica.com/en/media_eve ... ng2013.pdf

You can find the pictures from the Dirt Sports magazines and Dusty Times Newspapers (4 so far) on our facebook page below.

https://www.facebook.com/KeithMinnicksRacing (team facebook page with photos)

https://twitter.com/KeithMinnicks (team twitter page)

I m going to try and be more involved on this site from now on. May even promote it on my race truck. Like to meet some new people. See were medicine and surgeries have come the last 10 years and if anyone else has the same neck problem.

Best Wishes to all the families of a BPI

[Master DIVER TOM]

Another Great example when amputation is right
When I was born in 1950 there was no help no , no nothing for birth erbs for me, Doctor at 10 told me to just live with it
I fine the great gift that came with my Erbs was a Creative mine, a will to adapt and the courage to try and composition for other I by so many post like this I am in good company .

I have read and posted on the subject of amputation If you get injured latter in life you know what having 2 arms usage means I dont , I think one handed from birth What has struck me is that without the direct path to the right doctor to help , Even with pain there is no path?

Even if a amputation by need happen there is our one hand world we live to adapt to and share to move others forwards by post ;
Welcome back
Just thinking There are so many post of TENACITY, me you others by posts, But there comes a time ware we could share how we do things one handed, I think I would go to a gathering in 2014. I and others could share to adapt one handed if there was only a list I think, The will is there , a need is all that is need for 1 St. hand help at a gathering How to drive you, I could help some to adapt and so many here to.
just one thing,I went to a Chicago gathering years ago, I felt Why did I come there and Children and parents that thought I could Help??? I guess I did???? :shock
Tom

[offroad_racer]

Yes amputation is a great path.

Also for the gamers out there. I was the person that gave up his dragonplus to console and gadgets to reverse engineer. Which was suppose to take a few months took two years before I got a controller back. But I am glad that as a result hundreds have been sold to people who needed them. My two are almost at their last leg. I am a sony guy and not sure if the ps4 is going to allow the usb ps2 controller. The new ps4 controller has so many more advancements and on ps3 six axis there were games that required the sixaxis and I could not play because I was using a ps2 controller. I have not been on able gamer in awhile but that is just another thing I had to learn to do. Before I played a lot of sports games and racing games. After accident had to slow it down to rpgs and adventures, although I an quite good at madden and avg at COD being that i play one handed.

If anyone plays ps3 we could pair up

[Master DIVER TOM]

GET the game on
Interesting thing is when over time you learn to think one handed in your trys and challenges to overcome. Thinking 1 handed is a plus to try.
Its a one hand and eye, thing Life time of learning to think and adapt one handed best when you learn one handed doing,
I have a life time of thinking one handed because of my birth erbs
We all adapt the best way we can it a true game to see what we can learn one handed,
Playing and learning one handed gaming is another , Great post
One hand thinking does happen over time it is the plus in our trys
Tom