Katianna

Thomas Smith · Post by **Thomas Smith** » Mon Nov 07, 2011 6:00 am

Katianna had a big wreck this weekend at the Seed 9 Rally near Las Vegas and is in the hospital. She is on the mend but I'm sure she would appreciate hearing from her autocross friends.

Go to http://www.specialstage.com/forums/show ... nna-Update" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; for more info.

Get well Katianna!

Ron Tsumura · Post by **Ron Tsumura** » Mon Nov 07, 2011 7:15 am

Thanks for the info Thomas!

Glad to hear Katianna is doing ok!

Ed Holley · Post by **Ed Holley** » Mon Nov 07, 2011 9:59 am

I went to the link to get a rundown on her condition. Sounds like she dodged a surgery bullet. I'm just glad she did nothing to hurt her beautiful smile. She's a standout for sure. Get better and we look forward to having you "back" (pun intended

). :gpower:

Rick Brown · Post by **Rick Brown** » Mon Nov 07, 2011 10:06 am

Good to hear things are not as serious as originally thought. Wishing Katianna a speedy recovery!

Mark DeShon · Post by **Mark DeShon** » Mon Nov 07, 2011 11:38 am

Rick Brown wrote:Good to hear things are not as serious as originally thought. Wishing Katianna a speedy recovery!

Everything else she does is speedy! Best wishes to Katianna. Thanks for the info. I'll definitely be getting in touch.
Mark D.

Mako Koiwai · Post by **Mako Koiwai** » Mon Nov 07, 2011 12:01 pm

Dodged a bullet but hopefully that fractured T8 vertebra won't create a life long problem.

Mike Shin · Post by **Mike Shin** » Mon Nov 07, 2011 2:09 pm

Ouch, the scary part of auto racing... I hope Katianna makes a full and speedy recovery. Did she have a Hans device?

Jason Isley BS RX8 · Post by **Jason Isley BS RX8** » Mon Nov 07, 2011 3:19 pm

Mako to wrote:Dodged a bullet but hopefully that fractured T8 vertebra won't create a life long problem.

Was Brett co-driving? If so, is he OK?

Mike Simanyi · Post by **Mike Simanyi** » Mon Nov 07, 2011 3:21 pm

Yes, Brett was co-driving. Toby tells me Brett is fine, despite the initial lateral impact being on his side of the car.

I hope we see both of them again soon, on their feet and healthy.

Mike

Thomas Smith · Post by **Thomas Smith** » Mon Nov 07, 2011 5:01 pm

Mike Shin wrote: Did she have a Hans device?

Yes, some sort of head & neck restraint is required in rally.

Mark DeShon · Post by **Mark DeShon** » Mon Nov 07, 2011 7:18 pm

Just talked to Katianna. She sounded good, though she partially attributed that to the 'good drugs' they had her on.

The prognosis looks promising, and she's 'determined to get better'. She's planning to come home very soon and is even already talking about when she'll be racing again. Firecracker! I let her know we're all pulling for her.
Mark D.

Doug Kott · Post by **Doug Kott** » Thu Nov 10, 2011 2:50 pm

I don't think the accident was Katianna's fault...it was too much positive camber on the right rear!!!
Glad she's okay and on the mend. All the good vibes from CalClubbers will certainly speed the recovery.

Mako Koiwai · Post by **Mako Koiwai** » Thu Nov 10, 2011 3:06 pm

Too much Toe Out on the Left Rear ... happens every time!

Ron Tsumura · Post by **Ron Tsumura** » Fri Nov 11, 2011 12:45 pm

I think Spicolie can fix it. His dad has some tools and...

Katianna Pihakari · Post by **Katianna Pihakari** » Fri Nov 11, 2011 10:27 pm

Dear friends,

Your messages and calls have been really wonderful and been a core part of keeping my spirits up through the adventure. Thank you!

You are probably already aware that I broke my wrist and I have a partially burst T8 vertebrae. We had some scary moments Saturday night when the hospital staff began preparing me for a major surgery on Sunday morning. Fortunately the MRI revealed that I have a quicker recovery option with a back brace, i.e. a Wonder Woman suit, and surgery will not be needed. True to my style I did ask for bling or at least for the 'Madonna-style cones' on the back brace, but their selection did not support these options. I am still hoping for a Batman cast for my wrist...

After being bedridden for three days, I was very excited to start walking on Tuesday night! We had to even take an extra lap around the floor to show off my fashionable hospital gown.

I was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday afternoon and Michel drove me home with a full pack of goodies to keep me feeling good for awhile. These might be more for Michel's benefit so that he can get me to stop whining in order get all the cooking and cleaning taken care of.

And now the fight begins. I am determined to get better as soon as possible. I am taking little walks between the naps and pills and am hoping to get out of the Wonder Woman suit in early January. Doug and I are already talking about a new car. Finances might delay this process a bit, but we will be back!

I have to say again that I feel we were extremely lucky with this unfortunate event. The car preparation was excellent, the roll cage held up perfectly, and the HANS did a great job preventing worse injuries.The rally EMTs were on-site within minutes. I later learned from their colleagues that these two ladies were some of the very best and experienced EMTs in the area. After three ambulance rides and two trauma centers, we ended up at UMC with their prestigious spine specialists. Furthermore, I was assigned to a doctor that seemed to have a reputation as their 'spine star'. Everything went really smooth and we felt I was fully taken care of at all times. Extra special thanks to Michel and Doug who kept me entertained through most of my visit at UMC. Another special thanks to Pat and Denise whose visit on Sunday made me laugh and giggle.

I'm relieved that Bret came away from the adventure without any injuries. I truly appreciate his calmness and support through the crisis.

All the encouraging messages from all of you have been just amazing. Thank you!

Katianna

Mako Koiwai · Post by **Mako Koiwai** » Sat Nov 12, 2011 12:25 am

... looking forward to a fast and complete recovery ... and then another Great Season!

... can you tell us what happened, what the Suby did and ... and in-car video?

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