Who's the guy in the wheelchair in this video?

[ArchangelX]

http://www.dsmporn.com/movies/road_racing/ROYZGSX_USCC_2003_Road_Course_Winner.mpg

I just wanted to know, because as most of you know, on Aug22, I lost the use of my right leg due to a messup on the doctor's part during an appendectomy.

I have no feeling in half of my thigh, and none whatsoever in my lower calf, ankle, foot, and toes. I also can't move my ankle or foot, or even my toes. It's really hard for me, and I'm really depressed. It's hard to understand pretty much, but I'm really empty right now. It hurts...so much...and when it doesn't..it's few and far between. It's just reeallly....hard.

With tears in my eyes, (this has been a really bad day for me), I'm thinking I'll never be able to drive a standard again, or be able to take my wife out to a movie......so...seeing this clip..of..him was a big surprise.

I'm just wondering how he's able to drive a standard......and I was wondering if any of you knew...please..could you tell me. :wtc:

[cooltoy2000]

Don't loose hope.
Things seem bad now, but they will get better.
I know this does not answer your question, but you seem so down, I thought I should encourage you.
I do not know you and you do not know me, but you must be realy depressed to share your feelings here.
Please do not despare, I am sure you have the support of your friends and family. Take strength from that, at least there are people who love you and care about you.

[MicaCeli]

I thought you were feeling better Archie...:wtf: you been lying to me?

[ArchangelX]

Thanks. Thank you very much, I appreciate your words. I'm better now. It was just one of those moments, ya know. Luckily, my wife came home, and I'm all good now. Sorry. It's hard to express your feelings on a messageboard.

Anyways...I saw this clip, and then I saw the guy at the end, pass off the helmet to someone, and them jump into a wheelchair, and I'm like...WTF...it was really surprising. And I just kinda got hope outta it...if this guy can go screaming down the track like that, and bust out a time that's so fast he wins the SCC03 USCC...well..damn, ya know.

[ArchangelX]

Originally posted by MicaCeli
I thought you were feeling better Archie...:wtf: you been lying to me?

It's hard for me to show the hell I go through everyday to everyone. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad.

I'm much more emotional now, and I get depressed really easily.

It's just one of those things. :wave:

[crazyJ]

Cheer up bud. you could be willyK. :chuckles:

[bickley]

I've been hanging around the boards for a long time...I know we've never talked and I know I have no idea what it's like....I can't even relate. But I am sorry it happened to you. I can omly try to imagine a world where I was in your situation. I can understand that it hurts but try and remember the good things in your life. Your wife is still with you. She still loves you. There's always hope. Hope keeps us going - hoping you'll find the right one, hoping you get the job you just interviewed for, hoping that the girl you're going to marry you says yes, hoping that one day they'll be able to heal you 100%. If you don't let your pain and anger go, then it might consume you until you are nothing but a burned out bitter old man. Just remember who you were and believe that you can be that person again. Look at Christopher Reeves, he won't give up and you shouldn't either.

[ArchangelX]

Originally posted by crazyJ
Cheer up bud. you could be willyK. :chuckles:


You don't know how much that cheered me up. Man. Things could be a helluva lot worse. :thumbup:

Thanks to everybody, your support really helps...really it does.

Now, does anyone know who the heck that guy is in the wheelchair..I know he's famous or something for being able to drive with his disability.

[cooltoy2000]

Well I did a search for Trimedia productions. Could not find anything. Which track is that?

[cooltoy2000]

Try to e-mail this person. He/she might answer your question. blak94gsx@blak94gsx.com

The video was taken during the Ultimate street car chalenge 2003 somwhere in California.

[CeliCar]

Looks like the owner is Roy Narvaez. Don't know who the driver is.

http://www.gtfabrications.com/team/royzgsx/

Vid of that car on the dyno: http://www.dsmporn.com/movies/other/royzgsx_650awhp_dyno.mpg

[KrazY-2K]

Keep your head up man. You have all of our support as well as those in your family. Things will get better :)

[cooltoy2000]

The drivers name could be Manny Neira. Not sure though.

[cooltoy2000]

Roy is from Bellflower, CA.

[bagodoosh]

dsmporn.com domain doesnt work.

EDIT> nevermind.

i sent this thread to royzgsx@yahoo.com (roy narvaez).

[koober1]

I had a tumor removed out of my foot a little over a year ago and I lost some feeling in it. And I can sympathize with the depression bit. Just having to rely on people to help you with little things you took for granted can drive you nuts. But as time goes by I know your nerves will regain some sensation. Are you going to physical therapy? Are you getting electric therapy to your nerves and muscles? That helped me a ton! I still have some spots in my foot that feel a little tingly but it's A LOT BETTER then before.

I wish you luck and I know with time it will get better =-)

[ROYZGSX]

Hi ArchangelX,


I am the owner of the car. (ROYZGSX)

The car is a highly modified street car. Car was built for the drag race course but was massaged for the USCC event where it came 2nd overall but it did take the road race course event.

You can find more pictures of the car here:

royzgsx.homestead.com

The car is a 5 speed. The car was driven by John Mueller. He has been in the SCCA scene for many years and his dad was well known in the SCCA and Mazda and import racing scene (Mueller Fabrications)

John Muller did all the suspension work on my car and also drove my car and Scot Gray's (Black 1g Eclipse GSX) during the USCC event. His is not permently handicapped. He had issues with his hip which required surgery and he was forced to use a wheel chair and crutches. He is currently recovering from that surgery.

I will foward this theard to him and hope he responds to it.


Keep your head up. There are many handicapp racers in the racing world. Not sure what your case is.. but you can actually shift a car without having to press the clutch with your leg. There are many cars that you can have customized to shift off padals that are placed on the steering wheel. So all your shifting and driving will be made by your hands and your foot will do the gas flooring.

Sorry to hear about your accident but look at it this way.... it could be worse and there are many people out there that are in worse condition and wish they could be in yours.
Don't be down about it.... make this tradgady of yours a positive thing in your life. Show others that you can do anything you put your mind to. You are never going to go anywhere by feeling sorry for yourself. That is nothing but a waste of time. Go out and do the same things you have always done. It might be harder now... but don't stop your life becasue of this. You only live once.... enjoy it and live life to the fullest!!!!


ROYZGSX

[ROYZGSX]

That track is located in California Speedway. In Fontana California.


ROYZGSX



Originally posted by cooltoy2000
Well I did a search for Trimedia productions. Could not find anything. Which track is that?

[bagodoosh]

:D that was quick roy. :thumbup:

[john@rre]

I am the person this thread is about. I was diagnosed with Avascular Necrosis of the hip in July, after first noticing unusual hip pain in May, that progressively got worse a noticeable amount each day. This disease causes the femoral ball of the hip to disentegrate, and occurs in approx 15000 people each year between 20 and 40 years of age. At my age (36) I was blindsided by this insidious disease that has threatened how I earn a living and support the 2 young children I provide for. The last week of July, my doctor ordered me to stay off of my leg and use crutches full time. My biggest problem was I could not financially afford to stay home and lick my wounds, so I borrowed a wheelchair after finding my good leg suffering from being at the shop on crutches. I have worked in this wheelchair since and spent a lot of time researching the best surgical options possible. My choice was to have a procedure called hemi-resurfacing done to my left hip(clutch foot) where a cobalt chromium ball is pressed on the top of my femur after machining the bone to fit. 6.5 inch long incision, 24 staples held it together for 10 days, now I am learning to walk again, not the easiest situation to be in, but in my case it is the only game in town.

Roy was voted in to run the USCC, where the road course event is held at California Speedway's infield road circuit, a track I have raced and tested on this season. So, even though I could not walk under my own power, I was determined to drive in this event, to have a chance to leave a lasting impression in everyone's mind that saw, read, or heard about this event, which was held one week before my surgery date. It has been tough after racing and winning since 1985 to not know if I will ever be able to race again post surgery, I fight this mental battle every day, to have faith in anything, first you have to have faith in yourself.

Roy contracted with me to set-up and drive his car, it was a difficult negotiation, but my boss straightened Roy out and we cut a deal that in hindsight worked well for everyone involved. Until the Thursday before the event, Roy owned a drag car, with no hope of doing anything but being a hazard to the driver on the roadcourse. I used the same parts that I sell day in day out, my standard 2G GSX roadcourse set-up, and my helper and I assembled Royz roadcourse set-up in one day. The largest downside for me driving Royz car was he runs an ACT 2900 pound clutch, so everytime I stepped on it the amount of pain I had was indescribable. Our test time was one slow lap around the block to confirm the wheel alignment, then we went to the track. Our team made history that day, winning the roadcourse part of the event with a lap that was going to end with "checkers or wreckers"

My recovery is far from complete, the best thing for me is to watch the video of that lap when I find myself being overwhelmed by my life situation. You are not alone, but nobody can help how you feel about yourself and your situation but you.
I am fortunate that I worked with a parapeligic in the early 90s, teaching him to road race with hand controls, winning an SCCA divisional championship together, so I have seen someone firsthand with a tougher situation than me achieve great things and run a successful business from the seat of his wheelchair.

Dare to dream, set the example for everyone around you, live each day to the best of your ability, and get on the internet to find a quality doctor to help you. It is working for me, it can work for you.

Regards,

[ArchangelX]

Wow.

I don't know what to say, other than thank you. I never expected an actual response from you. Thank you very much for the time you spent telling your story, and letting us all know about your own struggle.

It is a very compelling story for me, and I can sympathize with you whole heartedly. My life itself was turned upside down by the surgery mishap, and it's left me with an uncertain future about my job, my well-being, and my future. I understand what you're going through, too well, I'm afraid. But you don't know how many times I've watched that video, and although you are obviously a professional, watching you get outta that car, and into a wheel chair was an inspiration to me in so many ways.

I immediately called my wife over, and showed her the video...and we both felt emotional about it, because it really had been a horrible feeling, wondering if I'll ever be able to drive again. It gave me alotta hope, even though I didn't know the exact circumstances of your situation.

I assume you're still in alotta pain, and I can only wish you the best, and hope that you recover, better than you were before. Your operation doesn't exactly sound like a walk in the park, but obviously a man with your conviction, and your determination will no doubt, be back on the road again doing what you love most. I hope your hospital stay was a good experience. (They can definetly be horrible reminders). It's good to see that you're up and around with only 10 days behind you so far. That's definetly great news. It took me three weeks to become coherent enough to understand what was going on, although I fear both of us do have quite a while to go.

I, too, have had to learn how to walk again. My achilles tendon has shortened by several inches, which limits my ability to walk in a straight line. I also have to carry my right foot whenever I walk, due to the foot drop caused by the loss of the muscles. It took a month and a half for me to finally be able to get in and out of the shower without help from my wife. And I still can't get down those dang stairs. :) Although I have absolutely no feeling in my leg, I still have a leg, and hopefully, once the wonds are healed completly, I'll be able to relearn how to drive.

I've placed your video on my desktop, as a reminder for me, so that everytime I sit down, I can run that video...and keep my faith and courage strong.

Thanks for your wisdom, your kind words, and hopefully, we'll both see each other on the road someday! :thumbup:

-Michael Kitchens

[ArchangelX]

Also, I just wanted to say a few things to Roy. Thanks for your compassion, and your encouragement. At first, I really couldn't see any light at the end of the tunnel. I really thought it was the end of the world...and somedays, it still can feel that way..because it's really hard to accept. But it's the people of this great community, my friends, and people like you that make me realize that it's not over, it's just something that I've got to deal with, get through, and get over.

I just wanted to say thanks for your entrance in the USCC, if it wasn't for your car, I wouldn't have seen the video. Plus, congratulations on building such a remarkable car, props to John, also. I hope you both continue to kick azz and take names! :thumbup:

Uh..also...thanks to the gentleman who filmed the video. :chuckles:

[PoweredbyRICE]

hey mikey its ok..u'll be on ur way to full recovery soon...so uhh doctor's boo boo, did you get to sue the crap outta him?

[CeliCar]

Originally posted by ArchangelX
And I still can't get down those dang stairs. :)

Have you tried going down them facing sideways? I had a leg injury a few years ago and that helped on some stairs.

[EuGeNiLe GTS]

yes RRE and DSMs own u!

[ArchangelX]

LOL...Eugene....settle down, settle down. Did I ever tell you how proud I am to see you blossom? :applaud:

Anyways, No..I haven't tried going down them from the side. It's like my left goes down fine, but with my right leg, it's like stuck in it's bent arc as it' goes down, but because my Achilles is shrunk, my leg just won't bend correctly, so it's like I "see-saw" forwards, if you can understand what I mean. It's basically because my ankle doesn't have enough range of motion, and also because I can't feel anything.

As far as suing goes, I'm in the military, he's a military doctor, so by military law, I can't sue him, or the military for malpractice.

Kinda stupid, huh? If it was a civiian docotor, I'd be rich, right now. :( Not that it would really help. I'd rather have my leg back.