MARTIN SMOLINSKI REVEALED HE NEEDED ALL HIS MENTAL STEEL TO GET THROUGH A TRAUMATIC FIRST NIGHT IN HOSPITAL AS HE RECOVERS FROM HIP SURGERY.
FIM Speedway Grand Prix star Martin Smolinski has revealed he needed all his mental steel to get through a traumatic first night in hospital as he recovers from hip surgery.
The German ace went under the knife in Leipzig after crashing at the city’s race track in a practice session on May 22.
Smolinski sustained a broken and dislocated right hip, as well as nerve damage. He also contracted an MRSA infection.
After a rough few days, the former New Zealand SGP winner is starting to find the pain bearable and is set to head home on Tuesday, although it remains unclear when he will be able to get back on a bike.
A post on the rider’s Facebook page confirmed the damage was not easy to fix with the femoral head dislocated and strongly wedged.
With doctors unable to dislodge it on the day of the crash, Smolinski faced an uncomfortable night while he awaited an operation the next morning.
He said: "I counted the hours and minutes in the night until surgery. My focus and my personal victory was to keep the pain in check and to stay calm until surgery so that I didn't get too tense.”
Smolinski underwent a four-hour operation which saw surgeons work to free the wedged hip without causing further nerve damage, before repairing the femoral head fracture, also known as a Pipkin fracture.
Two screws were inserted into the femoral head, which sits inside the hip socket, while the socket itself was fitted with one large and two small plates, plus four screws.
After an agonising few days, Smolinski began to get the pain under control on Thursday. Issues remain with the peroneal nerve, which controls the movement of the lower leg, foot and toes. He confirmed this could take up to a year to recover fully.
While the 35-year-old is unsure when he will be able to resume racing, he paid tribute to those who looked after him in Leipzig as he looks forward to heading home to Olching in Bavaria.
He added: "I am overwhelmed by the support and help from everyone. I can't name them all, but a big thank you to every single one at the University Hospital Leipzig. Nurses, chefs, doctors, physios and many more do a great job, and I feel very well kept and taken care of here.”