Will it ruin the experience if you're in pain and limping?

[xerg]

Hey all. Two weeks ago I was hit by a motorcycle while riding my bike. Luckily I wasn't killed and I don't even have broken bones. However, I do have an incredibly severe bruise on my thigh that is still very painful and makes it quite hard for me to walk even moderate distances. The doc said it would take a few months to heal. It has gotten a lot better in two weeks and we still have two weeks left to BM. That said, this will be my first time. Will I have a bad experience?

I CAN get a wheelchair to bring with (I have to use them in some situations due to the pain) but I am also going alone. Do you think strangers will push me around? Would it even work on the playa or would it just sink into the dust? If not, I can limp around for about an hour before it's too painful and I have to rest.

If you were in this situation, would you go? What other advice is there for me? Thanks!

[VultureChow]

People like to help out there. It's almost pathological. Bring crutches or the chair and people will push you, or give you ample rides on art cars.

You might want to look into joining with a camp though. It's nice to have at least a little built-in support.

Either way, introduce yourself to your neighbors, explain what happened and what kind of help you may need and I think you'll still have a great time.

[BBadger]

It may or may not ruin the experience. Burning Man is about what you make of it. It definitely will be a pain to get around though, especially if you're not used to accommodating your new injuries. It's really going to be up to you whether you're the type of person who can deal with this kind of stuff in this kind of environment. There's a lot to see, and great distances between.

Don't count on being pushed around. People may do it for a little bit because of sympathy, or maybe the novelty of it, but people have other distractions to attend to (especially if they don't know you), and you'll generally want to be self-reliant in whatever way you can. Don't count on getting rides either, unless you've brought them yourself. Most mutant vehicles do not have facilities for helping injured or disabled people to get on them, and there are no services you can count on to obtain a ride.

I'm also going to say this: you might be left behind too. Even people not having bikes often leads to groups fragmenting and "meeting-up-somewhere-but-not-really." Transportation is an issue because the playa is huge and people want to see as much as they can. Don't take it personally if you're left behind. It's just how it works. So if you're able to deal with that, great. If not, maybe you'll have a better time when you're more mobile.

That said, maybe you'll have great adventures too. I've had some really cool and unique experiences (and opportunities) when I've missed out going out with camp groups. A lot of things can happen, and BRC is not all about the art and places you may visit. It's a huge place, and you have a whole week to "walk it off" so to speak and enjoy the burn as best you can. Maybe it's worth going just to push yourself past your limitations. You can come back and have a different experience next time.

[ygmir]

the year I made my art car ADA accessible, I took a few folks around for tours.
There are also more than one "mobility" camps, that can help, and even have golf carts and such
Fish will know more, if she pokes in here.
I say "go" and see what happens.

[Meat Hunter]

If you can make it to the Black Rock Travel Agency airport, I will be happy to give you several rides around BRC and the deep playa on my tricycle.

Just ask for Meat Hunter or the dome tent with yellow and blue flags and the trike with the blue and yellow canopy.

I am an old man and have no interest other than gifting a ride.

[Drawingablank]

Every second on the playa is a magical time.

Last year I was on the playa for 5 days before I even left my camp (aside from runs to the portos).

To me it is more about socializing with great people than about seeing huge art.

Not that I don't appreciate getting out and seeing stuff - just that I don't require that to enjoy my burn.

Your mileage may vary.

[Eric]

Last year I cracked my rib the second day I was out there - it was hard to move around, and my Burn was probably the most limited I've had. I could bike, but paid for it in pain, so I just went to camps where I could stay for a long while once I got there. Never made it to the Man, or the Temple, or to most of the artwork on the inner playa - still had an absolutely fantastic Burn. Like people have said - you make the Burn you want, and since it's your first one you won't "miss" anything - everything you experience will be new. (even in perfect health there's no way to do everything at the Burn, it's huge and non-stop 24/7)

[ariwithpurplehair]

I have a pain condition that can be debilitating ,and I was fine on the playa last year. I had some minor problems, and I couldn't see everything I wanted to, but I don't regret going for a second.

I didn't bring a wheelchair, but if you want to you absolutely should. However, I wouldn't rely on people to push you around. People totally might, but if you're assuming that's how you're going to get around it isn't a good idea. I'm fairly sure there are other threads on good wheelchair choices. You also might be able to hop on an art car, but maybe not.

I wouldn't not go if I was in your situation, but be sure to be 1) able to take care of yourself and 2) know your resources if you need help. The conditions out there are different than everyday life, and it can be hard if you realize you're stuck in a situation where you need help. Note ESD locations.

I'd definitely take the advice on getting left behind to heart. It isn't personal, but it can happen. However, there will probably be tons of stuff on the playa in close distance, and no one can do everything anyhow. There's always some sort of experience in your own backyard.

[LowePro]

Sorry to hear of your accident, glad you're mostly OK.

Have you tried biking yet? Depending on the injury, biking may be easier than walking. ? Also think about the logistics of setting up your tent and gear--is it do-able in your condition? I was on week 6 of a broken finger last year, almost healed but not quite enough for heavy lifting so I had to get help with some chores from camp mates or neighbors. Still had a fine time, but the heat can aggravate injuries, so I'd suggest bringing a good ice pack and backup pain meds in case you get flare ups. In the meantime, take care and use ice or Arnica gel or whatever your doc is recommending and maybe you'll feel much better in 2 weeks. Also have a backup plan so if you are miserable, you can escape and get home when you need to. Porta potties and the ice stations can be several blocks away. Is is a physically and mentally demanding environment, so think about how you would deal with yourself in that situation, and good luck.

[AntiM]

I have been to the playa is absolute shit shape, I have pain in my feet quite often, I cannot bike (new trike this year though). For me, even a bad day at Black Rock is better than anywhere else. Good experience in camp, whether your camp or another, are still good experiences. It will hype you up for next year.

You can always just leave if it sucks too much.

[theCryptofishist]

Be aware...most people do NOT know how to push a wheelchair! They will cheerfully push you over the bumpiest part of the road until you fall out. Seriously, there's a little exageration in the last sentance, but good communication is key. I'd suggest trying a wheelchair off playa, to see if it's workable at all for you.
Get a hot pad and give yourself twenty minutes of heat at least a couple of times a day, starting today. That increases blood flow, which increases healing. Do you use pain killers? Figure out which ones work for you and keep a maitenance dose going all the time. (Careful with that. Tylenol can tox up your liver, but I, for example, cannot use asperin without getting overdose side-effects.)
What AntiM and Bbadger say is true. If you like the burn, you'll prefer the burn slowed down to no burn. Think about attracting passers-by with some sort of interaction. Have some nice shade and a sign out front "free Wombat kisses", for instance. You're going to have to fine-tune our advice, but the basics are solid.

[rmc50]

It will certainly change the experience. There are too many unpredictable variables to tell if the experience will be ruined for you or not. How you deal with such things is the main variable.

Last year was my first burn. While I was there I noticed a few people in wheel chairs. I had the impression that they were NOT in wheel chairs when they arrived, however. One was a young lady who seemed to have a fair size group that was pushing her around. Her leg was in a cast but she still seemed to be enjoying herself.

There will be a lot of people who would be willing to help push you around, but perhaps just a little ways. Most people get around on bikes and they probably wouldn't want to park their bike so they could help you. Many of the art projects are in the "deep playa" and they would be out of range for getting pushed in a wheel chair. You might get someone to push you out to the Man, but all the way to the Temple might be too much to expect.

The condition of the roads and playa is also a variable. Last year, the roads started off fairly hard packed and easy to roll across. As the week progressed many of the roads had turned soft, making it difficult to pedal a bike through. I would hate to push a wheel chair through that. It might be okay if you could walk across the worst of the soft spots.

I don't know what your budget is like, but there were a number of people who had rented a Segway scooter and were using them to get around the Playa. If you can stand they might be a good option, but if I recall a week rental was around $1000.

You might want to investigate other forms of electric scooters. Again, if you could walk it through the soft stuff and then just stand going over the hard packed stuff you might be in good shape.

If nothing else, I would recommend contacting one of the theme camps that was close to the Esplanada, preferably in the 4:00 to 8:00 o-clock range and see if you can join them. That would at least minimize the distance you had to walk to get to the areas of interest.

There are also Art Car tours setup specifically to aid those with mobility issues. Check out this page:
http://blog.burningman.com/2014/08/part ... art-tours/

You can get on one of these tours and see many of the art installations on the deep playa.

Good Luck!

Rod