marni
12-05-2009, 08:55 PM
last sunday a friend and I were out riding a new route. There was a light cross breeze, but the tems were in the 60's and it was sunny and dry. We had done 45 out of about 65 miles. The last thing I remember is feeling good as I rode up over a higway bridge over the Brazos River. The next thing I came to, noticed that my forehead was bleeding on my glove and hearing my friend tell someone "she was unconscious for over 5 minutes."
Various flashes of paramedics, ambulance, friend assuring me that she would stay with my bike until my husband came to pick up my bike and then she would meet him and me at the hospital, ambulance ride, ER room techs and doctor, novocaine to the forehead, ct scan, chest xray and husband showing up in a panic etc.
A week later after total bed rest, pain meds and muscle relaxants I am feeling much better. I got the 13 external stitches taken out of my forehead today and am held together with butterfly strips over an interesting dueling type scar giving my right eyebrow a quirk. The two black eyes are almost cleared up, the swelling on my right cheek bone is nearly gone and all of the road rash on the right arm, hip, waist, thigh and knee is all scabbed over and bruises are changing from black and purple to yellow.
Today we celebrated by taking the bike up to the repair shop to get it checked out and bought me a new helmet. I start back at the gym with the trainer on Monday. Not sure how much I will be able to do but I will give it a big girl try. Monday afternoon I will pick up my bike and Tuesday I will try a slow gentle local ride with friend to see how everything works.
I am thankful that this time I was riding with someone instead of on my own, since last time I ended up riding 16 miles with broken ribs, not realizing they were broken and collapsed a lung. I am thankful that my helmet did its job and I am thankful that my husband was home and able to find me and my bike and that the paramedics responded quickly and the Er people were so knowledgeable.
Lessons I have learned Never ever ride without your helmet( although this one is in force all the time with me anyway.) It's a good thing to carry a cell phone even if you are riding with someone else since Len ended up using mine when her battery ran out. Paramedics and ER folk don't get enough respect or gratitude so the next time you see one, thank them and or buy them coffee or beer. Donate to your local paramedic crews and stop to offer help to a fallen biker ( thank you to kind passerby who found all the bits and pieces of my riding glasses and tossed them into the ambulance as they were leaving.)
Here to ride again another day thanks to the aid and help of many, and a good giro helmet.
marni
Various flashes of paramedics, ambulance, friend assuring me that she would stay with my bike until my husband came to pick up my bike and then she would meet him and me at the hospital, ambulance ride, ER room techs and doctor, novocaine to the forehead, ct scan, chest xray and husband showing up in a panic etc.
A week later after total bed rest, pain meds and muscle relaxants I am feeling much better. I got the 13 external stitches taken out of my forehead today and am held together with butterfly strips over an interesting dueling type scar giving my right eyebrow a quirk. The two black eyes are almost cleared up, the swelling on my right cheek bone is nearly gone and all of the road rash on the right arm, hip, waist, thigh and knee is all scabbed over and bruises are changing from black and purple to yellow.
Today we celebrated by taking the bike up to the repair shop to get it checked out and bought me a new helmet. I start back at the gym with the trainer on Monday. Not sure how much I will be able to do but I will give it a big girl try. Monday afternoon I will pick up my bike and Tuesday I will try a slow gentle local ride with friend to see how everything works.
I am thankful that this time I was riding with someone instead of on my own, since last time I ended up riding 16 miles with broken ribs, not realizing they were broken and collapsed a lung. I am thankful that my helmet did its job and I am thankful that my husband was home and able to find me and my bike and that the paramedics responded quickly and the Er people were so knowledgeable.
Lessons I have learned Never ever ride without your helmet( although this one is in force all the time with me anyway.) It's a good thing to carry a cell phone even if you are riding with someone else since Len ended up using mine when her battery ran out. Paramedics and ER folk don't get enough respect or gratitude so the next time you see one, thank them and or buy them coffee or beer. Donate to your local paramedic crews and stop to offer help to a fallen biker ( thank you to kind passerby who found all the bits and pieces of my riding glasses and tossed them into the ambulance as they were leaving.)
Here to ride again another day thanks to the aid and help of many, and a good giro helmet.
marni