June rides, summer begins

I hate to add gloom to anyone's day - we all have enough in the way of negative news, these days - but I need to report that I had a major bike accident., yesterday, that will cancel all my bike riding for at least the next six to eight weeks or most of the summer.

I was riding the Log Lady, late yesterday, and lined up to climb over a large three foot high bolder that I had climbed over 100s of times. I remember getting the right line and the right speed and I remember climbing it. That's the last thing I remember until I found myself on the other side, me laying on my side, looking up in the air. Just laying there and gasping in pain. I did the proper inventory of the body parts before getting up. All seemed in tact. When I got up, though, my neck and adjacent shoulder area were screaming with pain. Fortunately, this took place on a section of trail only 30 yards from the house. Wheeled the bike inside the house and my husband and I were both shocked to learn that the left side on my face was torn and battered with two huge goose eggs growing fast. Tried to rest a bit, but the pain in my neck made it impossible. Off to the hospital emergency room we went.

After a long and very painful night in the trauma surgery unit at our local hospital, I was diagnosed as having a broken ring around my top cervical vertebra. In other words, I broke my neck. No paralysis, fortunately. but the potential is there if I have another accident will the mends. The specialist decided that surgery was not an option, so that means I would be wearing a neck brace for the next six to eight weeks with severe restrictions on physical activity. Absolutely NO bicycle riding of ay kind. The only thing I'll be doing, this summer, is walking. That is allowed.

I have only myself to blame and don't deserve any sympathy. I knew the risks of this kind of riding. Just that I rolled the dice and lost on this one. I feel a bit vindicated, though. The reason I built trails on our property was for just such a scenario. Had the crash occurred back, miles from any road, in some of the places I used to mountain bike, I might still be there.

When I do hop back in the saddle, there will be changes. No trick stuff or stunt stuff like rolling over big boulders. No kamikaze rides down long hills at "breakneck" speed. There will be more road biking and more conservative trail riding. And I will still post, here, to keep in touch with all my friends, here, when the pain allows.

Good grief :eek::eek:……Hoping the healing process is quicker than you anticipate (remember you ARE Wonder Woman!!!) ….and that you find satisfying things to replace your wanting to be back on your trails in the meantime.
On my late ride home tonight from the office I lit some incense at the Buddhist temple here (covering that base for you :)) …with wishes for strength and seeing such obstacles as vehicles for learning about and strengthening the body, heart and mind...
…….you know…i know somehow we are related
((HUG))

Thank you so much, both. Love that you thought enough of me to light the incense, rebecca. I do feel we're all related, here. Can't tell you both how much your words mean to me, right now. I don't know which is worse, the pain or the depression. My whole lifestyle in the dumpster in a fraction of a second. I'm still in a state of shock. Not sure how I will deal with this, but I will find a way. I keep thinking of Emily and how she managed her accident and that's a real inspiration, right now.

My bicycling will never be the same, though, and that's a good thing. I have such a hard head, this is probably what I needed to make the necessary changes. I have a long time to think about it, for sure.

Just got to looking at the new helmet I bought last week because I was concerned my old 15 year old helmet wouldn't protect me. This explains why the left side of my face took such a beating, but the helmet is actually cracked, not just gouged. It even cracked the foam lining, inside. It saved my life. If the impact was enough to crack some bones in my neck, I shudder to think what would have happened without the helmet. Now it's got me crying, again. I am so very, very fortunate.
https://s8.postimg.cc/gd28un96d/P1100053.jpg

Holy cow! I'm glad you weren't hurt worse, NWG.

Hang in there, and just take it one day at a time. First allow yourself to process the shock of what happened and get through the initial pain. I'm sure it will be beautiful to take walks around your property as you start feeling better. Treat yourself to some nice new walking shoes.

I was sidelined for a couple of months last year, and was able to find other activities to keep me occupied. One was work related, learning new programming languages, but another was learning to crochet. Maybe there is something new and interesting that you can explore while you recover.

And of course we're here for you to vent as needed. But for now just try to rest and start to heal.

Thank you, NY. I did just that, this morning: went for a walk m the trails. I revisited the spot where I had the fall, trying to piece together what happened for peace of mind. Try as I might, however, I can't remember anything about the impact. Maybe that's a good thing. Went on my way and walked a full mile, but that was all I had in me, today. I will walk every day, now that I have that option. Star senses that I am hurt, so she stayed very close on our walk and was careful not to jump on me, the way she often does.

Not sure how I will handle this down time, but you're so right about filling my time and staying busy. Have always wanted to learn to crochet or knit, anyway. I think the first thing I crochet is a helmet. :) (Just one to hang on the wall, of course.)

No, no concussion. While in the hospital for about 20 hours with the trauma team, they checked every single hour for signs, did X rays and C scans, the works. That's how they caught the cracked collar on the vertebrae. I think they were surprised that the damage was all confined to my neck and face. Every check included an exam of my spine and vision, too. What is equally amazing is that I didn't break a nose or damage an eye, especially given that I have a cut at the bridge of my nose where the bridge on my glasses bit me and cuts just below the left eye and another near its edge. That eye was swollen partially shut, but is opening back up, now, as the swelling goes down. One inch, one way or the other, might have been a disaster. Really have to give credit to that new helmet. It fit, properly, good and secure. My old helmet was always sliding around on my head.

As soon as my husband saw what had happened to the new helmet and how it really didi its job, he drove to the bike shop and got one for himself to replace his poorly fitting cheapie. He's no biker, so he never understood how important a good helmet can be or why anyone would spend that much money for one (a Giant for only $90, nothing fancy), but he does now. By the way, these new helmets are set up to take a blinkie light in the back, so if you put on your helmet, you have a light. Great idea. Soon as I can bike, again, I'll get another helmet for the one I destroyed. Had my husband donate the wrecked helmet to the bike shop to use as a demo when someone balks at buying a helmet. Who knows, it might save someone else's life.

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Originally Posted by north woods gal

Thank you so much, both. Love that you thought enough of me to light the incense, rebecca. I do feel we're all related, here. Can't tell you both how much your words mean to me, right now. I don't know which is worse, the pain or the depression. My whole lifestyle in the dumpster in a fraction of a second. I'm still in a state of shock. Not sure how I will deal with this, but I will find a way. I keep thinking of Emily and how she managed her accident and that's a real inspiration, right now.

My bicycling will never be the same, though, and that's a good thing. I have such a hard head, this is probably what I needed to make the necessary changes. I have a long time to think about it, for sure.

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NWG, I know you said you don't want sympathy, but how about empathy? I am shaking my head in disbelief right now, and my heart goes out to you! What terrible luck, and right after you just got your lovely Log Lady!

I know so well how it feels to have your entire cycling life ripped out from under you in the blink of an eye, and it sucks! I appreciate your kind words about how I have dealt with my crash last year (and I had an equally serious one in 2005, when I broke my pelvis in three places and was non weight-bearing on that side for 8 weeks; was off the bike for several months that time and still have pain to this day).

However, what makes your situation worse than either of mine in many ways is that you normally ride every. single. day. I have other significant interests and hobbies that are able to flow to the forefront when I have to take an enforced hiatus from the bike. I love cycling, and it is a very important part of my life, but not to quite the extent that it seems to be for you, so this will be all the more difficult for you. That sucks! :(

Since you don't remember the accident, I am assuming that means that you lost consciousness briefly. I was asked that many times after my crash by various doctors, but I don't think I did. If so, it was no more than for the blink of an eye. I guess the doctors' concerns there were for a possible concussion, and I hope that you didn't suffer one on top of your other injuries. ETA: In my hurry to respond, I missed your post right above stating that you didn't have a concussion. Thank goodness! That's a positive.

I will miss your frequent and interesting ride reports but do hope you'll keep posting as you recover. Just as I have changed some things about the way I cycle, you will obviously do so, as you intend. It kinda sucks, but sometimes you do have to make those adjustments. I just hope that when you do heal, you will have a minimum of lasting pain and impact. Both of my crashes have had long-term impacts that I expect to continue for many years to one extent or another, so my wishes for you are probably not realistic, but you are a warrior, so I know you will carry on the best you can! If you're not familiar with Pamela Blalock, you should check out her blog. She has been through a lot of serious bike injuries (as well as breast cancer) and manages to forge onward. She's one of my heroes, and my husband actually knew her from work years ago, when she lived in NC.

Here's her most recent post regarding her injuries:
https://blayleys.blogspot.com/2018/0...e-so-stop.html

I will be keeping you in my thoughts. I am still shaking my head in shock and disbelief! :(

Emily

Thank you so much, Emily. I'm thinking my mind just doesn't want to relive the collision. I'm good with that, because it was horrific enough. Went back to the accident scene and I think I found a big sharp-edged boulder that did me in. Still makes me sob out of gratitude when I think of how lucky I was. I'm in a pretty emotional state, right now.

I'll be fine, though. I'm too much of a doer to sit and mope for long. In fact, I walked a mile and half of my trails, yesterday, mostly to see where I was as far as my physical ability. Used a good walking stick I had as a precaution against taking a fall. Would walk, again, today, but we're in the midst of a heavy rain. Don't want to walk muddy trails and risk a fall. It's all part of a new mindset I have to develop, now. I'll just walk up and down the driveway or something.

This layoff also gives me time to do some upgrades on the bikes that I've been putting off. It also gives me time to do some serious thinking about changes I need to make in my bicycling - and there will be some major ones. That's a good thing, too. I'll turn this disaster into a learning experience.

Thank you for the link to the blog. Although I hate to think anyone would have to go through such an injury, it is good to know that others like you have and have continued with your bicycling.

I'll stick around, here. I'll let you guys do the riding for me. Reading the monthly rides thread will be great therapy. Get out and ride, everybody. :)

Glad I decided to check in while on vacation. You have my empathy, NWG. Everyone is so right, about developing other interests. I have never had a serious crash (just minor ones), but I have had illness where I had to change my attitude about riding. I spent a whole summer riding to farm stands and doing easy rides. In fact, I have changed a lot of my attitude toward riding; it can’t always be about longer and faster. Try some meditation; you can use the CALM app for free, if you don’t already.
Emily, you know Pamela Blalock? She is from my area, though she lives in western MA now. She rides with many people I know, including my friend Jack, whom I often mention. Small world!
Chicago is awesome. We did a bike tour just after arriving. I dislike riding city type bikes with those high bars; don’t mind flat bars, but these, plus flat pedals were enough for me to feel scared to death in the beginning, when we were in real city traffic. DH and I were elected to be sweeps, as experienced riders, so I kept it to myself. But, we saw stuff we would have never seen.

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Originally Posted by Crankin

Emily, you know Pamela Blalock? She is from my area, though she lives in western MA now. She rides with many people I know, including my friend Jack, whom I often mention. Small world!

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I don't believe I ever met her. My husband knew her from work at Northern Telecom in RTP (NC) before I started working there. It's possible that some of our time there overlapped, in the '80s, but we were in different departments, and I don't know when she left -- I worked there for many years. She doesn't look familiar to me, but her name certainly was, as she was legendary for her cycling skills, even when back here in NC!

Glad you are having a lovely time in Chicago!

Thanks, Crankin. Not that first crash I've had and (shudder) probably not the last, but this one was the closest call, by far. One thing for sure, I have a lot of time on my hand to think about what I'll do this summer.

Yeah, Chicago is an interesting place. While it is definitely not my kind of place, I regard my seven years there as well-spent. Loved the diversity of cultures and all the things to do. Lots of great bicycling if you know where to go and a strong bike community, too. For sure, you WILL learn now to deal with aggressive drivers. :)

Interesting weather - again - for us. We're getting pounded with heavy rain and thunderstorms and back into the 90s for temps. Have flash flood warnings out for the entire weekend. Did my daily one mile walk, yesterday (I've set one mile as my goal, for now) on my bike trails. More flooded sections than I've ever seen and it's going to get worse. Should have worn waders. Caught myself trying to decide what fat bike to use on them. Of course, I'm still thinking of the trails in terms of my bicycling. :) Probably be safer, for the time being, to get out and do my walking on the pavement (if it ever stops raining).

My husband and I go out for breakfast at our favorite family restaurant every Sunday morning. Debating whether I should do that, tomorrow. My face still looks awful - not so swollen, now, but mostly black and blue and scabby. I look awful. Keep thinking it would be kind of rude for me to go out in public, right now. Don't want to spoil anyone's meal. It's Father's Day, though, so I don't want him to miss it. Did I mention how important it is to have a partner in your life when you go though something like this? I am so blessed.

Thanks, Sheila. All things considered, pretty good. The source of pain has been the severe neck strain and that's gradually diminishing each day as the muscles ease up. They put me on heavy pain meds, but I really hate those things, so I keep use to a minimum. The neck brace is a matter of learning how to deal with all those little things, now that I can't bend or twist my neck or reach for anything above my head. My spirits are good, though. Still kind of overwhelmed with gratitude it wasn't worse. That will never change. As for trying to figure out what I will do with my summer, well, that's just another challenge and I eat those for breakfast. :) I'm fine.

You have a great attitude, NWG. I wouldn’t be taking the pain meds, either.
We are on our last leg of our trip, sitting in our hotel lobby, waiting for an early dinner and then to the airport. This morning, we ate breakfast at a great healthy food place by the hotel, as the hotel breakfast, though free, really was horrible. Then we checked out and stored our luggage and went off to meet a friend from my childhood. I saw her 5 years ago to the day, at a reunion for the first time in 40 years. I was friends with her, really in elementary school, not even right before I moved in gr 10. We had a great visit, at a lovely hotel outdoor patio.
We were going to go to the contemporary art museum because of the heat, but it was really breezy and didn’t feel that bad, so we walked to an outdoor art festival. Of course, it got hotter and some of the walk was not shady, and we have sandals on. A mistake, but ice cream for lunch helped. Then we walked to Navy Pier and back to the hotel.
Have an hour to go until dinner. We probably won’t get home until 1:30 am, but we can sleep tomorrow.
We walked 20 miles and rode 7 in 3 days.

So glad you are still able to take walks, NWG! When I fractured my jaw, I couldn't even take walks for awhile, as it caused the jaw to move about (painful). Once I got it wired shut, I could take short walks, and that was a blessing. I know what you mean about imagining riding on various trails/roads, though; something I always do. I enjoy hiking, but it isn't quite the same as riding, is it?

I also empathize with your not being sure about going out in public. I looked pretty horrific for awhile with my swollen face and then terrible bruising, so I pretty much hid inside our RV for awhile until I looked more human. When my face started looking a little better, I wrapped a scarf around my horribly bruised neck and just went for it. I am sure some people noticed, but ultimately, you have to live your life.

This was me, with most of the worst swelling down (still some remaining), but with horrible bruising that caused lots of nasty colors in my neck a couple of weeks after my crash. Pretty scary, but if I dressed appropriately, it didn't show too terribly much. I also switched to much smaller band-aids for my cuts when we went out in public. I had a stitch under my nose and one on my chin.

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I really do feel for you! This is not a fun time, but keep remembering "this too shall pass". It takes awhile, but things will get better. (Me now, for a comparison):

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