crashed!

[bouncybouncy]

oooooooo....Allez, Glad you are *somewhat* OK!!!! Road rash healing vibes being sent your way....
Take Care

[gilly]

ooooer AllezGirl!

While I was reading your story, my husband asked if I was okay - when I looked at him puzzled, he said "you're frowning and sucking through your teeth" I guess I was feeling your pain

I don't do fast descents, I hate downhill, now I remember why

Take good care of yourself

[ChainsOflove]

Hope you heal quickly, you are very brave.

[AllezGirl]

I picked up my bike last night and she is working fine! There's not a scratch on the frame, but the heads of my Ultegra shifters are pretty mangled, the point on the right one is sheared clean off! But, it's really starting to sink in how lucky I really am...two days later I'm really not that sore, unless I bump into something. According to my computer, I was going 33 mph when I went down. Not my top speed, but pretty close. I think I will give up on the idea of trying to "beat" it for now, or at least only speed down hills that I know REALLY well! I picked up a new helmet last night, so I'm ready to get back in the saddle...I may be going to the "She's Got Bike" expo in Maryland. Is anyone else going to that?

On a lighter note...my knuckles on both hands are scraped up and one is swollen...today, at the grocery store, the cashier said "I'd sure hate to see the other guy" I guess he thought I was in a bar fight or something!

[Blueberry]

On a lighter note...my knuckles on both hands are scraped up and one is swollen...today, at the grocery store, the cashier said "I'd sure hate to see the other guy" I guess he thought I was in a bar fight or something!

AllezGirl-

Glad you're recovering! I got a laugh out of the above - when I had my wisdom teeth taken out, my face turned black and blue. A clerk in Wal Mart took me aside and told me that I really should get help and leave the b$%@#$*&. A nice gesture (and I certainly don't mean to trivialize the experiences of the real survivors out there), but I got a great laugh out of it!

[bikerz]

Wow - I'm glad you're OK - how scary!

[DirtDiva]

May your skin grow back quickly.

[AllezGirl]

latelatebloomer: Thank you so much for mentioning the purchase protection! American Express does have it and they are going to reimburse me for the full $ I paid for the knickers!!!! The customer service rep was SOOO nice...she even wished me well. From now on I'll make all of my biking related purchases thru AmEx!!!!

[caligurl]

OMIGOSH! how awful! but i'm glad to hear you are on the mend and that the bike is doing good too!!!!

take care of that road rash!

[fixedgeargirl]

AG: So glad to hear you're okay. And the bike ! And you get to replace the knickers !! This is a scary event, lesson learned Dang-am-I-lucky type of thing. It sounded very like the slide I took just a few blocks from my house this past winter - chilling.

Some other options for post-crash healing:

*Rescue Remedy. Most effective immediately post-trauma to help calm nerves and get rid of the shakes.

*Arnica montana, topically and/or orally. Topical preparations (on unbroken skin only) help the body process the waste products associated with bruising/hematoma. Orally, I know homepathic arnica is available. When I lived in the mountains I made my own Arnica tincture and used it sparingly to deal with the bruising, achy feeling associated with crashing a mountain bike. Not that I had to use it that often .

[latelatebloomer]

We use arnica rub & homeopathic drops. It's a great help. Gotta get some Resuce remedy, thanks for the reminder!

[pkq]

Now that sounds nasty. Glad you are OK. Tegaderm bandages work wonders. They are expensive but well worth the price. Put them on and leave them for a couple of weeks and you've got fresh new skin without the scabbing, itching, oozing, etc.

People around here call me the fearless descender but I do have fear on descents I am unfamiliar with. I won't bomb down unfamiliar hills unless I can see far, far ahead. I use road signs, too, to gauge what needs to be done.

Take care of yourself!

[Bike Goddess]

Found some antibacterial handiwipes at the drugstore the other day to carry with me just in case. Learned about them as a neighbor had bad road rash after a fall and a passing motorist gave us some to clean him up right there on the spot! Made a difference in his healing.

Glad to hear you are back on the bike. Yes, as PKQ says, watch yourself descending hills. I too take caution when I'm not familiar with the corners, etc.

[Madizell]

Oi! Airlift and 6 month recovery -- that's scary. I crashed last week on the way to work because I had my head down (duh!) speeding up a hill and I ran into a "Road Work Ahead" sign sitting in the bike lane. Man -- did I feel stupid. Still got the sticky rash on my left knee. (It was particularly attractive peeking out from under the skirt of my suit at work that day) Sure hope I learned my lesson.

[RoadRaven]

We use arnica rub & homeopathic drops. It's a great help. Gotta get some Resuce remedy, thanks for the reminder!

For those of you new to using arnica...

Remember when using arnica creams, oils and rubs, that arnica should never be applied to open wounds/scratches/grazes etc.

You can get pillules to eat or drops to add to water for bruising too, particulalrly good when you cannot apply it toically.