coming to confession, or just call me crash

[bmccasland]

It's been an eventful few weeks.....
As some of you know from the "old dog" thread, my 15-yr old dog, Nala, has crossed the rainbow bridge. So on the day I was riding my townie (a Breezer) over to the vet to pick up her ashes, I was hit by a car. Technically the accident was my fault, in the eyes of the law (if I had actually waited around for them to show up, but confirmed in talking to a friend who's a retired cop). The vet's office is just beyond my neighborhood, on the opposite corner of a major intersection. One of the major streets has a big drainage canal running down the center of it, so crossing to the other side is limited. Thus, I work my way through neighborhood streets to get almost to the intersection, then ride to the interesction on the sidewalk, going against traffic - or to be legal I could get off and walk. At the interesection there was a car stopped, but waiting to make a right turn, I proceed through the intersection, she starts, and hits me. It was at a slow enough speed that it was more like I was shoved over. Driver stopped, other people stop. I scoot to the sidewalk myself thinking two things - "how's my bike? and I'm starting vacation on sunday!" My left knee is swollen and unhappy, but otherwise I seem to be OK. A good Samaritan, helps me up, gets my bike, which seems to escape without a scratch, agrees to take me to the vet, then takes me home.

About an hour later my knee really really hurts, so I call a friend to take me to the ER. X-rays show no fracture, but Doc puts me in a brace and on crutches until I'm seen by an Orthopod. And I have minor road rash on my elbows.

Head off on vacation anyway on Sunday - an annual big camping event, with my knee in a brace. The event an hour and a half from here, and a friend has volunteered to drive me back to town for the Orthopod appointment.

Come in on Wednesday and see Orthopod - he gets one more x-ray of my knee, and does exam. No fracture, but "impressive bruising". My leg is bruised from my mid-thigh down to my ankle. He says I don't have to wear the brace, and crutches are optional, to take it easy, and to listen to my body, and come back in two weeks.

So that was a week and a half ago - I see him again this coming wednesday. My knee is still swollen, with a sore bruise on the side, doesn't want to bend very much, and I still have some bruises on my lower leg. I'm not sure what's normal in the healing process, for someone in my age group, and what's abnormal. I realize that I do take longer to heal that I did when I was 20, but I've never been this banged up before.

[OakLeaf]

((((((Beth)))))))

Heal up quick - emotionally and physically.

[Blueberry]

Did he do an MRI? That's really the only way to tell if there's damage to other than the bones in the knee (torn meniscus, etc).

Can't help you on healing times - I'm still dealing with the aftermath of a fall (onto concrete - non-bike related) from almost a year ago.

((Beth)) I'm so sorry - getting hit just sucks, but the timing really sucks

[Catrin]

The timing certainly wasn't good (not that there IS a good timing for such things). An MRI would certainly give a more complete picture of things.

Heal up quickly, sending warm thoughts and prayers your direction!

[bmccasland]

Today I get a phone call - telephone survey - about bicycling, traffic safety, knowledge of laws, and sharing the road.

Yeah, riding the one block on the sidewalk was technically wrong, and crossing in crosswalk, against traffic on my bike was wrong #2. But where do you meet being technically right - bicycles have a right to the road, and feeling safe being there? I could get closer to where I wanted to be by riding on neighborhood streets, but then I'm on the wrong side of the canal. According to my cop friend, to be legal, I was to dismount and walk my bike the rest of the way. I plain do not feel safe riding my bike on most of the streets around here. Of course, right now, I'm not riding anywhere. As it is, I'm not even walking very well.

MRI - Dr. K mentioned it when I was in last, but he hasn't ordered one as of yet. We'll see what he does when I see him on wednesday. I wonder if his focus on tests has changed as he recently came back from Haiti? Or if he's just being conservative?

[Tri Girl]

Holy moly!! I'm glad you didn't get more seriously hurt. And right or wrong- it's not like you were riding against traffic in the road. I probably would have done the same thing as you. I live in a not-so-bicycle friendly place, and I won't ride to a few places because of the same situation you describe. Some intersections are so catty wampuss that it's nearly impossible to navigate safely. You did what you had to do- I'm just sorry you got clocked while doing it.

Heal up soon!!!

[lph]

Poor Beth! Don't beat yourself up about making an unwise shortcut, you're hardly the first one to do that, it's human. You take pictures of the bruising? We can compare

Hugs to you and Nalas memory, may the rest of the year be kind to you.

[redrhodie]

(((Beth))) Hope you get better soon. I'm also so sorry about Nala. I couldn't even read the other thread. What a bad week.

[MartianDestiny]

Sheesh! What a good run of bad luck!

You're injured enough, so don't beat yourself up too much over the sidewalk crossing. It may be illegal where you are, and maybe it wasn't the safest possible thing, but it's hardly an unforgivable sin. In my area it's perfectly legal to ride your bike across a crosswalk so long as you enter that crosswalk at a walking pace. That women may have hit you even if you had dismounted to cross; we'll never know.

Hope you heal up quickly.

[lunacycles]

damn. talk about adding insult to injury...so sorry about your beloved canine...so beautiful you were on your bike to pick up her ashes. So, seems perfectly right to say Do Not feel guilt about riding "wrongfully." Whatever that means in real world commuting... Here in Santa Fe, riding safely often means riding wrongfully, and I always cross myself (not even ever having been catholic) when I survive the somewhat wrongful bizarre path I often take to get to work safely.
Good luck healing to you. Yes, getting older sucks this way! Healing seems to take so much longer!

[Selkie]

Beth, you've certainly had a rough time of it lately. I hope you are feeling better -- physically and emotionally. On the plus side, the injury could have been so much worse...

I was t-boned by a rottweiler on my 2nd day of vacation in September - my bike and I ended up on the side of the trail, in the grass, thank goodness. Spectacular bruising all over my legs/hips. It took a couple weeks before the pain subsided. Arnica gel applied topically and those tiny arnica pills really helped.

I'm glad that Nala is back with you, at home. She's your guardian angel dog.

[Bike Chick]

Holy cow, Beth! What a scary, awful thing and what a tragedy that it happened when you were on your way to the vet to get Nala's ashes.

It may not have made a difference if you had been riding legal. We had two very tragic bike/car collisions in our area in the past week and the cyclists were riding legal. Between the crazy drivers and irresponsible dog owners, I am constantly on guard when I ride around our area anymore. It's very rural and folks aren't very bike friendly. DH and I talk about relocating when we retire. I want to move to a location where I can ride year 'round and that's bike friendly.....if there is such a place.

Here's wishing you heal quickly and are back on your bike soon.

[TriMom217]

just my 2 cents.....but don't wait for your doctor to order an MRI, TELL him you want one done!

I only say that because my experience has been that they sometimes shy away from expensive diagnostic tools even though your situation warrants it. I have learned to be my own best advocate in those situations. You need to do the same!

[tangentgirl]

Ouch, ouch, ouch! But I'm glad it was relatively minor.

[bmccasland]

Had the MRI this morning - and considering that I haven't been able to completely straighten my knee, having a small amount of weight on my knee, forcing it straight, got to be rather painful after 20 or so minutes. The technician had to cut the exam short, as I moved. I swear I didn't, but on the microscopic level who am I to argue?

PT starts in earnest this afternoon. Ice bag is currently on my knee to get it to forgive me for this morning's torture session.