My cycling accident update

[emily_in_nc]

Emily:

You just hang in and give the body and soul the time it needs. I have shared your blog with my 13 year old daredevil...hope you don't mind...I just want him to see what can happen even when you are careful!! Take Care Sweetie

karen

I'm thrilled that you have shared my blog with your son or daughter (I'm assuming son, based on the daredevil characterization!) I too felt pretty invulnerable before my accident. I'd ridden over 10K miles in the last few years without a single crash. I now know that it can happen to anyone.

Emily

[emily_in_nc]

Emily....I'm so sorry to hear about your accident! (I don't check the board very often...so obviuosly, I'm a bit late!)

You helped me out while I was researching my Aegis Swift, and I appreciate how thoroughly you answered my numerous questions! Thanks again! I just got it on Monday....its a pink carbon Rocket!!

Good luck on your recovery! From experience, I know its a tough road...but, you seem like a tough cookie. Patience is the key, one mile at a time.....

Danielle

Danielle ~ Awesome about your Swift. You will love it! I was thrilled to see that my bike didn't seem to sustain any damage in the crash other than a scuffed up saddle. I will have it checked out by a LBS before I ride it again, of course, but it looks as pretty as ever! Thank goodness... Enjoy your bike! Post a photo of it if you can; I'd love to see it. I bet Crystal on girlbike.com would love to add it to her pink-bike gallery as well!

Emily

[emily_in_nc]

edit: Emily, I hope you take this the right way. I read some parts of your blog, and I am overwhelmed by the love and support that you have. Barry sounds like a wonderful, wonderful man. Sometimes it takes bad things to show you how good things can be. Take comfort that you are surrounded by people, family and friends who are taking pleasure in helping you out. In a very strange way, you are a lucky woman.

Leslie ~ You are so right. I do know how very fortunate I am. I have amazing friends and family, and especially my dear husband of 20 years (this coming May 25!), Barry. I couldn't have done any of this without all the support I am receiving. I am also lucky to have support of so many people I don't even know personally out here in cyberspace, like this wonderful community. Thanks to all for your kindness and generosity of spirit! It really does me a world of good.

Emily

[CorsairMac]

I just wanted you to know Em - I went on a long ride with some friends recently and asked them ahead of time "what do we do in case of loose dogs?", the consensus was we would speed up and ride like Hades, calling out to each other to make sure we didn't lose anyone. So thank you for calling to my attention something I would've never thought about asking. I'm just sorry it was your accident that made me think of it.

[emily_in_nc]

I just wanted you to know Em - I went on a long ride with some friends recently and asked them ahead of time "what do we do in case of loose dogs?", the consensus was we would speed up and ride like Hades, calling out to each other to make sure we didn't lose anyone. So thank you for calling to my attention something I would've never thought about asking. I'm just sorry it was your accident that made me think of it.

Hey, that's great, CM!! I'm just glad to have raised a few folks' awareness of this. It is very smart to have a plan in place prior to the situation arising.

Emily

[MomOnBike]

"what do we do in case of loose dogs?", the consensus was we would speed up and ride like Hades, calling out to each other to make sure we didn't lose anyone.

I'm not convinced that acting as prey to a large preditor (which, after all, is what all dogs are) is a good idea.

What worked for me on my trip was to slow down, make myself big and bark NO! I used a deep chest voice and projected a lot of confidence. Of course, I'm a big woman and had dog spray in my hand when I did it.

The idea is to let them know that you are bigger, badder and meaner than they can ever hope to be. So far, with the dogs I've encountered, this method has worked better than running like a scared rabbit - which I had tried in the past. I'm not pretending I can bluff all dogs - that's why I carry dog spray. I don't intend to lose a confrontation with a dog.

One more thing. If you slow down, or even stop, the chances of a really bad wreck go down dramatically, and your chance of scoring a direct hit with the dog spray goes up.

One last, last thing. DH turned a bear once with this method when were hiking.

MomOnBike (AKA Alpha B-i-t-c-h and proud of it)

[SadieKate]

Oh gosh, I think you have to be quick with your thinking for each and every time. I think Corsair's discussion with her ride partners is the start. You've all got to agree to start talking to come up with a plan immediately. Hubby was climbing a steep hill when crazy lady purposefully let out her 2 crazy-trained Great Danes and sent them after him. On a hill that steep he was going so slow that he was automatically prey and the dogs were smart enough to get on both sides of the bike so he couldn't use the bike as a shield. If he had been able to go down hill he probably could have gotten away. I know I've out sprinted small dogs on the flats that would have come right under the cranks if I had stopped and gotten off the bike. I know that my best deep-throated growl imitation has stopped a few.

The good thing is lycra is an excellent pressure bandage. Hubby rode back to the car, drove to the Doc-in-a-Box where the triage nurse didn't believe him when he said he'd been bitten by a Great Dane. He rolled back the bandage and, voila, she decided that spurting blood was not a good thing to have in the waiting room.

[nuthatch]

Hubby was climbing a steep hill when crazy lady purposefully let out her 2 crazy-trained Great Danes and sent them after him.

So, did you sue her?

[SadieKate]

So, did you sue her?

No, her trailer burned down the following week (I promise that it wasn't us!!! ) and it wasn't the first time for the dog attack. Law enforcement took care of it and there certainly wasn't anything for which to sue her, unless you wanted the cinder blocks under her trailer or the weeds in her yard.

[nuthatch]

Wow! Talk about just deserts!

[Cdalekat]

I know pelvic break pain all too well.

Just take care of yourself and be careful with the trainer. I pushed myself too hard while healing and I paid for it for months!

You are doing well - best wishes for continued healing!

---
ETA: After reading your blog....
.... I still have some various hardware within me. I was told that surgical grade hardware doesn't set off metal detectors. In fact, I did test it at an airport and never set off the detectors. So you might be ok in that respect!

Also, there are few cases in which keeping the hardware is required - I've had most of my hardware removed because it caused me additional pain (and therefore was covered by insurance). Don't hesitate to get pain checked out even a year from now - I tend to grow bone spurs in injury areas - it's pain that you *don't* have to live with!

[Jo-n-NY]

Hi Emily,
I also was thinking about you during the week. Due to organizational changes here are work, I have been very busy I just got a chance to long on to the TE board.

I am happy to hear you continue to do well. You sound in good spirits and with that attitude you will get better quickly I am sure. This may sound silly but I printed out your blob to read on the train ride home. I am sure it will make for very interesting reading.

Thanks for posting the update. Continue to keep in touch.

~JoAnn

[emily_in_nc]

I know pelvic break pain all too well.

Just take care of yourself and be careful with the trainer. I pushed myself too hard while healing and I paid for it for months!

You are doing well - best wishes for continued healing!

---
ETA: After reading your blog....
.... I still have some various hardware within me. I was told that surgical grade hardware doesn't set off metal detectors. In fact, I did test it at an airport and never set off the detectors. So you might be ok in that respect!

Also, there are few cases in which keeping the hardware is required - I've had most of my hardware removed because it caused me additional pain (and therefore was covered by insurance). Don't hesitate to get pain checked out even a year from now - I tend to grow bone spurs in injury areas - it's pain that you *don't* have to live with!

Oh gosh, sorry you've been down this road too. I wouldn't wish this on anyone!

That's good news that you didn't set off the plane metal detectors. We'll be rescheduling our 20th anniversary trip for late this year, so that will be my first test of it. As far as having the hardware removed, though...that's more surgery...ugh! I sure hope I don't have to do that. The doc never mentioned that possibility, but I'll try to remember to ask him at my next appointment. I really want to be done with hospitals! Fortunately, my pain is very minor at this point - I only took two ibuprofen all day today, prior to exercise. I'm at 4.5 weeks since surgery. I do have muscle tightness, and numbness below the incision, plus the occasional odd feeling/sensation, but not actual "pain" any more, even when I do my exercises (other than muscle pain like you'd get at the gym). Perhaps I'll get lucky and heal up really well. Hoping.....!!!

Emily

[Cdalekat]

As far as having the hardware removed, though...that's more surgery...ugh! Fortunately, my pain is very minor at this point - I only took two ibuprofen all day today, prior to exercise. I'm at 4.5 weeks since surgery. I do have muscle tightness, and numbness below the incision, plus the occasional odd feeling/sensation, but not actual "pain" any more, even when I do my exercises (other than muscle pain like you'd get at the gym). Perhaps I'll get lucky and heal up really well. Hoping.....!!!

Emily

Second surgeries are WAY easier than the first! (yes, I've been through this more than one time - different body parts thought).

It sounds like you are already doing better than me in the pain department. I'll be honest - 5 years after the fact and I still have pelvic pain everyday. (It's the nature of where my breaks occured - I was almost paralized)

I definitely know what you mean by the weird sensations, but it really does sound like you are doing phenominally!!!! In case you were worried - walking again will be easy. Stiff, maybe, but totally do-able!

Hope your 20th anniversary trip is a blast!

[Jo-n-NY]

Hi Emily,
I just wanted to quickly mention that I read your blog. You mentioned that you might have a numbness where the surgery was done and afraid that the feeling would not come back. I have had a few surgery's over the years, one on my ovaries, two c-sections both in the same place as the ovaries and my thyroid removed. I will say that in all incisions I had numbness. In my case it did last years, but it was not a problem for me. I just got use to it but feeling did eventually come back.

Just thought I would offer you that bit of info on my past experience.

~JoAnn