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.