Not exactly as planned
Got home from work last night and talked Hubbyfink into cycling with me over to Eastern Mountain Sports where I could pick up a carabiner for attaching my lunch bag to my new trunk bag. We suited up, headed out and enjoyed the gorgeous weather on the trail. I coasted down the steep hill from the Rte 28 overpass and prepared to turn left to exit the trail on the Pacific Blvd on ramp when I heard two female cyclists yell "on your left!" I waited for them to pass, looked over my shoulder, turned 90 degrees and =WHAM!= was on my back on the ground from being T-boned by a male cyclist who came out of nowhere behind me.
Hubbyfink and another male cyclist ran over to me and I tried to get the world to stop swimming and spiraling around me. I also tried sitting up but was too dizzy. Plus they fussed at me to lie down and stay still. The guy who hit me walked over to see if I was okay. I could answer questions and Hubbyfink said my pupils weren't dilated but mostly I just lay on the ground and whimpered and cried from adrenaline and shock. The female cyclists came back and called 911. I didn't want an ambulance; I wanted to get back on my bike and continue my planned errands. But Hubbyfink fussed at me any time I tried to move so I stayed on the ground, looking at the tall grass waving on either side of my face and feeling the breeze on my bare foot (the collision had literally knocked me out of one of my shoes and sock) as we waited for the EMTs to arrive.
The EMTs asked me what I assume are the usual questions: what's your name, where are you, what day is it, who is the president and I was able to answer correctly. After removing my helmet, they put me in a neck brace and strapped me to a back board. Ugh. Not pleasant. I was lifted to a gurney and rolled up to the ambulance. A lot of firsts for that day. The EMTs marveled at the remains of my helmet and thanked me over and over for wearing it. They said that I would have left the scene via medivac instead of ambulance had I not been wearing it.
In the emergency room I was given morphine for pain -- my head was killing me and my backside wasn't feeling much better -- and was eventually wheeled back for x-rays. According to the doctor, I had no neck, back, or spinal injuries but I was slightly concussed. He removed the brace and back board and helped me sit up. The world immediately swam and I felt like I was falling off the bed. I also thought I was going to be violently sick. The doctor and nurse took turns slightly elevating the bed until I could sit up without feeling like I was falling. Eventually, I was able to leave the bed and was grateful for the wheelchair ride to my car. At two and a half hours this was my second shortest ER stay.
I drank lots of water when we got home because the morphine left me with dry mouth. I was very tired from the adventure and Hubbyfink followed me to bed a little before 10pm. I slept fairly well, although the world swam every time I changed position in bed.
Today, my neck and collar bones are a little sore, probably from the neck brace, and my backside is tender. I'm dizzy if I move too quickly. But I'm not in pain, per se, and Hubbyfink is doing an excellent job of taking care of me. I need a new front rim for my bike and a new helmet. Hubbyfink wants to get us both properly fitted for helmets. I keep telling him that my helmet was obviously properly fitted since I'm not in traction of worse. :)
Hubbyfink and another male cyclist ran over to me and I tried to get the world to stop swimming and spiraling around me. I also tried sitting up but was too dizzy. Plus they fussed at me to lie down and stay still. The guy who hit me walked over to see if I was okay. I could answer questions and Hubbyfink said my pupils weren't dilated but mostly I just lay on the ground and whimpered and cried from adrenaline and shock. The female cyclists came back and called 911. I didn't want an ambulance; I wanted to get back on my bike and continue my planned errands. But Hubbyfink fussed at me any time I tried to move so I stayed on the ground, looking at the tall grass waving on either side of my face and feeling the breeze on my bare foot (the collision had literally knocked me out of one of my shoes and sock) as we waited for the EMTs to arrive.
The EMTs asked me what I assume are the usual questions: what's your name, where are you, what day is it, who is the president and I was able to answer correctly. After removing my helmet, they put me in a neck brace and strapped me to a back board. Ugh. Not pleasant. I was lifted to a gurney and rolled up to the ambulance. A lot of firsts for that day. The EMTs marveled at the remains of my helmet and thanked me over and over for wearing it. They said that I would have left the scene via medivac instead of ambulance had I not been wearing it.
In the emergency room I was given morphine for pain -- my head was killing me and my backside wasn't feeling much better -- and was eventually wheeled back for x-rays. According to the doctor, I had no neck, back, or spinal injuries but I was slightly concussed. He removed the brace and back board and helped me sit up. The world immediately swam and I felt like I was falling off the bed. I also thought I was going to be violently sick. The doctor and nurse took turns slightly elevating the bed until I could sit up without feeling like I was falling. Eventually, I was able to leave the bed and was grateful for the wheelchair ride to my car. At two and a half hours this was my second shortest ER stay.
I drank lots of water when we got home because the morphine left me with dry mouth. I was very tired from the adventure and Hubbyfink followed me to bed a little before 10pm. I slept fairly well, although the world swam every time I changed position in bed.
Today, my neck and collar bones are a little sore, probably from the neck brace, and my backside is tender. I'm dizzy if I move too quickly. But I'm not in pain, per se, and Hubbyfink is doing an excellent job of taking care of me. I need a new front rim for my bike and a new helmet. Hubbyfink wants to get us both properly fitted for helmets. I keep telling him that my helmet was obviously properly fitted since I'm not in traction of worse. :)