I haven't quite filled up my 40 before 40 list, so I guess the universe decided to do it for me?
Running a little late, I texted my new knitting friend letting her know I would join her at knitting soon.
I hopped on my bike, started going down the hill, and 2 minutes and 18 seconds later, I was lying on the ground with my eyes closed screaming.
....
When I worked in NYC my COO used to always tell us we needed to document processes "in case you get hit by a bus" and at some point she decided that was too intense (or too likely, given the number of busses in NYC?) and switched to saying "in case you get hit by a bike"
Well, turns out a bike was involved, but not what hit me.
That was a truck.
As I biked down the road, I saw a big white truck slowly rolling up the hill. I figured something was going on - he was waiting for me, or there was a landscaping truck behind me that needed to maneuver past each other. So, I looked around to see why the truck was going so slowly.
There was a woman walking/jogging up the hill - so I moved a bit further over to give her and the truck more room. Taking another look over my shoulder and around to make sure I hadn't missed anyone or anything else, I could still see the white truck moving up the hill out of my peripheral vision.
When I turned my head back, I realized it was not moving up the hill anymore, but angled directly at me as I was passing a driveway - the driveway the driver was turning into.
A million things went through my brain.
"Why is the truck not slowing down? what's going to happen?"
"Can I avoid this? No."
"Should I have replaced my helmet, is that going to be a problem?"
I started screaming - and at some point closed my eyes.
My biggest fear was that the truck was going to just keep driving, that I would literally be run over.
As my helmet hit the driveway with my eyes closed, I heard the truck stop - but my screams did not stop.
Eventually I clamped my hands over my mouth as my brain tried to convince my body I didn't need to scream anymore.
Heart racing, I heard "...and then she was flying through the air" and wondered, who is saying that, and who are they talking about?
Oh, it was the pedestrian, and she was talking about me - I had flown through the air. (see graph below)
Someone put a hand on my shoulder and asked if I was okay and if I wanted to stand up.
"No, I just want to stay right here for a minute," I said, slowly opening my eyes.
The pedestrian was off the phone now and came over to check on me too. She asked me: "How old are you?"
Is this a test? Do I know the answer? It is getting close to my birthday, what do I answer? "Um, I'm 39."
"Oh, close to my age," she replied. "I like your ring."
As we chatted, another man materialized asking if we needed a first aid kit. The pedestrian said yes, and she used it to clean the road rash on my elbow and outside of my ankle. She asked if I wanted some ice.
"Uh, yeah."
"I've got some in my house," a new voice said - a neighbor who came back shortly with a ziploc bag of ice that was put on my swelling ankle.
Someone asked if I wanted to go to the hospital. "I don't know, let me call my brother, he's a doctor and a cyclist." (but lives in Alaska, I was in Massachusetts...)
He didn't answer, so I left a message assuring him I was okay, but had been hit by a truck while on my bike and was trying to decide what to do.
Then I called my new knitting friend and told her I wasn't going to make it after all since I had been hit by a truck.
"Where are you? I'm coming to you, I'll be there in 5-10 minutes," was her answer. As a doctor in residency, she was a good person to have show up.
I was asked "Are you okay?" more times that I can remember. There didn't seem to be a good answer, but I generally said, "I think I'm okay." But kept declining to stand up or be moved to a chair out of the sun (it was really hot!)
Next came a Belmont Fireman - he asked all the same questions, "Are you okay?" "How old are you?" "Where are you hurt?" "What happened?"
Then they took my vitals.
Then the EMTs showed up and asked me if I wanted to go to the hospital. I was still feeling mostly okay. Sitting up hadn't been too bad. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do.
Now a policeman joined the mix - and I answered all the same questions now with a memo pad recording information.
Again I was asked if I wanted to go to the hospital, and told it was my choice and I didn't have to go in the ambulance even though they had come. I asked "What would that mean?" One of the EMTs gave me a run down and asked if I wanted to stand up and decide from there.
Somewhere in there I also called my roommates to see if someone could bring me my wallet to take with me to the ER. "Hey, can you do me a quick favor? I need my wallet. I was hit by a truck"
"And you are okay" said about 15 people standing in a circle around me.
"And I am okay," I parroted to my roommate. "But want to take my wallet with me to the hospital."
"Okay, we are on our way - how will we find you?"
"Oh, you won't miss me - there is a firetruck and an ambulance in the road just down the street."
After being helped to my feet, I put some of my weight on my right foot and immediately knew that was a bad idea! After my second attempt to put a little weight on that foot, I decided to just hop (while my arms were being held by an EMT) to the stretcher.
"I'm so sorry for ruining your day!" the driver of the truck told me (for the fourth or fifth time)
And with that, I was wheeled into the ambulance.
Another first. (also the first time I was hit by a truck)
First time in the ER (or hospital at all) for myself.
I was seen by the triage nurse almost immediately upon arrival at the ER, and my new knitting friend was in the waiting room when I was brought back out - so we did a little knitting while waiting for an X-ray.
After the X-ray, we were both able to go back into the ER (which she told me was a very nice ER)
Eventually (not too, too long later) a doctor came over to tell me - I definitely had a fractured ankle.
Sad day.
Well, this is going to be a very different summer than I had envisioned.
I left with an air cast (a first) and crutches (not a first - that first was in Manhattan - in the middle of February! Ice + subway stairs = no bueno) and an appointment for a follow up in about 2 weeks.
So, time for a pivot!
But, I'm not giving up my life (or as I said for several days: "I'm not letting him ruin my life.") After getting home from the ER, I ate dinner and went to the show I had tickets for
The next day I was supposed to bike to the beach to see the sand sculpting festival, instead my friend drove us over and we still got to see the sculptures and enjoy some time by the ocean.
 |
| A woman there to see the sand festival asked if she could take this picture for me, "You are brave to come out with crutches, you need a picture showing that!" I thought she meant my crutches should be seen, but maybe she just meant my bravery? You can see the very top edge of the right crutch. |
 |
| I got a piggy back ride over to the blanket and risked crutches back |
I am so grateful for the incredible people in my life who are so willing to help me.
FAQs
Q: How is your bike?
A: It seems okay, it was rolled back to my house just fine, but I will take it in to be looked at (and it hasn't been ridden)
Q: Did your helmet break?
A: No! It was a miracle. And yes, I will be replacing it.
Q: What bone did you break?
A: Medial Malleolus
Q: Do you need surgery?
A: They hope not, it was a clean break and it might heal itself if I don't put weight on it and wear the air cast.
Q: Do you need anything? How can I help you?
A: I accept all prayers and funny memes! And, yes, I am having to practice asking for help for all sorts of things, like getting milk out of the fridge or picking up anything I drop or taking my shoe off when I get home.
Q: How fast was the truck going?
A: While I don't know how fast the truck was going, according to Strava, I was going about 20 mph - and I would guess the truck was going 5mph, or less.
Comments
Post a Comment