Well, as an athlete you know there is risk of injury. Every time you go out to test your body's limits, go on an adventure, or take a risk in fun, you know that there is risk involved. JP told me last night that I would not be the same if I did not do what I did. I am glad he feels that way as he is taking on a lot right now as I get around on crutches.
It all happened yesterday morning as I went out on my normal bike ride with my triathlon team. Katie and Garrett and I had pulled into the front of the group at the beginning of the ride. We were about 20 min into the ride when we pulled through a stop light, turning left. It was misting out that morning so the road was just slightly wet. I was speeding up to try and make it through the light when I just hear Katie saying "slippery", then I felt my back wheel slide right out from under my bike. I just remember thinking 'here we go', and boom right down on my left hip, then sliding a couple of feet on the concrete. I stopped smack dab in the middle of the intersection. Katie and Garrett then came over to check me out. Besides my hip hurting I felt ok. Garrett un-clipped my shoes from my peddles and moved my bike out of the road. Katie and Garrett then came and picked me up and moved me over to the side of the road. I could stand, I could see some road rash on my elbow and there was mud all down my left side from the slide. Besides hurting pretty good when stepping down with my left leg I was fine. A guy stopped who had seen me fall and offered to take me back to the start or to the hospital. After talking a bit with Michelle and Katie, we decided that I would try and ride back to the cars and Michelle would come with me, I would then drive her back to the group and get Todd (he had started early and I had car pooled with him out to Joe Pool lake). I made it back to the cars (climbing two very large hills) peddling pretty much with my right leg only. I had range of motion with my left leg but no power at all. I remember going up the last big hill to get back to the starting point telling Michelle "those one leg pedaling drills that coach Troy makes you do are finally paying off!". We got back to the car and start putting the bikes in, we then notice that Todd had left his stuff (wallet, phone, and keys) on top of the car! We start to think, we sure are glad that we had to come back, that could have been bad. I drove Michelle out to the course and picked up Todd. Todd and I started back toward home. He stopped at a Walmart and bought some ice for me, this helped a little with the swelling. We get home and by this point I can not walk at all, I can not bear to put any weight on my left leg at all. Todd is helping me into the house and Bruce and Heather stop in to borrow our wheel barrel, they offer to take Cale, as it is becoming obvious that I will need to go to the emergency room for x-rays. We decide that I will change clothes and we will drop Cale off to play with Quade on our way to the hospital. We debate on what hospital to go too. Doctor's is close and might not have a wait but Baylor or Presby will have more equipment if something has to be done. We call our friend Clark (Dr. Clark too you) and ask his opinion, he would become a valuable resource throughout the day for advise. We decide to go to Doctors, all I really need is an x-ray to show that I am not going to need anything immediately, that I could wait until Monday to see my great ortho doctor. After 4 hours in the emergency room in which I got a tetanus shot and one set of x-rays (this was the most inefficient hospital I have ever seen) the verdict was no major broken bones. I left on my crutches (that I came in on, they were in the attic from a previous surgery). I will go in to see my ortho guy on Monday, until then I will be on crutches.
Today my arm where I got the tetanus shot feels worse than anything else. I am still using the crutches but was able to put a very little bit of weight on my leg this morning.
It could have been worse, this was a very minor fall for a bike accident. No other people or cars involved, no head/helmet hitting anything, just a slide through an intersection on my left side.
We will know more about my injuries tomorrow.
