Bike Crash Follow-up

It's been eleven days since my bike crash. I figured I'd write an update on my experience since then.

The ER doctor was right that the worst was yet to come. My crash was on Thursday. Friday the pain started coming on, but Saturday and Sunday were the worst.

I couldn't recline at all. I spent the first three nights sleeping sitting straight up in a chair with pillows supporting me as much as possible. It wasn't quite as bad as it sounds and I did actually sleep, but it got old really fast.

The very worst part was sneezing. I sneezed exactly once each day (I remember!). The first time I did it with Audrey in the room it terrified her. There was Dad writhing in pain and unable to breathe. I think those sneezes might have been the absolute most painful thing I have ever felt.

By Monday morning I was feeling a little better and getting slightly more mobile. Sunday night I was able to sleep on my back until about 3am (then back to the chair) and that helped. I was dying to lie down.

I went to work Tuesday through Friday but I was on narcotic pain meds and was completely unproductive. In retrospect, I should have just called in sick all week.

I had a couple of little setbacks. Some days I would gain some range of motion in my arms (i.e. I could use them without too much pain) and that would lead me to do too much. I'd pay for that the next day with more pain.

I went to work today and actually did some work. Went to my doctor at the end of the day for a follow-up to make sure I'm not developing pneumonia - seems like I'm in the clear there. Today I sneezed twice - it's still really painful, but I recover in a minute or so now rather then 5 minutes. Audrey is used to it, too. This morning I sneezed while she was sitting next to me and she barely noticed the writhing.

The girls have been very sweet. They tell me every day that I must be getting better because my owies are smaller. Audrey tells me all the time that she's sorry I fell off my bike and got hurt. She forgot a couple of times and accidentally pulled my arm during the worst of it and then felt really bad. I've told her that I really look forward to being able to pick her up again.

I can now lie on my right side (the injury is on my left side) and on my stomach (for a while) and even on my back if I arrange the pillows to raise my shoulders a little.

I had taken two weeks off the bike after RAMROD on July 31. I had only ridden to work one day before the day of my crash (August 14). I can't see getting back on a bike for at least another week and probably longer. That means about 5-6 weeks of essentially no riding. That's the most contiguous time I've had off my bike in at least 10 years; perhaps as many as 13 years (I started mountain biking seriously in 1995). I'm going to lose a hell of a lot of fitness. C'est la vie. At least so far I've only gained 4 pounds.