Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Processing negative events - the bike crash!

2 hours into our big ride across the Lake District, just as we were anticipating the joys of ascending Kirkstone Pass - a kairos event ocurred.
This is greek for "a great big crash" - I would like to say we were tearing up Ullswater like a couple of hooligans kneedown round the bends singing "Bat out of hell" but unfortunately we were doing a sedate 35 mph in touristy traffic when going over a hump in the road with a left to right bend on a wet road proved too much for my suspension. The rear tyre, which decided to act like Torvill and Dean, skated alongside me putting me side on to the road - the bike then highsided and threw me onto the tarmac.
Somewhat painfully I staggered to the side of the road and did a bodycheck - memory present, limbs x 4 and all moving then uoaarrghh very sore elbow!
Phone calls sorted out bike recovery and people recovery and we headed on to visit Dominic and Ellie in their new house (See the pic of us all) where we celebrated life and fine gardens with champagne and ibuprofen cocktails. By now unable to move my left arm I protested "its only a bruise" and one handed narrowly beat mein host at Table Tennis - hohoho - a sweet moment as ..................
when I returned to work on tuesday with a nonfunctioning limb, x-rays confirmed a fractured elbow (head of radius)!! The films were taken in Guisborough at 9-30 am and reviewed by the radiologist 10 miles away in Middlesbrough at 9-35 am digitally on the computer. This was demonstrated to me at subsequent review by the Consultant at East Cleveland Hospital on thursday where on his desktop computer he enlarged the digital images of my bones to show me the fracture line stopping short of the articular surface (very good news). X-ray films don`t exist anymore! When I was a new Consultant if I wanted to enlarge the image, I had to lean close to the film, now a stroke of the mouse zooms in on the digital image with fabulous clarity!!
So I had x-rays done at 15 mins notice, 5 mins walk from my office, with a Consultant review 2 days later - this was not special treatment as the local service is an on demand one and I witnessed fellow crippled patients lurching into the local A and E in East Cleveland Hospital and getting immediate access to a Consultant review if needed (mind you only available on thursdays).
Who says the NHS is in a state? I was proud to be part of this "free at the point of need" health care system!! Long may it continue
Since then strapped into a velcro strait jacket I have been taxied about the place and this may continue for a couple of weeks as I`ve been told not to drive.
And the bike? - it is probably written off! Well if it was a horse I would shoot it!!!! My friend Rollo who was with me feels that it has been a sign to get a modern bike that can go round corners, my brother believes it is a sign to get four wheels and a Caterham sports car, at work they think I need stabilisers - others think it was spiritual attack after preaching twice!

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