Hitting the Log

I was riding my mountain bike on the Suttle Lake Trail in Central Oregon yesterday at 4 pm, when I mistimed a jump and landed head over handlebars onto a large log across the single track path. Ouch. I tore up my right forearm pretty good, shearing off a good amount of skin. I also damaged my left wrist, which wretched back on the handlebars, and bruised my lower ribcage when I landed chest first on the log. Jenn was riding behind me and saw the whole thing and thought I might have also wretched my lower back since I bent back 45+ degrees (not to mention what might have happened to my bionic neck….). That was one tough log…. Here are a few things that went through my mind once I limped home.

Iended up hopping on my bike, pedaling 5 miles home with one hand. I took a warm bath to soak my body and clean out the wounds and called my doc in Seattle (after I tried my brother-in-law, who lives locally, and the Black Butte Ranch, where we are staying). I got Dr. Kirkpatrick on his cell phone immediately, which 99% of US citizens would not be able to do (I pay up for a premium health service). He gave me advice on what to do and how to monitor my situation: Clean out the wounds with anti-bacterial soap, monitor self for internal bleeding, and hold off on x-rays for wrist if I want, as they can’t do anything but put it in a splint anyway until the swelling went down. Based on this advice, I elected not to head into Bend to the ER and saved myself a 4-hour ordeal with exhausted 6 and 4 year old boys in tow.

Getting Medical Attention

I took a warm bath to soak my body and clean out the wounds and called my doc in Seattle (after I tried my brother-in-law, who lives locally, and the Black Butte Ranch, where we are staying). I got Dr. Kirkpatrick on his cell phone immediately. He gave me advice on what to do and how to monitor my situation: Clean out the wounds with anti-bacterial soap, monitor self for internal bleeding, and hold off on x-rays for wrist if I want, as they can’t do anything but put it in a splint anyway until the swelling went down. Based on this advice, I elected not to head into Bend to the ER and saved myself a 4-hour ordeal with exhausted 6 and 4 year old boys in tow.

Putting Humpty Dumpty back together

Returned home this week and immediately went to 3 different health care providers over the course of 3 days to treat my injuries…… Had to get my ribs reset by my physical therapist, Karen Santos, who did a great job. Karen is terrific.

Moral of the story - don't go jumping a log at age 42!