The Highs and Lows of This Week - Wife’s Crash
I’ve had an unusual week. Full of highs and lows. On the plus side . . .
- My ride to work on Wednesday was just brilliant, despite the weather’s attempt to rain on that particular parade. And as I explained to the people from Sustrans - my skin’s waterproof.
- On that ride . . . I saw all sorts of things - beautiful weather, windmills one-behind-the-other, yet in perfect sync, baby rabbits (what are they called? Baby hares are leverets; baby sheep, lambs; cows, calves. I think baby rabbits are obviously bunny-wunnies), which do not do that rabbit in the headlights behaviour - maybe it’s learned, rather than genetic?
- And a whole bunch of other stuff.
Anyway, the lows…
I had to work late last night to see a couple of clients. Driving home at about 8:20, plotting today’s ride to work (fine, fine weather forecast - take the road bike, put up with the rucksack in the morning, leave it there in the afternoon and add a 40 mile loop to the home journey . . . ?), the phone rang.
I was driving, so I ignored it. A minute later, it rang again, so I pulled over and answered. Strange voice . . .
Hello? Is this Karl? Hi, yes. It’s your Wife. She’s had a serious fall off her bike, and we’ve had to call the paramedics. Yes. She’s at XXXXXXXXXX
Eeek! The rest of the drive home (actuall to the location of the fall) was really tough. Trying to go fast AND stick to the speed limit. There was an ambulance parked up, and on the other side Wife’s and Daughter’s bikes chained to a lamp post. When the ambulance doors opened . . . .
- Wife looking like she’d been punched in the face, with her arm in a sling
- Daughter very freaked out
So we arranged that the paramedics would take Wife to hospital, and I’d sort Daughter. I left her with ‘Aunty’ B next door for the night, and went up to the hospital.
Cutting to the chase . . .
Here’s what had happened. Daughter had got in front of Wife on the bike. Their wheels had hit, and as far as I can make out, Daughter was spun completely unharmed off her bike, while Wife was thrown up in the air to land on her elbow and face.
Here’s the result. Wife dislocated her ELBOW (did you even know that was possible? I didn’t!), and sheared the head & neck off her left radius (it’s the bone that runs down to your thumb).
So we spent last night in hospital having lots of X-rays, and finally, Wife getting her dislocated elbow ‘reduced‘. I’ll spare you the details . . . but there were lots of serious drugs involved to deal with the pain. Wife had some too.
We got sent home just after midnight with Wife’s arm in a temporary cast (think: field dressing applied under enemy fire, by someone with two left hands), and then spent this morning in the Fracture Clinic. A new cast, and a whole list of future appointments now scheduled.
Two things for me to remember from yesterday:
- Wife telling one of the nurses that of course she should get a bike - it’s just so liberating. Then again, that might have been the morphine talking - but that still makes it a high in my book.
- Paramedic talking to wife, while putting her dislocated elbow into a sling: “Of course, you should have been wearing a helmet”
Like I said. Highs and lows.
Wife is now on the mend, and I’d like to say a huge “Thank you” to the people who called the ambulance, called me, looked after Daughter, Aunty B, and everyone at the hospital.
I’m sorry to hear of your troubles, but everyone that rides a bike has experienced some of it, I think.
Great way to keep your wits about you while showing some wit in the commentary!
Great post!
At some point we’ve all been there, the ‘freak’ accident, the little tip, unexpected, etc. It’s good to know your wife will completely recover and that your daughter suffered no harm.
Your wit is healthy (and I guess this post cleansing), but I can imagine what you would have liked to have said
Oh, man. Give your wife my well wishes from across the pond. Serious bummer. I hope she heals well and quickly and is not deterred from riding. Your daughter either! Hopefully she isn’t blaming herself to the point of scaring herself off the bike.
You thought your life was just running fine in your mind then WHAM! life gives you a wake up call and you realize your lives are not in your hands at all! Thankfully your wife has a great view on life and well being and with her strength she will get well a lot faster than those without her ideals. Give her my wishes on a good recovery.
nice post - glad Wife is ok. let her get a helmet!!!
You and your family are are amazing, Karl.
Such humour in the face of adversity.
Now that IS liberating.
Here’s to a rapid recovery for your good lady.
Time for someone to invent an elbow helmet…
best of luck to the wife! i did this exact same thing with my dad about 8 years ago, except it was me that went flying when he swerved to avoid some sharp metal in the road and i smacked right into him, i went flying (humans dont fly so well really) thankfully onto the grassy side of the road and was uninjured save from some scraps, my dad was fine, but my front end was all screwed up and mangled, his was ok. thankfully we were not far from home. it is a scary thing but ironically i think it makes you more determined to ride, at least it has me, i almost flew off and landed in a canal about a month ago, 2 weeks later i did a 70 mile trek longest every i have done on a bike.
yep a helmet for her arm, i see what you did there
so very useful protecting her ARM and everything 
eeek indeed. Hope she makes a swift recovery…
Best wishes from Germany. Maybe helmets wit elbow protection attachments will be the next thing.
I had an eerily similar accident on my bike with Eldest son a few days ago, fortunately without injuries.
Wow Karl. That is one phone call I hope to never receive.
But I am certain that she will mend quite nicely and that you all will be back to biking together soon.
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