Ouch! Gravel will bite every time

Have you ever had that guilty feeling, when you’ve talked a friend into getting involved in a new sport … and they get hurt? Badly.

I’ve put the ‘real’ photo of the damage at the end of this post, to spare the weak of stomach. This is what my friends wife - a retired RN -  had to say about it all:

The guy in the bed will spend tonight and tomorrow night in St. Mary’s. Yes, Suggie is trying to strangle him.

Uh, we launched out of Rancho Maven bright and early this morning for our daily ride - today up over Windy Hill and then who knows where.  I was flying. It was a great day. Shel was following me about half a mile behind, on Thomas Creek Road toward Holcomb Ranch Lane.

Cyclists in Reno know that ‘split’ where you have to either go straight or left on Holcomb Ranch. There’s a gravel area by the Stop sign. That’s where Shel caught his front tire in a bit of gravel, perhaps going a bit fast. I have to give him credit, being the stalwart and tenacious type that he is - when I circled back, he was trying to ‘walk it off’. That’s really something when a gigantic piece of your left arm flesh is flapping in the breeeze.

There was blood everywhere.

I tried to call 911. Nope. He wasn’t going to let me. He wanted to ride home. Nope. I wasn’t going to let him.

We compromised. He mounted the bike - undamaged - and followed me to the St. Mary’s Urgent Care on South Virginia. They took one look, stabilized the flapping flesh and called the ambulance. Ha!

The EMT’s were highly impressed and held the flashlight while I - chortling with morbid glee - snapped the photo. Yes, it went right to the bone. They had to take him into the OR to properly clean it out and stitch it back together. The scar is going to make for some interesting stories, and shouldn’t interfere with his skiing.

 

I left him, this afternoon, with a mini of Knob Creek.

Poor baby.

Comments

[paul morse]

paul says you're not a kid anymore and you should be more careful riding kids toys. that's what paul says cathy says poor shelly hope you feel better soon you've got to be hurting all over do what the doctor tells you to do