hi guys,
well, having caught the cycling bug, as you know, i thought i'd take it on
holiday with me.....
we had arranged to hire mtbs from the gite man. i was a little worried as to
how they'd be...but no need. one shiny silver equipped ladies bike awaited
me. tested it out up and down the drive...brakes on alternate sides, and on
the brutal side....but ok. had one uneventful hours ride on the monday, in
the sun, and was happy enough - looking forward to more rides to follow.
set off wednesday morning, 2 hours or so circuit planned from Reugny to
Amboise, along the Loire to Vouvray, and back up again. set off at some time
after 10am. things were going well. glorious sunshine, etc. was going into
Nazelles-Negron, on to a very smooth road surface, glorious hill begins.
steepish hill, quite bendy, going fine. car arrives behind me, distracts me
a bit, feeling a tad menaced, speed on down the hill trying to get some
space between us, but all going well. round the next bend, doing about 50
kmph and.......there a short distance ahead is a van stopped in the middle
of the road. minor panic. apply brakes...but....try harder....back end of
bike starts to slip on smooth surface, slow motion panic sets in, i swear,
the bike slides, goes under to the left...... and it all goes a bit
hazy.......
the next i remember is being sat on the kerb, various people around, very
wobbly and confused, with what my brain finally registers as blood, pouring
down the RHS of my face. lots of helping hands, explanations in French, and
English to the American lady amongst them. someone calls for assistance, and
i end up in a pompiers (fire brigade) ambulance, all cocooned, on my way to
hospital....
much cleaning up of me, shock, tears, relief that i'd thought to put the
gite owners no in my bag so he was called, and hubby was thus informed and
not left to worry about me. 7 stiches to my head. bandages all down my RHS
and what they thought was going to be a precautionary x-ray of my R
shoulder... hm. guess what. just as well they did. i have a fracture at the
end of my collarbone.
since then i've been wrapped up in a foam contraption, LH use only. no
swimming, cycling, yoga, nowt. i've been back 3 times for bandage changes,
and the stiches out. i have large patches of new shiny pink skin....that's
nearly done. the foam thing has another 1 1/2 weeks to go...x-rays
depending. took 3 tries to get the painkillers right....a world of pain 'til
then. so, it wasn't the holiday i'd planned, though we made the most it. it
could easily have been a whole heap worse - i could have been dead......
i can't believe how long it has taken me to type this......
so when people tell me that being so sportif is bad for me.......maybe they
have a point!
still.......can't wait to get back on me bike again.......though cautiously
for a while i bet!
krys