25 March 2010

Another one bites the dust...

The Boy had a tumble on his bike today. 
Not good at all, but also very lucky.

He went a new way, adding a loop of Kings Park into his usual loop down to the river and around. Unluckily, there are lots of roadworks in Kings Park after the storm, so he decided to cycle around the outside on the main roads. Nearly back to the start again a woman in a rush to get to her dentist appointment opened her door without looking in the mirror [properly], right into the path of an oncoming Boy.

From the sounds of it he crashed straight into it, not even time to swerve. Went over the top and rolled a few times, landing in one lane of traffic with his bike in the other. Heres the lucky part. The other traffic stopped in time. Other wise it would have been so very much worse. I don't even want to think about it.

I got a call asking for a lift home because he hit a parked car... He sounded shook up, but I assumed he'd dinted a nice Audi or something while avoiding a small child in the park.
Got there to find him sitting at the side of the road on his own (he told the woman to go to her appointment after getting her details, all she was doing was fretting anyway) looking sorry for himself. Then I saw how nasty it was. Not much blood this time, but all the side of his leg is bruised and battered and swollen, plus a fair amount of grazing and bruising all over.

I gave him a once over, checked for concussion even though he said he hadn't hit his head. He looked really bad in the car. I was tempted to go straight to the hospital, but he kept refusing. He was mainly just hot, dehydrated and in shock. So once we'd sorted that out he perked up some. I thought he was going to cry when I cleaned up his main graze. Poor boy. But better that than getting an infection from having gunk in it.
If its still as bad tomorrow we'll head to the docs and get an xray, but it seems more general brusied muscle pain than acute fracture... but maybe its both.

So now he's sitting there with a bandage around his poorly leg trying to stop the swelling. And ice before, but he got bored of the TV once he was feeling better and wanted to go install the new RAM in his computer that arrived at lunchtime, and is now happily playing his game and reaping the benefits of said upgrade and its hard to ice a whole leg and play games at his desk... Priorities :)

I think it was all fate.
I was meant to go out for a run this morning but I woke up really dehydrated and massively tired. We went to see Men who Stare at Goats last night and didn't get back 'til way after 11. So I was only just up when he rang. Otherwise, I would have been out and no chariot would have speeded to his aide.
Also, we have a run coming up on Sunday, the 10km Bridges Run. So now he has an excuse not to run. And I am safe for a while, because if he's not running he can't beat me and show me up. ;) We'll have to postpone that til May and the Run for a Reason!
He was meant to be helping a friend move house tomorrow, but thats not going to happen any more. Can't move sofas when you cant really move your self too well.

I've been playing with the idea of getting ID tags for a while (years, in fact) and this has spurred me into actually doing it. If it had turned more serious, there was no way they'd know who he was or who to ring. Sure, he had his phone to map his ride, but if he was down badly, chances are that would be out too. And when I'm out I currently carry nothing apart from a lone key. I used to have a slip of paper when I was running around the dark empty streets of Kambalda, but nothing in the City. So two shoe RoadIDs are coming our way. Learn from my pain. Don't wait for it to happen to you!
Would someone know who you were in an emergency?


Also, would you know how to help someone in an emergency? 
If not, why not?

2 comments:

  1. I wear a hospital ID tag at all times to and from work and things.

    I also have ICE (in case of emergency) numbers in my phone. Emergency services are trained to look for them when something happens.

    Also, I'm a trained first aider, and a lifeguard. I have been trained and overtrained in emergencies, and I used to race cars, so again, not afraid of a crash. On the other hand, would I stop to help in an emergency? Well, if I was the only person there yes. If there are 10 other people, even if I was the most qualified, I would probably keep walking. Not much I can do there.

    But you are spot on, if I am out running or riding, chances are I won't have much on me. Maybe my mobile phone for a long ride, but you're right, what if that gets ruined as well? I might get an ID tag as well :)

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  2. I hope your boy is okay. That is so scary.
    I am looking at thr Road ID's as well. Not sure what type to get, but will definitely get one soon.

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