Back on the trainer and thankful

Here’s Chapter 3 on my March 2008 crash. It’s the closing piece of material I wrote after the ordeal. I learned much. I’m sharing to help shed light on what happens. The italicized content that follows are my observations more than a year later. Food for thought.

“Rode the trainer in the garage this morning. Everything works just fine. Pulse climbed to normal training rates. Sweated out a week of nightmare — from the pain medications to the drugs that put me to sleep during dental procedures and four hours of surgery.

During the hour-long stationary spin I realized how lucky I am to have:

Worn a helmet
Only crushed my teeth and not my tongue
Been found quickly by alert people
Not been run over by a vehicle after hitting the deck
My right ear
Only soreness in my right shoulder
Not broken any limbs
My life and ability to be with my family”

Post-script: Nothing really prepares you for a bike crash and how the system works — paramedics, police, medical, dental, insurance companies, and just plain people. But my experience, I hope, has made me wiser, should it ever happen again. A small mental checklist:

Do not ride alone at dusk into the path of a setting sun even if its the only route home
Do not make statements to law enforcement if you’re semi-consciousness and eyes closed
Carry the maximum uninsured motorist policy available
Always carry personal identification with emergency contact information
Never give up

My out-pocket medical bill deductibles after health insurance coverage totaled more than $30,000. The total tab had to be in excess of six figures. And my, how the medical industry wants to be paid. All have been, by the way. People make lots of mistakes on billing, submitting claims, and generally doing things they are supposed to know how to do. The health insurance industry that many today so strongly support as Congress debates reform falls well short of being (a) humane (b) caring, and (c) efficient for people. You must tend closely to the process or or you will be run over. Tooth implants are considered “cosmetic” and run about $5,000 per pearly white. Cash or credit card, thank you. I did one implant. The process felt like a full-time gig, so I didn’t do another. Which leads me to this: Skin heals faster than busted teeth. Stitches in your upper lip probably burn more than any other variety. Ears not so. And last: You are on your own — outside your family, friends and employer. Know that going in. Law enforcement does what is required. It can’t do much more. The carnage besides yours is overwhelming. It almost seems like a conveyer belt of human suffering they must endure. Document everything. Be ready to present hard facts. More than once. Clearly. Clinically. Convincingly. Cars far outnumber bicycles in the U.S.

In the last 10 years, U.S. vehicles have became heavier yet softer (cabins with DVRs, leather seating, sounds systems and all creature comforts of home). Road bikes have gone the other direction: lighter yet harder (carbon stiffness and 150-gram saddles). The majority of roads, all the while, have stayed the same width. In my case — and in the case of others — something had to give. On that particular night in March 2008, I did. For awhile. I lost a good section of facial nerves and feeling. I carry scars. I worked through the anger and remain grateful to the passing motorists who dialed 911, as well as all those who helped me.

It’s good to be among the living.

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