Unforgettable Golden Gate Bridge Bike Trip Indeed, Thursday 17th of April was very unforgettable in the fact that it resulted in me spending five days in hospital!
How did this all occur well you may ask! It started as it often does on a beautiful sunny April San Francisco day. I set out as Training for my Charity bike ride for San Francisco Aids foundation. I started pedaling along Crissy fields which runs parallel to the water as one heads towards the golden gate bridge. I looked with amazement as I saw the bridge covered in wool otherwise known as fog! As I thought to myself it would make a great photo! I regretted taking my camera with me; little did I know what was in store for me.
I rode my bike over the bridge and up to the very top of the vista point and I looked out at the great view.
I relished the view on this fine day and spent 15
minutes enjoying the scenery, and sped down the hill gracefully.
Upon my descent, I go through a small car park, to get onto the golden gate bridge.
As, I was gliding into a small car park on the pacific side of the golden gate bridge, I squeezed my brakes to slow down, as I hit the brakes, I felt and noticed the front wheel and bike upon which I was on move off to the right of my screen.
Mean while I was held suspended in mid air as the bike went from under me, I was destined towards the pavement. In falling it was a rugby fall that was taught to me in Cork Constitution rugby club, Cork, Ireland when I was 10 years of age. When you fall you protect you head. The fall had a hint of scoring a try in rugby similar to a touch down in American football, but this was minus the celebration.
As the Bike was sliding from under me the left handle bar was coming up to meet me.
I hit the pavement with my shoulder, which was the initial impact. It followed for 8 to 10 feet of sliding along the ground. The helmet hit the pavement with my head in it, it was a surprisingly relaxing slow experience, I remember hearing the grinding of the pavement against my helmet, it was a slow framed movie, I was looking up at the golden gate bridge thinking to myself that it would make a great photograph. Meanwhile my shoulder and forearm were my human road tires. The handlebar came up to impact me into my left side.
Everything stopped! I had come to a halt. I tried to take in a deep breath, but could only take in shallow breaths, which made thing worse. There was a gentleman there sitting next to the barrier saw the whole incident, whose name I later learned was Daniel. He helped me so much, I am so grateful to him for incredible random act of kindness.
He spoke to me told me not to move, take your time, take deep breaths; his relaxing tone was very reassuring as I came to terms with my situation. Twenty minutes rolled by, he asked me if I needed to call for help as a bridge patrol ranger car rolled by not seeming to be interested in the scene they left, I was very disappointed on later review of this support.
After 20 minutes, I got up on my hind legs. Still hyper ventilating like I am about to deliver triplets.
I could not use my left hand so; I left it rest on the handle bar as I cycled very slowly over the golden gate bridge. I felt cold but the chilling pacific breeze was refreshing to me. The time was between 5.00-6.00pm.
When I got to the city side of the bridge this English tourist came up to me to ask me for directions, she looked at my shoulder and said shit are you okay, I said yes gave her directions and moved on.
The return trip from the fall off my bike was about 5 miles. It took an eternity to get home.
I eventually got home had to get my room mate to carry my bike up the stairs.
Strangely, I thought that it was a graze and a badly sprained shoulder, well after 4 days of decreasing progress and increasing pain and reducing mobility. It took me over 30 minutes to get out of bed and it was so painful that I felt like I deserved a gold medal. I decided to go to the emergency room on Monday at 5.30am.
The taxi driver made me feel every hill in San Francisco; he was on his cell phone for the entire 15 minute cab ride.
I went to the San Francisco general hospital. They informed me that I had 4 broken ribs a collapsed lung and a broken clavicle. In short they operated on the clavicle throwing in some titanium hardware 9 screws and put in two hoses to re-inflate the lung.I spent 5 day in hospital, not fun! The ribs nothing done for those, no laughing, sneezing is the worst, it like being hit by a car.
Overall, thank you very much to my friends for the good wishes, the hospital staff for superb treatment, Daniel for helping me, Trina for changing dressing and making dinner, and everybody else.
Thank god I was wearing a helmet otherwise I may not have been able to write this.
