I Fell On My Head!

Back in the day, while spending summers in Watson Lake, Yukon(http://www.watsonlake.ca), I had a cycling accident. It sucked.

I was returning home from a jaunt to Lucky Lake, which is about 3km outside of town. It was a sunny summer afternoon and I was feeling pretty good. I was in a dreamy state, and listening to an Elvis Costello compilation on my disk-man, when suddenly there was a vehicle in my peripheral vision. I was startled and, for no logical reason, slamed on my breaks while stearing off to the gravel shoulder. Traffic is low on the Alaska Highway, so to be startled is not unreasonable, slamming on your breaks on gravel... not-so-cool. I flew ever the handle bars and braced myself with my hands before landing on my head. Instantly, my memory of this experience becomes as foggy as the hazy mind of a brain jarred from a collision with pavement.

Oh! And I wasn't wearing a helmet.

Fortunately, the vehicle that startled me was a van containing a woman who was thoughtful enough to stop and help me. She put my bike into the backseat and suggested she take me to the hospital. I declined her offer, and she drove me home to the the motel room that I was living in. I remember a relatively silent ride home. I couldn't think straight as my body was processing the impact and medicating me with adreneline. I'm not sure if I ever saw that driver again.

When I got inside my room, I called a my mother and my ex-boyfriend, Bradley. Neither of them answered their phones, and the pain was setting in, so I went next door to the gas station to buy some Acetaminophen. When I walked into the store, the cashier, whom I knew, looked shocked by my appearance (it might have been the blood all over my face). She sold me some Tylenol and suggested I go to the hospital, which I ended up doing, although I don't remember how I got there. At the hospital I was given a supply on Advil 500, they discharged me, and then I went home I slept for 3 or 4 days. I awoke on a sunny afternoon to find my neighbours sitting on lawn chairs in the parking lot, drinking beer, soaking up the sunshine, and playing their guitars. I had a few beers with them, which kicked my ass right back into bed for a few more days.

My friends in Watson Lake were loving and supportive during that time. I was pretty useless because I was doped up and my arms were barely functioning, as they had been hurt quite badly from taking the initial impact as I landed in my fall. It took quite some time for my arms to regain their strength, and to this day, I get a sore shoulder and neck from time to time.

I couldn't work or do much of anything, so I spent my savings on a flight to Vancouver to be with Bradley for a while, before heading to Ontario for the remainder of the Autumn.

The moral of this story? Wear a helmet... believe me... for real... wear a mothafuckin' helmet!