Tough Week

Now that we've made it through the surgery, and the orthopedic post-op is looking good, I'm ready to talk about our Labor Day adventure. It started out with a simple premise: Let's get the kids to round up their gear and go for a family ride on the Silver Comet Trail.

I thought it would be a little crowded, and a great opportunity for the little ones to practice signaling walkers and joggers when we pass, to practice passing safely in busy stretches, and to pay attention to where they are in relation to the center line. (The little ones drift a bit much for me to try bike lanes on even low traffic roads yet.)

While we're at it, why don't we have them supervise the safety & equipment check? Tires, orange safety flag on back of D's trail-a-bike, helmet adjustments, mini first aid kit, water bottles, the works. Get them thinking about being prepared, right?

Started off great. Parked at the elementary school. Unloaded, started tire check, then moved to helmets. All ready to go.

5-1/2 miles out, with a stop by the Depot for ice cream bars on the way back. Things were going great. Until B2 had a panic attack about his balance, and knocked Dad off the paved trail, a couple miles before we got back to the truck. If this had happened by the grassy shoulder, it would have been easy to recover. It happened where the shoulder was non-existent. Dad went straight into the graveled ditch. Caught himself, and the weight of his bike, on his left arm.

D & I usually ride a bit farther than the guys. With her on the tandem/trailer, we ride a little faster. (Plus, we just like chicking the boys.) We turned around at the 30 minute mark, and so were arriving at the scene about five minutes after it happened.
Dad was stretched out on the trail, arm completely limp by his side. It was obviously very broken. Looked like Harry Potter's arm after Professor Lockhart fixed a break by making all the bones in his arm disappear. I didn't dare move it.

B2 was dazed and upset, but seemed to have nothing but scraped knees, hands and cheek. (So glad we tightened the chin straps on his helmet.) A very nice jogger had already called 911, and a cyclist rode up to the nearest access point, to wave in the ambulance. (I really wish I'd thought to get their names, but am thinking a giant THANK YOU their way.)

Less than 10 minutes later, Dad was being packed in the ambulance, with a shot of morphine, and the Cobb Co. Sherrif's deputy was helping me get four bikes (3.5, technically) and three people back to the truck.

Rest of day spent at Cobb Wellstar, where they told us it was... broken. Finally got his arm splinted, a referral to Resurgens for an orthopedic surgeon, and an Rx for pain meds. Dinner at McDonalds (I skipped, can't make myself eat that anymore.), then home to try and sleep.

Tuesday was a bit of a blur. Wednesday, still blurry, but included consult with surgeon. Thursday, less of a blur for the four uninjured people, but a gigantic blur for Dad. I got all three kids where they needed to be, homework completed, clean uniforms, and fed. Even ran once or twice (short runs, during school day), and squeezed in some work along the way. Didn't sleep much.

Friday was surgery. Left radius and ulna lined back up, then reattached with plates and screws. I forget how many screws I counted in the post-op x-ray, but I seem to remember it being way more than a few.

Now that we're past those first couple of days where we needed to worry about nerve damage, bleeding and infection, things are looking up. Work, family and sleep schedules are still a bit off for everyone, but I think we're all starting to feel human again... even Dad.