Blood collects under the skin. AKA bruise.

All the what ifs. Last week on my last ride for may days to come I planned on a less strenuous ride by foregoing the demanding 10 min climb up the tie from Swampy to Ridge that would give me the enjoyable descent. I chose the easier ride taking Swampy South which in many places was nothing more than unconfined sand boxes. On that slight right turn in deep sand the front wheel stalled pitching me over the right bar, must have hit that bike part on the inside of my right leg and drove my right shoulder into 2 cut back logs on trail edge. Once I finished explicatives uttering I picked myself up and went thru damage assessment learning that other than several open wounds the structures were in tact allowing me to ride out. Back at the van I lifted the bike onto the rack which tested the shoulder which lessened fear that I damaged it more. Fri I see PT Dave who has worked on this shoulder several times in the past I will learn its health. The right knee showed no skin trauma but it started swelling and swelling. I drove to The Center to see an ortho at clinic that provides same day exam. Knee was ballooned. DR examined knee functionality reporting it is sound. He said it was a hematoma. I stood up to leave but the pain was too great. He said I should check into the hospital for observation. Their staff wheel chaired me to the ER which was several sidewalks away.

Into the ER. Waited my turn to be seen. Wheeled into an exam room. Because I take an anticoagulant concern was lack of clotting. Hematoma is arterial bleeding. Blood draw needed to learn of hematocrit level which its level would indicate amount of bleeding. I was dehydrated which flattens my veins and the many valves in my arm adversely affect the insertion of the IV plumbing. Took her 3 pokes to finally get the needle in. Hematocrit level was low. They flushed me with a reversal agent to counteract the Xarelto. Then admitted me into the hospital. The staff pushing my bed were faster than the speed of my fall. 5th floor private room. I accepted several small doses of vicadin(?). I was offered even stronger which I refused. Yes I was in great pain, right up there level wise as previously lacerated kidney. In bed I could not establish a pain free position. Then like every 6 hours a phlebotomist would draw blood, every drawer was different, some had better success hitting a vein. My arms are black and blue from all the pokes. In short while the hematocrit level leveled off and started climbing indicating bleeding had stopped. I was put back on the anticoagulant while blood was monitored. Body performed such that I earned release on Sat noon. My van with my bike on the back had remained in the parking lot for 3 nights. Sat I hobbled over to parking lot, empty of all but my van with bike still on.

The dots are measurement points for standard measuring swelling. Knee is wrapped from toe to mid thigh.

Today I was seen by PA Whitney. She said many days will pass before body reabsorbs the dead blood.

I am taking Tylenol every 6 hours for pain that takes the edge off. Walking is best described as a shuffle. pain, pain ,pain.

To slide out of bed I lead with right leg, which has no movement because of the wrap, When I put weight on it the pain sensors activate, buzzer stuck on until I can swing the good leg off bed to take weight off left. Just constant pain.

So, I’m still here in Bend recuperating. Some days heavy smoke blankets here. I will be meeting my sister in Bozeman in Sept. I will be reinventing my life style until I can bend my knee. What’s bad is I can’t walk.

Crazy: I had a PT appointment for my right shoulder from a load I placed on it resulting in relocating something. Time was 4:40. PM. I was in the ortho waiting room which is other side of wall from PT clinic. I called the clinic reporting my status, I hoped that I could be knee seem then over to PT. Darn, ortho DR occurred at PT time. I called to let them know. I was told an opening the next day which I took. Then I was admitted. I called the PT clinic leaving an afterhours voice mail cancelling it, I checked with clinic yesterday about appointment this Fri to see if I was still in the good person status. Yes.

Yesterday I scored a follow up ortho exam because of the pain and increased swelling. DR said he is happy with the present condition.

A CT scan of my head revealed no bleeding which could happen as a result of hitting my head. My knee hurt so badly I could not help the tech slide onto the table so they slid me over on a board. Next was CT of knee with and without contrast. The tech hooked the contrast plumbing to the left arm inserted plumbing then tested it for flow. Ouch, would not go in. I was wheeled back to ER where another tech painfully inserted needle in my right arm. Back to CT lab, another slide onto the table. This time my vein allowed full force contrast flow. Artery bleeding was observed. Both my forearms show results of all the blood draws.

So no biking blogs. I might post snippets along the way. Stories will different.

 

 

I did loose an amount of blood as determined by low level of hematocrit and hemoglobin. Several times a day  blood was drawn and analyzed, results showed halting of the slide and up turn in the blood components. The phlebotomists records of hitting a flowing vein for draw was well below 100%, results were many extra needle stabs, several were drawn like 3AM. I didn’t sleep well nor ate enough calories. I was well taken care of. This morning I earned privilege to walk the hallways unaccompanied for 62 mins. At times parts of my bare butt were open. 2 staff people pulled me over for adjustment. I did not receive 1 compliment. As I walked I greeted many staff, became recognized. Home care is combination of icing, elevation, and wrapping. I am able to sort of walk freely, the knee does not want to bend very far. My right arm seems to be just bruised as I have range of motion but less strength. Tomorrow morning raising my bed will tell the tale. Knee is still grossly swollen caused by broken blood vessels, a hematoma aka bruise. Today when I walked back to my van, which was parked in front of ortho building, it was the only rig in the parking lot and my bike was still attached. And the fridge was still running on propane. I stopped at gas station I use for tank refill: 5.5 gallons. Empty is 5.6.

I have a shoulder PT session this Fri, Labor Day weekend. My earliest departure form Bend would be on Tues, where I go will depend upon smoke and fires, I don’t imagine riding between now and then.

Starts third day mostly confined to bed, only allowed short walks tethered to a nurse assistant being treated for the result of slow speed stop off my bike. Transition from self sufficiency to having care given to me under hospital procedures.

More later, battery drained and recharging means surrendering to remote charger.

Short story is deep sand grabbed my front wheel spilling me on the ground, I must have hit my right knee on a bike part resulting in ballooning of that knee after I pedaled about .5 mile back to van. Hit my damaged right shoulder pretty hard. Body parts functioned on pedal out which was good. Drove down to Bend to ortho clinic advertising same day exam, returning patient as I saw them last fall. Knee swelled during drive such that too painfull to push on the brake pedal. Used ski pole as cane to hobble into ortho clinic, a child crawling would have been faster. Long wait before being seen. Xrays taken, knee is stable, swelling is hematoma enhanced by prescribed  anticoagulant. Too painful, ortho told me be admitted to hospital across the parking lot. Wheel chair transportation to start of ER admitting. Passed triage then shuttled to a bed. DR ordered CT w/ and w/o contrast of knee and head and xray of shoulder. ER nurse  needed 3 pokes in my left arm to insert IV plumbing, even 3 hole was almost dry well

I was so dehydrated after ride. Bed ride to CT room where attendant attempted to force the contrast thru that dry hole but veinous valves blocked flow. Returned to ER for another nurse to poke a hole in right arm. Returned to CT to new tech for procedure, this time contrast flowed. Learned result was arterial bleeding possibly enhanced by anticoagulant. I was admitted to hospital sent to 5th floor room with window view to the east where I am writing this on my phone.  Now looking forward to 4th night on hospital bed. Blood draws from fresh sticks taken to learn levels of hematocrit and hemoglobin to indicate any bleeding.

So far my treatment has been pleasant and attended to. Several of the staff are mountain bikers.

The woman ER nurse who poked me 3 times has a strava record for descent of Pyramid peak trail that I up and down hiked several weeks ago.

Just me engaging in the art of conversation with staff.

Van is parked out front of ortho clinic w/ my cable locked bike on rack outside. I called yesterday to learn van has not been towed and bike is still there.

Daytime TV is waste land. Evening is still poisonous for stimulation. Hospital floor has phone charging station to keep phone alive.

My right arm and shoulder are traumatized and stiff but seem to have range of motion. I scored a PT appointment for late afternoon Tues. I was on other side of wall in the ortho clinic from PT office. I had hoped that I could receive PT on my shoulder before or after ortho exam but ortho finally saw me at PT time. I would have given a newly possibly damaged shoulder to PT that has worked on same shoulder over time.