This is now my third rollerblading incident.
The first two were in Australia a long long time ago (ie. before getting married). The first was a literal head-on collision with a fellow skater, breaking my cheek bone, and the second was a manhole cover that caused an abrupt stop and a ripped-up elbow. And each time we skated off to Melbourne's finest trauma hospital, the Alfred Hospital for a patchup. We were hard-core back then.
But now I'm older, though apparently not wiser. Should I still be doing this?
Friday night and I was out skating with the London Friday Night Skate team. Perhaps 10 meters short of the final junction I took the right side of the road to get to the front of the stationary traffic. Not sure how, but I ended up on the median strip where little round stones are embedded in the concrete. I landed on my right arm and one of the stones opened up a fairly big hole, perhaps the size of a 50 pence (or 50 cent) piece. Couldn't really see the wound that well due to the angle, but I could see underlying muscle... and blood, though not that much (dripping rather than spurting)
Hmmm... time for hospital and stitches again. Damn.
Our first aid team decided that I wasn't worth cleaning up, and did a fantastic job of wrapping me up instead. They (rightly) refused to let me skate to St Thomas' hospital, and got me into a reluctant taxi instead - for some reason he didn't want blood everywhere. Neither did I - I also preferred it to stay inside me.
Seven hours of NHS sponsored waiting later and I emerged - 9 stitches and an armful of bandage. Whilst on the 5:30am train home, I realised the really painful part was still yet to come - explaining it to Elly that daddy can't lift her or bathe her. And explaining to mummy just how dangerous skating can be...
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5 comments:
> The first was a literal head-on collision with a fellow skater, breaking my cheek bone
I remember it well. My injury, despite being far more visible (a cut eyebrow needing a few stitches) and bloody and sympathy-generating, was nowhere near as serious as yours.
Even the scar's gone now; I have nothing to remember you by :-)
> Should I still be doing this?
For as long as it's still more fun than not, I say yes.
> And explaining to mummy just how dangerous skating can be...
Ehm. I'd be willing to bet mummy will be telling *you* about the danger.
Dude did I read that right ...? You had to wait 7 hours at the hospital to get stitched up?
@bignose: While the scars might have healed, we will always have that precious memory of taking each other's blood pressure in the hospital because we were soooo bored.
@improv: yes indeedy. Seven hours at NHS's pleasure. Once Dirty Harry finished on TV it got boring very fast.
Eek, ouch. :-(
Hugs to you
nearly the harry potter symbol.......try harder lad
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