$%@&!!!!!

You can insert whatever swear word you want for the title, but those of you who know me well know exactly what word I have in mind!

So today I was really excited because I woke up to clear blue skies. Perfect weather for my 3 hour ride and 15 minute run. Last week, it was snowing so I had to ride my trainer for 3 hours and it was sheer torture. My ride started out awesome. I had a bunch of new music to listen to and it was so warm out!

About 2 hours and 10 minutes into my ride, I pulled into Skyview Elementary which is just down the road from East Valley High School. It has 2 parking lots. I pulled into the first one and rode through it to turn around and head back. My neck was pretty sore so instead of turning out of the parking lot and heading home, I turned out of the first parking lot so that I could turn into the next one and stretch a bit before finishing my ride. I really don't know what happened next. I must have swung out too wide or something, but before I know it, I hit the curb and fell off my bike. No time to get my shoes out of my pedals. I fell straight onto my left shoulder...hard.

At first, my arm was just hanging there, limp. I thought, "Oh my god, I broke my shoulder!" Then I thought, "I think I would be in much more pain than this if it was broken." I tried moving it a bit and it hurt in some ways but not in others. This is why I don't ever ride without my cell phone. I called my hubby and he headed out to get me. Then my brain started going nuts. Eric calls this going from "zero to 60." It's how he describes how quickly I can go from being normal to completely absurd. Here's a little taste of what was running through my head: "Well, my race season is over. Guess I won't be doing Blue Lake. So much for completing an Olympic. I'm never going to be able to swim again. What if I need surgery?" I called Jessi and she tried her best to put me at ease. I had to laugh when she was telling me I was going to be just fine. She knows I turn into a serious baby in situations like this so she automatically switched into mom mode.

Once Eric picked me up, we gave his dad a call. He is a doctor at Holy Family Hospital. He's been working there for just about as long as it has been in existence. He told Eric to take me to the ER and that he would call ahead to let them know I was coming. If ever I was happy to be a Byrd, it was today! The ER was PACKED. I mean, only like 5 empty chairs in the waiting room. I walked in the door and they already knew who I was. I waited for maybe 5 minutes before I was called back, given a gown, and had x-rays taken.

The x-ray guy gave me some great advice, "Watch out for those curbs!" and we waited for the doctor to come in. He delivered some good news. Nothing is broken. He did some mobility tests on me and said my rotator cuff looks just fine. I have to take a couple of days off of training and ice my shoulder 6 times a day. I'm also wearing a sling. Hot!

While the doctor was talking to us, he asked Eric which of the Byrds he was. Eric said he is the youngest and the doctor said, "Oh, really? I stitched up your ass when you were little!" When Eric was 7, he was playing on some scaffolding that was up for painting the exterior of his house. He decided that it would be so cool to be Spider Man - obviously! He jumped off the scaffolding and a hook on it caught him in the butt and cut the entire bottom of his right butt cheek. The crazy thing is, it didn't tear through his jeans at all! What a perfect Levi's commercial! Anyway, he literally had butt fat hanging out of his butt. I wish it wasn't inappropriate to put a picture of his scar on here. It's pretty gnarly. Obviously, I had to get a pic of Eric with the doctor who saved his ass...literally!
So if my shoulder doesn't feel better mid-week, I'm supposed to consult an orthopedic surgeon and get an MRI. Don't worry, I happen to know one of those doctors pretty well too! I guess I'm pretty spoiled in that regard. We were in and out of the ER in an hour today. I'm pretty sure that's some kind of record! When I was walking out, I had to avoid some death stares from people who got there before me and were STILL waiting to be taking back. I felt bad, but hey, I'm a Byrd, what can I say? ;)

I'm pretty frustrated with myself and totally annoyed that I won't be able to run in this gorgeous weather tomorrow. But, I am thrilled that it's only a sprain and not something serious. Hopefully I'll be back to my old self in no time.

I have to give a shout out to my hubby here. I can't get a shirt on or off by myself so he has had to help me out a couple of times today. I can't do my hair either so he's had to learn how to put it up for me. Pretty funny how something so easy for me is so foreign to him. He has been a real trooper and has put up with my whining all day and for that, I love him dearly.

I'll have to start working on a good story to tell at work on Monday when everyone wants to know what happened and why I'm wearing a sling. "Apparently I'm 2 years old and can't ride a bike without running into a curb" is going to cut it. Let me know if you have a better story that makes me sound totally hard core!