One minute I was slowly grinding my way up the hill near State House on Robert Mugabe after a training ride and WHAM I find myself in the middle of the road lying on my side with a piercing pain shooting up my right elbow! The realisation that I have been hit by a car sinks in - and even more urgent is the need to get out of the road before I get hit again by the oncoming early morning traffic. Fortunately the driver stops and assists me, full of apologies having not seen me and offering to take me to the hospital. I have a passing thought of going home, but luckily the driver dissuades me and we end up at the hospital where it is confirmed I have broken an elbow, as well as my right hip. Into surgery and the old elbow is pinned and wired, and the hip receives 3 screws. Luckily I do not need a hip replacement!
So now it is the long and patient road to recovery. 6 - 8 weeks of no weight on the hip, and then rehab to strengthen the leg and elbow. All things going fine I might be back on my bike by the end of the year. What a bummer!
Probably one consolation is that I am still alive. The words: 'it could have been worse!' have been quoted a lot. I have always been careful when cycling on the roads of Windhoek, and yet this has happened to me. We just have to remain ever vigilant and ride under the assumption that every motorist out there has little regard for us cyclists.
The next few months my blog is going to have to tell other folks' stories.
Remember: be careful!
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