"The Inevitable Blood Post!"

Hep C free.........for now!


What's this man doing? Doesn't he know when to stop....or at least slow down a little! I am talking about the crash I had yesterday afternoon in Richmond Park. I really don't think I was concentrating fully to be quite honest. There I was right at the end of an entire loop of the park, cycling as usual around the Tamsin Trail, always clockwise too. It just seems better going around clockwise. Better down hills and better views. Or maybe going clockwise seems like I am going forward and not backwards?
I must have been......in fact I have been thinking about Mondays PCR result, as I was all that night long too. I had my i-pod with me and was, as usual, having a great ride. I overtook everyone I came across, dodged muddy puddles, squinted at the Suns lowness in the almost cloudless wintry blue sky, smiled at the odd park user only to be ignored right back.....I don't know why I bother!
And then along came the point where I started.......Richmond Gate. I had just overtaken two other mountain bikers blasting their way towards the same gate as me. I was way ahead of them when I eventually got to the bottom of the slight decline which ends right by the main gate where all the traffic comes in and out. It's pretty fast by the time you reach the end. I took a little short cut which meant leaving the gravel path I was on and up across some grass and onto a section of tarmac where the gates are. I have favored this little shortcut a few times at the end of my ride in the park, even at night and always got through unscathed. But not this time. I was pretty sure that there wasn't a fence there last time! Not that far across anyway. I slammed both my disc brakes on hard and slid across the grass until I eventually hit the one foot high wooden fence. My bike stayed the grassy side and I became detached from my bike and gravity took over! Out went my arms......just like Superman and....Wham!! Gravity had finished with me and placed me heavily onto the rock hard tarmac the opposite side of the fence. My left shoulder taking most of the impact and then crack went my helmet as it bounced off the ground! I was left sitting up, legs apart stretched out flat like a pierrot doll, looking straight ahead in the direction I was travelling. A woman heard the crash and looked around to see what the hell had happened. Then she looked back and walked out the park. The cyclists that I had overtaken just 30 seconds before cycled right by me as my bike sat wedged under the fence and I picking myself up feeling like a right twit! A very lucky twit I might add! Both the cyclists completely ignored me! It doesn't surprise me to be perfectly frank. Richmond Park is full of snobs at the best of times and most of the cyclists that use it only care about themselves.

Richmond Gate, Richmond Park, yesterday. As you can see from the skid in the photo, I missed the required trajectory by about three metres to the right! One thing that did strike me when I looked at the scene directly after the crash was the colour of the fence beam that I hit. It is obviously lighter in colour than the others and although I can't remember what I was thinking right before the crash, I am pretty sure that I would have thought it was a gap through. Ok.....Maybe I was just a very silly boy!

My left shoulder seems to be my prefered choice of impact these days. It must be instinct that sends me over onto that side of my body....away from my poor right arm & ankle....& a bit of luck too. This is my fourth time in just over one year now where I have seen myself go over like this in various 'Cyclical' (as in cycle;) conditions....once up Holmbury Hill, once up Leith Hill and twice (in different places) in Richmond Park. My friend Jac says I am a nutcase and a maniac! We had a whole phone conversation about this last night. She called me a hypocrite when I said I would never leave home without my crash helmet. She called me that because I never used to wear one and I tell her to wear one now. I learned the easy way when I saw a friend split his head open in Swinley Forest last summer! I went out and got one very soon after. Jac reckons she won't ever need one because she doesn't do the nutty things that I do. I don't get her sometimes! What about the cars & lorries I tell her. Most of them don't give a poodles piss about cyclists. She had nothing interesting to say except that she is very careful. Too careful in my book! I take risks all the time when I am out on my bike on or off the roads. But I am not stupid......anymore. Get yourself a helmet Jac, for fucks sake! And I will promise to calm it down a little on my bike.
If this had happened up Leith or Pitch Hill in Surrey, I would have been surrounded by fellow bikers. If there were any around that is. Most of the time, especially in the week, the place is deserted! If I wasn't wearing a helmet up there they would have laughed their heads off at me. Richmond Park wasn't so deserted.....never is in the day.....but it might as bloody well have been! Tossers! Having said that; Ample, a wonderful fellow blogger, who I also e-mail every now & then, asked what I would have done if my crash had been more serious. And this got me thinking. What if I had been knocked unconscious and was bleeding? I was alone this time....& lucky. I am usually alone out on my bike. Lee, if he was there and hadn't followed me over the same cliff or something would know exactly what to do and also knows all about my Haemophilia and viruses. I have thought in the past what I might do if I was bleeding and was conscious. I would have to tell anyone attending to me to stay away from my blood because of the HIV etc. And also to call an ambulance ASAP because of the Haemophilia. I am pretty sure that I would act totally rationally in a situation as that. I'd like to think so anyway. But what if I was unconscious & alone? I know the answer.....and that is to wear something that tells anyone who might (miracles have happened) come over and help;) I know about the 'Medic-Alert' bracelets that I probably should be wearing, but why don't I wear one? I have know idea. Actually, even whilst typing this out I am thinking that I must get one. Just for my bike rides. Definitely. I shall look into it. Thanks Ample.
I used to have one years ago when I was a kid. It was a simple silver disc attached to a rather long silver chain that I wore around my neck. I absolutely hated it! I wanted a nice trendy bracelet but my Dad said that it has to be around my neck because in the event that my head gets cut off and the necklace gets lost then it won't matter as I will bleed to death instantly! His words....not mine:) I still have the silver disc somewhere. All it has on it is a red snake wrapped around a cane or something....& the word 'Haemophilia' engraved on the back with a special emergency phone number to the RFH. I was a medallion man before I even had hairs on my chest;) I was never decapitated as far as I know.....I could have had that bracelet afterall!
I am alright now though (he says). I hurt a bit still and slept weird & had strange dreams in the night.....hundreds of them....very confusing, because I was forced to sleep on my back all night long. Last time I was forced to sleep on my back.....I had a wonderful time;) Also my throat seems to be a little sore! Surely not from the crash.....Most likely as a result from the train ride up to the RFH on Monday. People & their germs. They shouldn't be allowed onto public transport;) It will be interesting to see how this sore throat develops! These sore throats & swollen glands are the very thing that I strive to avoid most of my poxy life! I would rather receive a gash on my leg than cold or flu! I am healthy though, so I have a head start on most people. As it seems I have always had.
I didn't go straight home after the crash. I cycled the small distance to the 'Promenade' on Richmond Hill, overlooking the stunning view of the Thames & the setting sun. I passed an artist painting his version of the wonderful view. Made famous by the artist J.M.W.Turner in the early 1800's. I leant my bike up against the metal railings, and tried to feel how I had faired from the crash. My shoulder hurt, left knee and right shin! My head was fine.........If you cycle and don't have a helmet.......GET ONE! My bike was alright too, not that that matters of course. I won't be going out on my bike for a bit.......hopefully not too long!
I new I had to go home and fill myself up with my favorite tipple.........FactorVIII. After a gentle ride back down the hill and through the roads behind Petersham & Ham, over Teddington Lock Bridge (all mostly no handed, resting my shoulder), I was home and having an injection. I took off my cycling gear with some difficulty, shoulder hurting but nothing serious. The knock on my knee was fine and the knock on my shin had broken the skin unbeknownst to me and bled down to my ankle length sport sock. I stared at the blood for a moment and wondered for how long it would be without Hep C. Fresh blood has such a fantastic colour don't you think?
After inspecting my blood for a while, I was sure that it looked different. Cleaner somehow. Brighter than normal & with a certain sparkle that I haven't seen in a while.........I just had to show you some of it;)

Personally, I think it is beautiful to look at!

Hey. also today is my last day of Hep C tx. Tonight I will be quite happily chugging down my last three Ribavirin tablets. I took my last injection last Thursday. I always seem to do things differently don't I. I can't wait to see if there is a difference in the way that I feel. You'll probably see me over on the forum very soon. The 'Post-Treatment Experience' section is waiting for me. Plus I am looking forward to receiving my medal from Ross;)


Jason






(C) JPT 2007