The doctor's first words were, "What did they do, leave you to lay there and bleed?" He was referring to the fact that there were scabs covering the stitches above my eye and on my chin. "Well," he continued, "we'll have to dissolve what we can with peroxide and then cut the rest of the scabs back far enough to see the stitches so we can get them out." Then as he worked he wondered aloud why they had used such thin thread instead of what he considers the standard, and thicker, one. Then it was a comment on how superficial the sewing had been, just barely holding the edge of the lacerations together. Then, as he continued to work on the scabs, he wondered why they hadn't noted how many stitches had been put in so he knew how many had to come out, thus alleviating the need to keep cutting back the scab on the chin to see if any more were hidden. Nope, he wasn't at all happy with what had been done.
They seem to be out now. But, he continued, if you happen to find more on the chin later, as the scab begins to fall off, then let him know and he'll take those out at that time.
Unfortunately, though, my ruse doesn't seem to have worked. I always told people that i went to Virginia to ride my bike. The truth is i thought i could hide some major facial reconstructive surgery inside that ruse and no one would be the wiser. I mean, i'm getting older and i need to take the initiative if i hope to snare the perfect job and that 20 year old down the street. At least that's how i understood the explanation on Entertainment Tonight late last year. Yet, even though i found the street maintained by the best technicians the VA Department of Streets & Sanitation have hired, and submitted to the prescribed painful full facial scrub, nip, and tuck, in the end i don't think i'm any better looking now than i was before the procedure. I think the money just went down the drain.
My doctor said the sprained thumb will take a few more weeks to return to normal. All the scabs will simply fall off when they're ready. Just be patient was his advice.
He did make me laugh, though, when he told me his story of being chased by a dog while on his bicycle many years ago. The dog actually got close enough to bite him on the leg. Standing there with blood dripping down his leg, he confronted the owner when he arrived. "Your dog just bit me!," he yelled. "No it didn't," the owner replied, ignoring, or simply refusing to see, the obvious. Dumbstruck, my doctor had no idea what to say after that. Apparently many dog owners are of the same mindset — their dogs can do no harm and it is the bicyclist's fault for thinking they have the right to ride on public streets in front of their houses. :-)
Physically i should be completely back to normal in just a few more weeks. So when do i get back on the TransAm? I don't know that answer. That is going to take some time to figure out, and all the figuring is financial. I've already spent the entire budget that i had set aside for the ride. Do i just bite the bullet, come up with more from savings, and head out in late June? Do i save all i can between now and next spring and then head out next May/June? Before i try and make that decision i think i need to wait for my bike to get back home next week so i can see what it is going to cost to repair that. I'm hoping all i need to do is replace one or two wheels and retape the handlebars.
I will finish the ride, but when? Only time will tell.
But, the good news is that all has been healing very well and i could be back on my bike as soon as it gets repaired.
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