Crash...What Crash...I Can't Remember

On Wednesday evening I went for, what was supposed to be, about a two hour bike ride along the Pearl Harbor bike path to do some hill repeats of the Camp Smith climb. It began to rain during my first trip up to the summit and continued through my second trip. Once I arrived in Aiea after the second loop, the rain had subsided and I assumed it would be smooth sailing back home for a shower and a quick dinner...THINK AGAIN!

This is the part that begins to get fuzzy...

The last portion of the ride that I have any recollection of is crossing Waimano Home Road and continuing around Pearl Harbor. Literally the next memory I have is riding past my neighbor's house with the faint realization that I have been involved in an accident. I still have no memory of where, when, why, how, or what I crashed into or with. I could sense that my knee, face and shoulder were sore and that my jersey was pretty dirty/torn from a fall...THAT'S IT!

It was really pretty scary, because when I got home I couldn't figure out why our stuff was gone, where my family was, or where I was going that necessitated my household items leaving. I also can't remember how I actually got home...God was pedaling my bike...not me that's for sure!

NEXT DILLEMA - I couldn't find my cell phone to call Amber so she could talk me through some of these details I was failing to remember...I was getting a little worried at this point, because all our friends are out of town and the cell phone is my only way to contact anyone. AAAHHHH!

Once I finally found my phone (which was plugged in charging), I called Amber and she convinced me to get to the Emergency Room. Looking back, it would have been a better idea to have someone ELSE drive me, but I got there regardless. I admit my recollection of how to get to Tripler Army Medical Center was also a little fuzzy. A few hours, some ibuprofin, x-rays and a CAT scan later...the diagnosis was a moderate concussion (the Doc said he would classify it as a little more serious than mild because of my apparent amnesia). I was much more worried about the fact that I couldn't remember anything other than the pain associated with my scrapes and bruises. I have had my bell rung a time or two, but never like that...and I don't even know what happened.

You can see from the picture that the fall/impact caused the helmet to break clean through and cave in the portion just above...good thing I was wearing it, or I probably wouldn't be writing this! I wasn't planning on dropping another $120 for a helmet this week...but all things considered I am happy to do it.

1) Remnants of the knot on my forehead
2) Swollen cheek bone…initially thought it might be broken, but it was fine…just bruised and tender
3) New mustache