Day 12… 13? Umm… What day is it? | Jessica Bussert | Founder & CEO Thursday, April 23nd
It’s been a few days since I wrote and hopefully, by the end of this post, you’ll understand why. A couple of posts ago I tried to tell you how there is no “typical” day in the emergency room. You’ve always got to be prepared for the unexpected. Well, that holds true for outside the ER as well as inside. But, I’m getting a bit ahead of myself.
I got my first motorcycle when I was 17. It was just a junky little Yamaha 350 but for me it was freedom. Like many people who ride, I love the feeling of the wind blowing past and the scenery all around me. A car, even a convertible, separates you from the world in a way that a motorcycle doesn’t. I really enjoy that experience and I would still have a bike today if not for a spouse who despises the dang things. As it stands I have to get my riding in by myself when I’m out on my own. Like right now in New York!
While I’m usually a big proponent of public transportation the need for social distancing makes buses and trains a little more hazardous than usual. I’m planning on being here for a few months and since I didn’t bring a car with me I decided to check out Craigslist and look for a cheap motorcycle to ride while I’m here. Having a bike would enable me to get my shopping and chores done quicker, plus it might even free me up to explore a little bit of Long Island after shelter-in-place ends.
I found a motorcycle shop on the other side of Brooklyn that was open and had a few helmets available. An Uber ride and $80 bucks later I was set to start test driving a few bikes I had seen. Now, New York City has a scooter sharing service where you can just hop on and go, and their app told me one was available just down the block. Why pay for another Uber to get back home when I had a new helmet in my hands and a scooter in front of me?
I hopped on and took off down the road!
Not fifteen minutes later I was tooling down the street at a modest 30 miles per hour. I was making good time and was almost back to my apartment. Or so I thought. I was in the right lane, minding my own business and just as happy as a clam. A moment later I see a minivan approach me from behind in the left hand lane. The driver gets up even with me and suddenly decides that she likes my lane better than her own. The next thing I know there is a wall of Detroit steel coming at me from one side and a tall curb looming on the other.
Wave CEO Jessica Bussert hits the Pavement
Do you know how far you can fly when you get pitched over your handlebars at 30 miles per hour? I do.
If you ever get hit by a car and end up sprawled across the pavement, don’t move. Don’t even take off your helmet. Just lie still until the ambulance gets there. Having responded to a number of similar accidents during my time in EMS, I knew enough to stay put. The cops got there first, then the ambulance. The next thing I knew I was in a C-collar and on my way to the hospital. Funny thing? They took me to the very hospital ER that I had left the night before. And I thought I was gonna get a day away from the place…
Six hours later I caught an Uber back home and crawled into my bed. I lucked out and didn’t have any fractures, just a concussion and one heck of a case of road rash. The next few days were pretty bad. I think I pulled every muscle in my body and was bruised in places I can’t discuss in polite society. Well, at least I know of a decent chiropractor!