Your Health: Doctor’s bicycle tumble a stark reminder

I did it again. I had another fall.  No, not from a ladder this time, (I think I learned my lesson), but from my bicycle. Thankful to be alive. Saved again from my own carelessness. How many times is it going to take to figure this out?
 Anyhow, not long ago I was out for my routine bike ride going up in the Mount Hermon Conference grounds. The pavement was unusually wet due to a light rain during the night. As I got close to the top, I suddenly realized that I had misjudged my timing and had to get back home, so I quickly turned around and headed back in just a little more of a hurry. I came to a sharp curve in the road and as I made the turn I saw a car in the opposite lane. Although there may have been no problem with this, my reaction was to hit the brakes which locked up on the wet pavement and down I went. I ended up on my back partially on top of my bicycle. And yes, I was wearing my helmet.
I was able to pedal back home feeling just a little achy and decided not to tell my wife about what had just happened, since I don’t think she’s ever gotten over my ladder accident several years ago when, once again, I almost killed myself. When I arrived home and got off my bike I realized that my right hip was hurting and I was limping a little. I couldn’t hide that from my wife so I fessed up. She actually took it in stride. However, within a few hours my hip hurt so, that I couldn’t walk on it.
An x ray of my hip thankfully showed no evidence of a fracture but it took several weeks on crutches to recover.
The reason I’m telling this story is to remind my fellow weekend warriors and risk takers that accidents happen in a split second and are usually caused by a momentary act of carelessness such as my ladder and bike accidents. Hopefully even at my age I’m beginning to learn to take it just a little more cautiously and carefully with my activities. Coincidentally, both of my accidents occurred in unusually wet environments which should have made me even more careful.
I find that, for myself and the thousands of patients whom I have treated over the years for a wide variety of injuries, doing any activity in even just a little more of a hurry than usual or trying to take even a little short cut, or not being fully aware of our surroundings, are the common denominators for causing injuries. Almost every patient I treat for an injury, including myself, uses the word “stupid” when describing how their injury occurred.
Do yourselves a favor and exercise just a little more caution and patience in all your activities. Take it from someone who’s learning it the hard way.
– Terry Hollenbeck, M.D., is an urgent-care physician at Palo Alto Medical Foundation Santa Cruz in Scotts Valley. Readers can view his previous columns on his website, valleydoctor.wordpress.com, or e-mail him at

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. Information in this column is not intended to replace advice from your own health care professional. For any medical concern, consult your own doctor.