Those members who congregated at the Pump Rooms last Saturday may have witnessed my
classic demonstration of how not to cycle - and its unfortunate, not to say painful, consequences.
Arriving from the east, my wife Sarah and I threaded our way around to join the Socials. The
relatively good weather meant numbers were up with dog walkers passing along from the west.
Being the considerate type, I rolled gently around and ducked under the tree - big mistake, What I
thought were leafy twigs turned out to be a single substantial branch which I hit with my left
shoulder, knocking me clean over onto my right side.
As I lay there giggling, my usual reaction to a fall (I tip over near stationary quite a lot which is
embarrassing) I tried to get up but could see that my right leg, although crooked happily at the
knee, was spread 45 degrees outward at the hip, which I’d landed heavily upon. When I tried to
bring it back to the centre, ouchy ouch ouch (thankfully my trusty Cube was undamaged if
somewhat resigned).
Straight away John, a former physio on his first Club outing, Steve Smith and Bill Olver came
across to help. Unfortunately all I could manage was to hop to a picnic table while Sarah called an
ambulance, despite valiant but excruciating attempts to slide into the back of Steve’s limo which
he’d brought around.
Pump Rooms postcode? Not a scooby. What3Words - got it bang on.
After a call back video consultation, and an assurance the ambulance was on its way, Sarah
cycled the 10’ home to get our car, Steve put my bike in the back of his and dropped it off home
later. Once the ambulance had arrived (maybe around 0945) Steve and Bill set off on their ride and
I went to Gloucester ED as I needed bone doctors. The Ambulance crew were great and one, a
serving RAF Paramedic, enjoyed the lengthy chat we had on our journey.
At GRH, I went straight into ‘The Pit Stop’ where I was triaged, taken to XRay and then given the
bad news - broken hip. Aargh. Grateful that staying with me had put the crew into their break
period, they headed off and quickly after that an Ortho surgeon told me “operation the next day,
off to the ward now”.
True to their word, I was wheeled down to theatre at about 9.30 am on Sunday morning and was
back on the Ward by 1pm with a complete hip replacement. Funny that, I’d planned to get my
knee done first.
As I sit here typing on Monday evening, I’ve managed to walk (aided) to the loo, and have been
seen by an array of specialists. I’m easily the youngest of six on my ward, all of whom have hip
fractures, and some of whom unfortunately also suffer from dementia.
I don’t think it’s possible to overstate the dedication of every member of the NHS with whom I’ve
interacted. Let’s not get political - the organization itself is a mess - but my God, the people in it
are wonderful.
Big shout out to Steve, Bill and John; what a Club community we have and how proud I am to
belong to it.
Our holiday to Florence which we were due to leave for on Thursday has turned into a clean
kitchen/do gardening break. Most of that will undoubtedly fall to Sarah, who accepted my
proposal in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower 37 years ago, something I will always be grateful to her
for - my life partner as well as top cycle buddy.
Ironically, Michael, our Social ride leader, was on a first aid course. If only I’d waited another week.
He WhatsApp’d me his checklist and darn it, if we didn’t get only one of the items right!Lessons? Coat/safety blanket; What3Words; Help others; Have the phone you dialled 999 on with
you for callback; Maybe assemble away from pinch points; Avoid overhanging stuff; Marry Sarah.
Actually you can’t have that last one.
Ray Lock
