The title makes it sounds worse than it is/was. Out on a ride Sunday with Nik, after she had headed back I was off to do another couple of hours. Feeling a bit bored with the old trails I decided to have a look at some new trails to ride and found some great stuff packed into a small area with some nice little descents and climbs. I will be riding these again for sure, just one section a bit more carefully.
Coming to the end I a well worn trail, I could see a path extending under the trees and knew that the main trail was not far ahead. So I decided to go a bit cross country shall we say. If I am honest, the only flora that was going to take a hiding was the bracken (a weed in the Surrey Hills) so morally I felt happy to press on even though the path was a little over grown.
With the main trail in sight I decided to forge on a bit quicker and as I did, WHACK! I slammed my leg into a hidden log. Looking down I didn't think too much of the damage, just a torn sock. As I brushed a bit of broken wood from my leg I realised the extent, I felt the piece of wood move deep in my ankle, but now the end sticking out I had broken off. Idiot!
I walked the last few metres to the main trail and took a look, it was in deep and was not coming out trail side. I called Nik as I was not keen to ride too much, as this would work it in further. After speaking to Nik I managed to ride one legged for about 3k back to a car park to wait. At the car park I could confirm the splinter was between 2-3 cm's long and quite thick, easily felt and a visible lump on my ankle, I was also surprised by how painful it was getting.
By the time Nik arrived it was indeed very uncomfortable, she drove me home and took a quick look, but couldn't quite get it out and was reluctant to dig around too much. So off to A&E we went. Here I was seen very rapidly and I am sure the male Triage Nurse played the system a little. The Nurse Practitioner who saw me after X-ray, had a pretty good go at getting it out, but unfortunately she lost it at one point and had to refer me for a consult Monday morning, as the splinter slipped further in.
Monday morning came and I was at A&E only long enough to sit down before being called. The Dr, Mark turned out to be a climber from Craggy and recognised me (a good thing this time :) ). He got stuck in after a quick look, he filled my ankle with local and started cutting, then digging around. After a bit more cutting (an incision about an inch long and quite deep) et voila, he produced a splinter nearly 3 cm's long and about 4mm in diameter. Now I know why it hurt, it was damn fat.
No riding or climbing Monday, just sitting around with this on my leg (below) and waiting for the swelling to go down, fat ankle.
Coming to the end I a well worn trail, I could see a path extending under the trees and knew that the main trail was not far ahead. So I decided to go a bit cross country shall we say. If I am honest, the only flora that was going to take a hiding was the bracken (a weed in the Surrey Hills) so morally I felt happy to press on even though the path was a little over grown.
With the main trail in sight I decided to forge on a bit quicker and as I did, WHACK! I slammed my leg into a hidden log. Looking down I didn't think too much of the damage, just a torn sock. As I brushed a bit of broken wood from my leg I realised the extent, I felt the piece of wood move deep in my ankle, but now the end sticking out I had broken off. Idiot!
I walked the last few metres to the main trail and took a look, it was in deep and was not coming out trail side. I called Nik as I was not keen to ride too much, as this would work it in further. After speaking to Nik I managed to ride one legged for about 3k back to a car park to wait. At the car park I could confirm the splinter was between 2-3 cm's long and quite thick, easily felt and a visible lump on my ankle, I was also surprised by how painful it was getting.
By the time Nik arrived it was indeed very uncomfortable, she drove me home and took a quick look, but couldn't quite get it out and was reluctant to dig around too much. So off to A&E we went. Here I was seen very rapidly and I am sure the male Triage Nurse played the system a little. The Nurse Practitioner who saw me after X-ray, had a pretty good go at getting it out, but unfortunately she lost it at one point and had to refer me for a consult Monday morning, as the splinter slipped further in.
Monday morning came and I was at A&E only long enough to sit down before being called. The Dr, Mark turned out to be a climber from Craggy and recognised me (a good thing this time :) ). He got stuck in after a quick look, he filled my ankle with local and started cutting, then digging around. After a bit more cutting (an incision about an inch long and quite deep) et voila, he produced a splinter nearly 3 cm's long and about 4mm in diameter. Now I know why it hurt, it was damn fat.
No riding or climbing Monday, just sitting around with this on my leg (below) and waiting for the swelling to go down, fat ankle.
Super impressed with Mark the Dr, as he did just get stuck in and was very efficient, and it was nice to be able to chat about sports and not be looked at as if "why are you doing supposed dangerous sports?". As I have had a more than a few times in the past. The nurse was also super chatty and efficient and before I could get a photo of the offending twig, she had thrown it in the bin.
Anyway, the splinter is gone and it is Tuesday, which means I am allowed back on the bike and will head out this eve for a spin and then head to Eelmoor tomorrow to race. Only down side is, that Mark was confident the scar will heal very well and not be too big. No war wound to talk of. :(
Moral of the story is folks, watch out for those fallen branches, they do just jump out in front of you.
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