A trip to the ER and 11 stitches later

This past Thursday I was doing my usual TRX routine, and it comes time to work my swimming muscles with some bent over arm band pulls.  Run of the mill right?  Normally yes, but I had not properly anchored down the tubing and in a split second of letting up on the resistance, WHAMMO it hits me and all I know is my head is GUSHING blood....my thoughts, what do I do now?  Mark was an hour away by train ride as he hadn't driven into the city that day.  I'm in our garage and thankfully there were tons of old tshirts available to stick on my forehead immediately as I didn't want to go into the house and get blood all over the carpet.  Why is this my first thought?!!  Can't get blood on the carpet...we rent for Pete's sake!  Easier to clean blood off of the garage floor than it is carpet.  Score one for Hailey.

Before:

I call Mark in a complete panic, making him extremley nervous that he was an hour away and not able to get me to the ER and not knowing the extent of the damage.  I went to our neighbors house (thank GOD for good neighbors who are home) and I must have been a complete sight...shorts, a sports bra and a head covered in blood...uh can you please help me?  And to the poor PG&E guy driving by, sorry to have scared you...picture me walking next door on the phone holding a bloddy t-shirt.  Again a sight.  They immediately got me some ice, looked at the wound and said yes indeedy we are going to the ER.  Not a band-aid type situation.  Rat Farts!  I put on a t-shirt and off we went.  Mark was now en route to being home to take are of his patient. 

At the ER they ask questions like are you a victim of domestic abuse?  Nope, just a dope victim of not properly securing down workout equipment.  So even with all of this trauma, my pulse is only 49...they must have thought I was dead!  They say, yes stitches will definetly be needed and the first through is, Oh no, the scar that will result from this.  This brought me to tears!  Viatamin E, and NO SUN on wound and we should be OK.

Dr Ko, stitching me up...please no scar

They quickly saw us- total ER time was only like an hour and a half which seems AMAZING to me.  Next up we had to numb the wound and wash it out before the stitches.  YUMMY!!  I am not a fan of shots, I would almost always rather do an Ironman in 100 degree heat before getting a shot.  Wussy huh?!  Well this shot was the Michael Jordan of all shots, a nerve block is actually what it was and I have to tell you I actually made a loud moan before the tears started rolling...it was like taking a needle and then continuing to slam push it along my forehead and THEN insert the burning medecine.  Great.  Although I am sure that that pain was less than I would have felt if they had cleaned the wound and stitched me up without anesthetic but seriously people, it was HORRIFIC. 

Practice Safe Exercise People

Dr's Orders no swimming until the stitches are out...gonna get those bad boys out tonight thank you very much and to take it easy.  I took Friday and Saturday completely off and enjoyed going to watch Mark race at Snelling and being a super supporter in the feed zone.  I was able to ride for 4 hours yesterday and then looked my enemy directly in the eye, albeit this time with a helmet on and got back to TRX'ing (not with a helmet) and my arm band exercise.  My swim is gonna get better dammit!!

My treat for being feed zone girl

Thanks for all of the support and messages!  Next up a big week of training a bike fit with Cheif Bike Mechanic and Coach Mark!  Pics of that to come!

Two days later, looking better already!