Injury is part of being an elite athlete, and in rowing these injuries typically arise from the repetitive nature of our sport. Backs, ribs and hips are the most common. As part of our training we use cycling, as it is a great leg based training tool. In rowing if you fall out of your boat there is a soft landing, whereas on a bike the landing is tarmac, and is usually hit at a decent speed. Having had a few falls off my bike on training camp out in Majorca, I have only suffered from road rash and a mild concussion.
Due to these falls I’m very aware how easy to hurt yourself coming off a bike, so in an Olympic year I never ride on the road. Once we went into lockdown, the Olympics were postponed. The month of May brought perfect cycling conditions, so dusted off my bike and got the wheels turning. Lockdown had brought some new freedoms, I was relishing mixing up the ergo and weights sessions with some long rides in the Chiltern Hills.
On the 21st May I out for a long ride was having a great day. Passing my house at 168 km and being in that athlete mindset, I wanted to “round it up” to 170 km. It was during these 2 km’s where I got knocked from behind by a van. I ended up on the floor with plenty of cuts and grazes, and a lot of blood coming from my right elbow.
Luckily being close to home, Rick, my fiancé was with me within 5 minutes, and had me and my broken bike bundled into the car. We made a quick stop at home for me to change out of my torn up cycling kit, and wrap my elbow in tea towels and apply some ice. In the car on the way to hospital, I apparently kept asking the same question over and over, a clear sign of concussion. I had hit my head pretty hard, but thanks to my helmet I was still alive. Rick did add that I was most concerned about the graze on my face, at which point he knew I was okay!
At the hospital I was able to bend and straighten my elbow, wasn’t in that much pain, so thought maybe I had gotten away with a bad cut. However, the X ray showed the fracture and due to it being open, I had to stay overnight on IV antibiotics, as risk of infection was high. The nurses and doctors at the Royal Berkshire in Reading were fantastic and looked after me. This was my first stay in hospital, and was feeling very sheepish about taking up their precious time during the COVID pandemic!
Rick works in medical devices and in his previous job sold implants for upper limb fractures, and along the way has got to know some of the best surgeons. This turned out to be invaluable. He sent copy of my X ray to Professor Adam Watts, a leading elbow specialist, and Adam immediately called him and was able to fit me in for the surgery the next day. Rick drove me three hours up north the next morning as the surgery was to take place at Wrightington hospital, near Wigan. I hobbled into the hospital, as by this point my whole body had stiffen up and I felt like I had gone a few rounds with Mike Tyson. Professor Watts performed my surgery, fixed the fracture with small plates and screws, and I was back home within 32 hours of me having the accident. This speed and efficiency was all down to Professor Watts and his team and our team doctor, Lady Ann Redgrave.
For five days I couldn’t sweat due to the wound, and for the first time in a long time I really didn’t want to train and was happy to put my feet up. My rehab though started immediately. The morning after my surgery I was moving my elbow, as stiffness and loss of range are common in badly managed elbows. For the first three days I was on strong painkillers, something I really don’t like taking. These really do space you out, which isn’t a nice feeling but was necessary for that initial healing period. After three days the pain in my elbow had gone, however I had strained my AC joint (joint in the top of the shoulder) and this was keeping me up at night, so spent the first week sleeping upright on the sofa. Rick was again a huge support, and surprisingly makes a great nurse! Unable to do anything with my right arm for the first two weeks, so cooking, cleaning and cutting up my food were all down to Rick. In the first few days, even summoning him to help me wash and change. Lockdown and now a broken elbow, were a great way to test the relationship before we tied the knot on 22ndAugust.
Full rehab blog coming soon…
