An email from a friend

Oh my god... I just got this note (very slightly edited):

I had a really bad bike accident on Monday. A big gust of wind knocked my front tire off the roadbed, over the edge of the ditch. Went down hard on my chin. Broke my jaw in two places, messed up my teeth. Needed 11 stitches, 2 in lip, 9 in chin. Other than that, I was pretty lucky. Just scrapes here and there, and a possible sprained left wrist. First passerby that stopped was a lady who ran back and asked if I was ok. When I looked up at her, she said, "Oh, my God" and called 911. Second and third cars that stopped were RNs. Next car was a doctor. Next was an EMT. Next one was a lady who was told we had enough people there, ambulance was coming. I was bleeding profusely, spitting out pieces of tooth. I did manage to call my son, who came and got the bike. Younger one was crying. Took me to Kaiser.

I'll be having surgery tomorrow or Monday, to put a plate in my chin (it's such a clean fracture it doesn't show on the x-ray, but keeps sliding around), and will have my teeth wired for a couple of weeks. The other fracture has aligned itself and won't be treated, other than the wiring. The dental work will take months. And I'll have a new, character-building scar on my chin, and probably one on the lip. Visiting the oral surgeon today in Oakland, who will do all the work. Two molars broke at or below gum level on the right, so they will probably have to come out.

Guess I'm not doing this triathlon. But..........will still go watch everyone else. I will get through this, but probably won't look the same.....I can't talk, so don't call. Email is best.

I am just incredibly sad right now, and in a lot of pain. Don't know if I'll be able to start the school year on time or not. New school, new students, with jaw wired shut? Don't think so.

This is really awful. She was doing the Triathlon to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. So I decided I'd link her donations page here anyway in case you feel - like I do - that her efforts should not go in vain (she's been training for a long time now).