
For those of you who live outside the Old Dominion, I should first identify the guy with the odd apparel in the photo off to the left. That would be our governor, Mark Warner. He was photographed after leaving the hospital, the unscheduled visit to which was brought about by his having gone headfirst over the handlebars of his bicycle, landing on the hard roadbed, and breaking some bones in his right hand.
Apparently he will survive.
I am not in a position to make fun of this.Warner goes home after hand surgery
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Gov. Mark R. Warner was released yesterday from VCU Medical Center after undergoing surgery for two broken bones in his right hand.In the successful two-hour operation, a specialist used plates and screws to repair bones broken in a bicycle fall Monday morning during a promotional ride near Lexington.
The surgery took place Monday night, and Warner spent the night in the hospital in downtown Richmond.
Warner, now on the mend, returned late yesterday morning to the Executive Mansion, a short distance from the downtown medical center. Despite some discomfort, he is eager to resume his public schedule today. (link)
You may have read my chilling account the other day of a motorcycle accident I had several years ago that resulted in some rather serious injuries and a number of broken bones. I had to reproduce this photo of Governor Warner in full-bandage only because he looks much like I looked back then.
I was given a rib belt to wear (Did you know they can't reset broken ribs? Crushed ribs are allowed to heal on their own, whatever that means.) as well as an unwieldy upper body harness to keep my shoulders immobile (Broken collar bone and shoulder blade.)
I remember how embarrassing it was to have to walk around in public (I took five days off from work and then reported for duty with all this paraphernalia worn over my suit.) and to have to repeat - ad nauseum - the circumstances that brought about the new look. Warner must be feeling the same kind of embarrassment about now.
The only difference between his situation and mine was that, since my accident was brought about by my having slammed a motorcycle into the side of a house, I had to endure an emergency room admitting nurse's lecture about how dangerous motorcycles are and was asked if I knew how many others had been hauled in to her emergency room on stretchers that very weekend after having been hurt in similar accidents.
I didn't know.
I didn't care.
I wasn't paying attention.
I wanted drugs.
I do have a message for Governor Warner. The pain will subside and you'll be able - eventually - to shelve the embarrassment resulting from the accident. So don't fret about that.
It's the shirt you're wearing that you're going to have to live down for many years to come, I'm afraid.