Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D.

It's been a year to the day since I crashed in Crowley. I'm happy to report that everything is working properly. (I never saw a doctor.) I had a hematoma on my left hip for several weeks. It eventually went away. My left ribcage hurt for a couple of weeks. I was worried that I may have cracked a rib, but apparently I didn't. (Or maybe I cracked a rib and it healed.) My left shoulder took the brunt of the fall. I still can't believe I didn't break my collarbone. The shoulder was discolored for weeks. I had to sleep on my back or right side for a long time. I'd say it's 99% back to normal. The shoulder ached from time to time as recently as two months ago. You may recall that one day when it ached, I went out for a run, which made the ache go away. Isn't it amazing how the body heals itself? Thank goodness I was wearing a helmet when I crashed. The helmet had to be replaced. I shudder whenever I see someone—especially a child—riding a bicycle without a helmet. You're only one accident away from being in a coma, which, if irreversible, is no better (and in some ways worse) than death.