The Ekpyrotic Universe

On days like today, the only thing that gets me into work is the knowledge that I haven't taken a sick day in my entire professional career. I haven't yet, so why start now?

In other news that isn't as bad as it could be, but I still wish it were a lot better

Copper has a hyper-thyroid condition. She's lost around 6 lbs since she had the bladder stong, but I figured the first 4 were just because I wasn't feeding her crap all the time any more. She was only allowed to eat her special cat food. Since June, however, she's lost another 2 lbs. The vet did blood work and she definitely has a hyper-thyroid condition. It could have been worse, more life threatening like cancer. The vet said her liver and kidneys seem like they are in great shape and that's not always the case with a hyper-thyroid.

We're going to start medicating her and fortunately, there is a liquid medicine that they can flavor like chicken, so I have high hopes that I'll be able to get her to take it with a minimum of drama and struggle. I also have to give her antibiotics for 2 weeks for a UTI. In a month I get to take her back to the vet for a follow-up to make sure the drugs are working and that there's no other underlying, simultaneous condition.

I rather like the vet we had. He was willing to explain everything in great detail and gagued how much we seemed to understand as he went, leading him to explain more. He gave us tons of options in a short time and was very clear about how everything might go. I'd like to have a doctor like him. He reminded me a little of Hank Scorpio.

orca_girl and I were discussing biking and how helmets are unfamiliar to us as, when we were kids, they just didn't exist. This led to a description of her worst bike accident and I thought I'd share mine here with you in the hopes you'd all chime in and tell me your worst bike accidents from when you were a kid and helmets were something football players, army guys and a few motorcycle riders wore.

The worst was probably when I was in third grade, the summer before, really. We'd just moved into a new house in a new suburb and the roads weren't paved yet. I was riding along and saw a rock in the road, but it was too late to swerve. The wheel hit the rock and I went over the handlebars. The bike then went over me as I flipped and it landed on me.

Fortunately, I'd been taking Karate already and had learned how to fall. Instead of breaking anything, I managed to rip much of the skin off my left arm. I was bleeding all over the place, there was dirt and gravel in the wound, it was a mess. There I was, 8 years old, lying in the middle of the road, crying, screaming and bleeding profusely. Fortunately a neighbor heard me, came out, brought me in the house and cleaned me up and called my mom. I think I also got ice cream.

The most frequent accidents I ever got in were my brother's fault. He is 2 years younger than me and I felt responsible for him and also had to make sure I didn't lose him. At least 3 times when we were out riding, I'd look back while riding at high speed to see how far back he was and turn back around just in time to watch myself ride into a parked car. I'd go over the handlebars every time. Once this was on a busy street and I looked up to see a car stopped with me right in its path.

Now it is your turn! What's the worst bike accident you've ever had? Tell me in comments.