Word. I'm healing up now, but it's a lot of pain and inconvenience that didn't have to happen.
The bike will probably total. That's fine. Hmmm. Indian Scout or a thumper? Anyone ride one of those single cylinder 650s? Savage, S40, Yamaha or ??? Seems there was one in here somewhere. I've said for a while that I'd like one if a good deal came along. I dunno. They look like fun.
For those who haven't wrecked (good on ya) or don't wear a helmet. That helmet saved me. Flat out. I felt and heard my helmet hit the road with a thunk. If that didn't kill me or crack my skull, I'd at least had a serious concussion. Not a walk it off before you go to sleep bump on the head. A full on, head won't stop aching, can't see straight, ears ringing concussion. The kind that leaves a giant painful lump on your head for days. I'd have rode an ambulance to the hospital, and at least stayed the night. Brain swelling. Maybe skull staples. And that's if I wasn't dead. No joke. And all that would have been, no doubt about it, on top of my face and scalp being ground off, and my ear would've been mangled. The helmet may not look that bad because it's white. It's plenty bad enough. Imagine a whole side of your melon looking like my left arm. Imagine chewing food with that road rash on your cheek. Fuq that!
But, since I was wearing a helmet, I have no head injuries at all. None. It didn't even hurt. My glasses even stayed on. I was able to get up and ride the bike to a parking lot, and onto and back off the tow truck when I got home.
That said, even though I cleaned, used peroxide (only once is the rule of thumb now) and bandaged that night. I went to the doctor the next day to get antibiotics and cream. I still got an infection. This is the first wound I've ever had that got infected. My hand and arm to my elbow swole up, and fast. The redness was spreading almost to my armpit. I've now got two antibiotics, two shots of antibiotics, and am cleaning the wound and changing dressing twice a day. It no longer burns like acid on fire (let me tell you, that night, the peroxide pain was searing!), but it still doesn't feel good to touch. At least it didn't start to stink and i didn't get a fever.