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October 05, 2005
Emergency Room Visit
My new colleague Pamela asked me to teach her how to do 360s and double cart wheel jumps on the ever popular scooter. The first day she was ready for lessons, Pam was wearing a slinky dress and flip flops—not exactly stunt girl material. So the next day, with Pam dressed more appropriately in her best NGO outfit, we had our first lesson. Thinking it would pretty straight forward, as Pam is a sophisticated, knowledgeable, and confidant woman, we set out during our lunch break for the unused (because of some likely corruption plagued construction) portion of the Lampang Super Highway just north of Chiang Mai near our office. The plan was to keep it simple. Pamela was to stick to just a few controls: the steering, throttle, and brakes. After confirming her helmet was secure I gave Pam the thumbs up to mount the bike.
Before even grabbing both handlebars, before getting her bum on the bike...she injured her self.
Pam was mounting the scooter from the right side when her left leg pressed into the burning hot muffler. She yelped, quickly stepped back and then touched the newly inflicted wound with her finger. The skin slid away like the frost on the side of a newly poured beer in an ice cold mug. Truly, one of the most revolting sights I have ever seen. After conferring with each other, we headed back to the office for the sure-to-exist, later to-be-disappointed-in first aid kit and advice of our workmates. The first aid kit was old, dirty and mildly incomplete. For the most part our coworkers were unconcerned. Daniel even showed us his several year muffler burn old scar that was still visible. We all agreed that the wound needed cleansing so Pam washed it down in the shower and I poured Iodine on it and then placed some gauze pads on it secured by three different sizes of Band-Aids. It was then I noticed how large it was and suggested that we make for the hospital. Against the rest of our team mates advice, we sought professional help.
As we pulled in I realized that it was only 500m from where the burn actually occurred. Pam registered with the Lanna hospital, who knew her from a previous visit--they even gave her a hospital ID card in anticipation of seeing her again. We waited for a few minutes and they took her vitals—blood pressure and weight. Pam asked me very quickly to step up and see if I though the scale was reading a few kilos too high. "Oh, yea, it seems to be reading two kilos too high" I say. "I was thinking it was more like three kilos" she replies. I keep forgetting never, ever discuss body weight with women. Never.
Next we waited in the Emergency Room waiting area for a short time before being summand into the actual ER by a nice doctor. Pam recites the story of her injury with a few technical interjections by my self (I am, after all, the first responder…making me more qualified than Dan Brown to lead FEMA me thinks.)
A nurse cleans the wound, the doctor inspects it, and then Pam is wrapped up in new bandages. The doctor points to a nasty scab on her knee, which was injured a few weeks ago during a fall down some stairs in Egypt, asking about how that is going. The scab is sort of a light moldy green color but Pamela says "oh, just fine."
Pam then introduced her swollen ankle and inquires about its seemingly slow healing process. "Don’t worry, it will be fine soon" the doctor says.
Out we go, after much thanks, to the pharmacy/payment seating lounge. Fortunately, we move through there very quickly. After exited the hospital, we realized that our moped was gone! "Theft!" was our first though…but apparently I parked the scooter in the wrong place and the coppers moved it. Whew...glad we didn’t have to explain that to Marc and David back at Child’s Dream, who loaned me the bike.
After only about two hours we get back to the office, have lunch, and recite the hospital story to everyone. Laughing all around, everything is OK. But now Pam gets serious about starting her lessons again in the evening--got to give her credit her.
So at about 1830 we head back out for the Super Highway construction zone and restart the instructions. Trying to keep it simple for her, the bike is in second gear (hard to get a jerky start) and we focus on just a straight journey. I’ve got my camera out ready for some funny pictures and was thinking it would be sort of care free. Ooops…I’ve completely misjudged the situation. For a moment it was almost inevitable that she would plow quickly into the curb and sparsley vegetated dirt mound behind it. At the end of our 15 minute lesson, I’m pushing Pam on the scooter (engine off) with the idea of getting her comfortable (at a minimum) with the steering and rear brake. (Note the bandages on Pam's leg.)
No go.
Pamela then suggests that we try to start the lessons off with a bicycle. I think training wheels are going to be difficult to find here. Seriously! There are 7 year old children zooming about on scooters here! Slight burn induced emergency room visits are not the norm in Chiang Mai, let alone training wheels on bicycles and mopeds!
Anyway, we head of to review the day’s events at a bar near Pam’s flat called SanS’ O which we both like—outdoor deck area, great view, and nice staff. Pamela seriously wants to continue so I’ll be there to help...and report the likely follies.
Tune in next time!
Posted by stu at October 5, 2005 08:21 AM
Comments
only 2 hours in the emergency room? i have never spent only 2 hours in the emergency!!! i spend that long waiting to see my regular doctor and that is with an appointment.
ps can you put spell check on this?
Posted by: alice at October 11, 2005 07:40 PM
Dude, am not sure of your instructor qualifications on the biking. maybe try another mode with four - like an elephant?
good to hear you've settled in well. you're bringing back some great memories as i visited chiang mai in december 04 - about a week before the big wave. but i loved the little town, the market, the hike up the hill to the temple, and all the wonderfully various and peaceloving locals.
big hugs, keep the home fires burning.
sb
Posted by: Scotty B at October 7, 2005 07:12 AM
how come you can't find a scooter for pam to learn on? if she didn't have to balance and think about the gears at the same time she'd learn faster....
pete took me out in the desert to try out his little honda 50 a couple of years ago. i could do it but found keeping the machine upright to impead the learning curve. i can ride a bike without training wheels but bikes are light, you know?
WELL....more power to both of you! love, mom
Posted by: mom at October 6, 2005 02:50 PM