If you are physically active, chances are that sooner or later you are going to get hurt. Pay attention to safety rules and your injury will be minimal, Take risks and chances are your injury will be more serious.

Last week I took a risk and paid the price. I attempted to carry a cup of flavored ice in one hand and drive my bike with the other. When I had to stop suddenly to avoid being hit by a car the hand on the bike brought the front wheel to a stop and I went flying. I landed face down on my bike injuring everything but my helmet-protected face.

I was humiliated. Pedestrians ran to help me. "Are you O.K?" I knew I wasn't but I waved them off and made my escape walking my now bent bike the 3 blocks to my house, knowing with each step I was battered and bleeding but nothing was broken.

The dirt-filled road rash burned but was easy to clean. Egg shaped lumps were quickly forming under the abrasions as well as on other parts of my body that were not cut, but hurt more. Shaking with self- directed rage at my stupidity plus a little shock I grabbed the ice packs I keep in my freezer, headed for my LazyBoy, applied ice on the places that hurt the most and had a good cry.

The acronym for first aid for injuries is RICE. R for rest; I for ICE, C for compression and E for elevation. With a too small pair of tights, ice and the Lazy-Boy I managed the first three. It was impossible to elevate my pelvis and I wondered what would happen-especially where the 3-finger width 5-inch lump assured a hematoma was developing. The next day I found out. I was covered with bruises including black and blue skin from my navel, across my abdomen to my groin. It was an anatomy lesson in action.

The good news about bruising is that by the time you notice it, you're already on your way to healing. A bruise, or contusion, is simply bleeding that occurs under your skin or in the soft tissue beneath it, The bleeding occurs because a blow to the body has caused blood vessels to break. The blood has nowhere to go and gets trapped under the skin. If there is a large collection of blood that forms a lump, it's called a hematoma.

As a compulsive learner I read up on bruises and here's what I distilled.

• The closer the broken blood vessels are to the surface, the sooner the bruise appears and the more intense its colors will be.
• Most small bruises disappear within seven days, and larger ones go away within two weeks-if you're young. The older you are, the longer the bruise lasts because restricted circulation, even in fit people slows the removal of the decaying blood components. This may be particularly true in the lower extremities.
• Whether a bruise forms depends on the angle and the duration of the impact as well as the size, shape and weight of the object that hits your body. However, the most significant factor is the speed of the impact-faster blows are more likely to create a bruise.
• Bruises in some instances can be patterned. For example, my bicycle handlebar left an appropriate imprint across my lower abdomen.
• Some people bruise more easily than others. You're more likely to be black-and-blue if you regularly take anticoagulants or aspirin, both of which interfere with clotting. If the blood doesn't clot properly, more of it will leak out under the skin when trauma occurs.

Bruise Basics

To treat a bruise, the first step is to apply ice. You can do this on an interim basis. I recommend 15 minutes on and 15 minutes off. This numbs the pain and slows down the bleeding. After two days, you can begin to apply heat. This speeds recovery by increasing circulation in the affected area.

A bruise requires medical attention

• If the pain is out of proportion to what you might expect from the injury.
• If the bruise is larger than what you'd expect from the injury.
• If the pain worsens; the pain should lessen with time.

Five days later I continue to pay the price. When I could barely move the next day and had limited mobility in my shoulder I got checked out by a physician friend who gave me a thorough examination, reminded me that the older we get the longer it takes to heal, gave me medication to ease my pain, warned me I'd sleep a lot as I healed, suggested I find a sub for my fitness class for at least 3 weeks then congratulated me for wearing a bike helmet.

I'm a humble if impatient patient. I knew before I went to get the icy drink that drinking and driving was not smart. When I ignore my intuition I pay the price. One of these days I'll get it.