‘I landed straight on my head; thankfully,I was wearing a helmet’

On June 10,Patole was riding her motorcyle with a group in Coorg,Karnataka. It was raining heavily and one of the riders’ bike began to skid. Patole applied brakes to avoid ramming into his motorcycle. On the slippery monsoon roads,the sudden brake caused Patole’s bike to skid,too,and she was thrown off her bike. “I landed straight on my head and thankfully,I was wearing a helmet with full biking gear,” she said. Patole,however,suffered a concussion,memory loss and an altered sensorium,which means that she has trouble interpreting sensory signals such as light and sound. “I can’t remember the accident. I was very confused afterward. Lights or noise disturbs me. Even now,I can’t cross the road on my own,let alone ride a bike,” she said.

Patole was taken to a neurologist,who said the only reason she survived was that she was wearing a helmet. “While I don’t have permanent brain damage,my brain has shifted inside,according to the doctor. The sides of my head are still numb,but it could have been much worse,” Patole said.

Patole now hopes to make a speedy recovery and can’t wait to get on her motorcycle again. “It is the biggest love of my life. I am sad when I have to be away from my bike. I have always insisted that members of The Bikerni wear helmets and other safety gear. I will continue to do so. You can never predict what will happen. It’s better to be safe than sorry,” she said.