How fortunate you had your helmet on.
Not to make light of your experience, but it does remind me of a similar experience my ex-boss had about ten years ago. He lives in deepest rural Staffordshire, and cycles everywhere. He cuts a funny figure- in his mid 70s, 6'7" tall and skinny as a bean pole. Anyway, he once cycled into 'the big city' (local small town), which takes him along many winding country roads, meeting many and various animals on route. The local dairy farm's cows walk themselves, en masse, along the road to the parlour around milking time.
On this particular day, the cows were not on the road, and he sped past the farm on the way to the post office. He turned the bend and, out of the corner of his eye, spotted a huddle of chickens and ducks watching the world go by. This was also quite normal. Anyway, one chicken obviously took a decision to try out the old joke and cross the road. It ran straight through the spokes of the front wheel. My boss went over the handlebars, and crashed onto the road. Being a hero, he picked the two halves of his cycle helmet up, and walked, with his bike, the two miles back home. His wife took one look and called an ambulance. He was in hospital for ten days with seven fractured ribs, a punctured lung which wouldn't stay inflated and a broken wrist.
I'm not sure I have a point. Maybe just to make you smile. I'm sorry it's been a s*** day
Louise xx