Hah, and just this week I caved in to my riding partner's request and took the sidewalk for a few hundred yards on a high-traffic road. Normally I'm vigorously anti-sidewalk but my partner is not an advanced traffic navigator. Luxuriously, there were no driveways or entrances/exits on this stretch, just a highway overpass followed by a stoplight, at which time we got back on the road. It was deliciously wicked.
Sorry to hear about your injuries. Seriously, when you've gathered all the details, consider contacting your local cycling advocacy group or other groups to offer your story as a cautionary tale that can happen even to seasoned sidewalk gauchos.
