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I think I have a head injury.

Schwinn
August 26th, 2005, 10:09 AM
No, no, a new one!

I had my bike race last weeked. My first lap was pretty bad. My routine is usually a squirt from the asthma puffer, and then another one a km in. So, I did a puff, got a km in, climbed the first big hill, and...oh oh. Nothing. Nada. El Puffo Empty-o. Not good. I probably should have skipped my lap at the first check point, but I didn't want to quit my lap.

When I got back, after 20 mins of wheezing, I called Cheryl and had her bring out a new puffer. Next lap--3 am. Strapped on the lights, and off I went. 2 puffs, great. Climbed the first hill, two more shots, awesome. I was flying! Climbing hills like I was riding escalators (okay, really slow escalators that were probably a few pounds than they should be, but still...) I did have to go a little slower than normal down hills because my lights didn't show everything, but that was okay, downhill is where I excel. Next year, I use my lights on my handlebars, and rent a helmet light. 5 k in, feeling great. Fallen try. "Hellloooo, Tree!" Up and over, no problem! Pitch black behind the tree, but I know where the trail is. D'oh! Apparently, I didn't know there was two big tree roots conspiring to eat my front wheel! My trusty Schwinn comes to a dead stop, I don't. I hear the "snap, snap!" of my shoes unclicking to confirm what I know, I'm going airborne, sans bikey. Tuck the arm so I don't break a collarbone, aaand roll! SPLUT! Or, just smack into the ground like a sack of...you know. Then I hear someone on the side trail ask if I'm okay, and then says, "Don't worry. Looks like you weren't the first one!" Oh, I feel so much better now! :thumbs up For the next fiftenn kms, I'm forced to walk up every stupid, freakin' hill, because my arm feels like I'm being stabbed every time I pull back on the bars. In the middle of night, in the middle of the woods, in the middle of nowhere, in pitch black. (This did seem like a good idea four months ago when I signed up)

So, I get back to the start finish, and one of my team mates has come looking for me, wonders if I died. Back at camp, I'm telling the story and laughing at my dumb self, and my head starts to ache as my neck gets stiff. Since I have a vertebrae that is moved a quarter of an inch, that pain goes without saying. Next day, I'm sore, and I hate work, so I call in sick. Tuesday, I get home, and I'm like a bear who just woke up from his nap. I had a bad day (yelled at a customer, which I don't do, and then I realize, oops, I'm wrong). It doesn't get much better by bed-time. Next day at work, my head is aching, and I'm forgetting my...uh...erm...words. And my head is all floaty, kind of like medicine head. Talking with Cheryl, she says I was crankier than usual, which apparently is a symptom of a concussion, as well as forgetfulness. Then I find out, the more concussions you've had, the easier it is to get them. I've had so many I'm afraid of nodding yes or no in case I give myself another one!

Today, I feel a lot better. I don't know if I actually have one or not, or if it's just this place which I hate giving it to me. I don't see a point in going to the doctor. "Yes, you have a headache, take an aspirin". Or, I guess I could get an MRI, but by the time I get in, it'll probably be fine, or if I did get in right away, "Yes, you have a concusion, take an aspirin". Not really worth losing a day's wages. The good news is, I haven't been sleeping well, especially since Cheryl, Gracie and Daisy all went to visit the in-laws in Thunder Bay, so that should make for an easier drive to my parents this weekend!

Anyway, I guess I got a little wordy. Sorry. That was my weekend. Cheryl said I was about due for a big crash, I didn't have one last year, and it's been a while since I added to my Wall of Broken Helmets. Given my track record, maybe I should change my name to La-Z-Boy and just stay in front of the TV!

Rick C
August 26th, 2005, 10:17 AM
For some reason, the only thing I can think of to say is "Thank you for being a guy!!" :highfive:

Good luck with your recovery. I've gone over the handlebars a few times myself and you always come up laughing don't you, even with blood dripping down your back. I wonder why that is. :eek: :thumbs up

Rick C
www.goldentales.ca

Prin
August 26th, 2005, 11:13 AM
I got my CT 2 years after my concussion. It's not just about treating the headache. It's about seeing if you've done any serious damage. It's also about seeing how much post concussion syndrome you might get. That's the worst thing of all. I hate it. You walk into a room, forget what you went in there for and then you try to retrace your steps and you can't remember those either, and the further you look back, the less you remember... :rolleyes: And then there are the migraines. And then there is the eye sight... Can you be a cop if you wear glasses?

Remember the rule, eh? 8 is the max. After that, any other concussion can lead to permanent brain damage.

jjgeonerd
August 26th, 2005, 12:23 PM
Bad mountain bike crashes suck! I hit a tree stump a couple years ago on a downhill course in Pacifica, CA. Ended up with a cracked rib; a nice scrape going across my chest, up my neck, and across my chin; and a deep bruise on my right thigh. I couldn't move my leg for about 30 seconds after the crash. Of course I was riding by myself so going home sucked. The funny thing was the next day was my 1st day on a new job and I looked like I got ran over! ha ha

Personally I'd see a doctor if you don't feel better soon. I've had a few concussions and I felt better in short time...although I was a lot younger then! :rolleyes:

glasslass
August 26th, 2005, 04:55 PM
Well, at least it didn't damage your story-telling abilities! I always love to read your exploits, Schwinn. They are so descriptive and this one had me in stitches! Although, glad I wasn't envisioning the pain. Sounds really owie! Is it true you have to buy a new helmet every time you crash, even if the helmet appears undamaged?

Prin
August 26th, 2005, 05:18 PM
Yes it's true!! And you should also replace it every 3-4 years even without a crash. I always kept my snowboarding helmet in my carry-on on the plane when I travelled because you never know how hard the baggage guys might bang it. When you get it back, it might be really unsafe and you don't even notice.

doggy lover
August 26th, 2005, 08:00 PM
I passed out after a procedure at the hospital last year and hit my head, ended up with a nice egg. I was lucky I didn't get a concusion, but had to be watched for 24 hours and so on. Go see a doctor if you are not feeling better or are you just having a senior moment. Maybe the bang on my head is still affecting me, thats why I start one thing, end up doing something else and then forget what I was suppose to be doing in the first place. Oh hell maybe I have ADD :p

Joey.E.CockersMommy
August 26th, 2005, 08:24 PM
I have heard if the bump goes out its okay, but if it goes in you should see a doctor. I would see a doctor anyways but thats just me I know if it was my husband he wouldn't. We will monitor your posts and let you know if we are concerned. :)

badger
August 26th, 2005, 08:34 PM
Schwinn, all kidding aside, you should see a doctor if anything weird persists, even subtle things. My sister was thrown from her horse a month ago, she finally went for a scan to day and she has a 4 cm bleed. She might have to have surgery if it doesn't clear by itself (not a big deal, apparently, but still...). So take care of yourself. Gracie needs you.

Prin
August 26th, 2005, 08:47 PM
Madonna is your sister?!?!? LOL Sorry, I had to ask. :D I hope she's ok.

Schwinn, aparently it's supposed to be standard procedure for adults to get a ct after a suspected concussion (it can damage kids, which is why they say adults...). Get one to be safe. :) You don't want to end up wearing $#@#$%&* glasses for the rest of your life like me because of a stupid mistake. :mad: ;)

CyberKitten
August 26th, 2005, 09:31 PM
I agree with the others. Even if you feel fine now, you don't know exactly what you might have done. You "sound" like your old er regular (did not mean to impy you are "old") self ;) so you are prob OK. But you never know what might lurk below and only a CT scan can find that. Yrs later, if you have cervical vertebrae problems, you might never know where the pain came from. And think of it as a preventive measure - erring on the side of caution. What is it with guys anyway?

I landed head over heels on my bike once (when when alot younger tho b/c of my spinal pros, no more agile), I landed in the ditch when I failed to navigate a turn (euphemism for shoulda watched where I was going!) and I had to have stictches in my head, well one, it seemed like more than one, lol CT showed a concussion and now evertime I have a headache, I wonder about that incident. Of course, I've also had 4 pins thru my skull for a halo and traction for 38 days but who was counting (for the spinal issues) and it could be that too - I will never know to be honest. Maybe you have a series of those too though? Still, you should rule out anything now when it has just occured.

Hope you are feeling better soon!

jjgeonerd
August 26th, 2005, 10:05 PM
Is it true you have to buy a new helmet every time you crash, even if the helmet appears undamaged?
Personally I think that is overly conservative. Mountain bike helmets are pretty low-tech as far as being able to see everything. If you hit your head you can tell by either scrapes on the outside or damaged foam on the inside. It's all out in the open to see. I crash at least once on probably every other ride, so I'd be poor if I repaced a $70-$100 helmet every time. Although, if you know or can see you hit your head I would replace the helmet.

Motorcycle helmets are a different story. I would replace one of those even if I just dropped it onto a hard surface...such as concrete. The structure of the helmet is concealed for the most part so you can never tell if it's been damaged internally.

Prin
August 26th, 2005, 10:08 PM
I forgot that bike helmets are styrofoam and thin plastic! Sorry. My riding helmet was made by Bell and was hard plastic. The hard plastic ones only break if you crash really badly but can be useless even if they're not cracked.

Thanks jj. :o

Schwinn
August 29th, 2005, 08:39 AM
Motorcycle helmets need to be replaced even if dropped. There can be tiny cracks that you can't see. With a bike helmet, it is a little different. Technically, if you crash and impact the helmet, it is suggested to be replaced, but I'm with JJ. You can do a visual inspection, but it's also a good idea to give it a few tugs and squeezes. If there's any little cracks, then that'll show. You have to be careful, because sometimes there's damage you can't see right away. I crashed in Quebec, and split my helmet in the middle. When we got back to the chalet, I pulled out my spare helmet, and someone said, "Hey, nice crack". Turns out that one was broken in an old crash, and it didn't become visible until after it was packed in my bag and probably had some pressure on it.

Helmets are supposed to break in a high impact situation. That is how they dissipate the energy of the impact. If there is a crack, it can compromise the safety. Also, the plastic cover serves a purpose too, not just looks. It is designed so that when you land on your melon, your head will slide and you won't get whiplash. I've seen some kids who take the cover off, bad idea.

I'm now feeling okay. I didn't have a headache all weekend, no swimming. My head started hurting when I walked into my building, so I'm wondering if it is just this place. Cheryl took Gracie to visit my in-laws for a couple of weeks (I'm flying up for the long weekend), so I may be going through Gracie Withdrawal, too. :(

BMDLuver
August 29th, 2005, 09:05 AM
I'm now feeling okay. I didn't have a headache all weekend, no swimming. My head started hurting when I walked into my building, so I'm wondering if it is just this place. Cheryl took Gracie to visit my in-laws for a couple of weeks (I'm flying up for the long weekend), so I may be going through Gracie Withdrawal, too. :(
Aww Schwinn, you can borrow one of mine if you like? :p

I know my husband hated travelling when the girls were babies as he felt he would miss something.

Schwinn
August 30th, 2005, 10:09 AM
Aww Schwinn, you can borrow one of mine if you like? :p



Will I have to change a diaper? Because, if not, I'm in! I get to see her in 3 days when I fly up this weekend.

Schwinn
August 30th, 2005, 10:11 AM
Sorry...one more...

Prin
August 30th, 2005, 11:37 AM
No sorries!! We could never get sick of the little one! :)