Concussion

[eccc whippet]

Now that you okes have me really worried...that i had a sleepless night last night...been up since 3 am...lots of shyte went through my head this morning...a few things that come to mind.

 

i bumped my head on a low hanging branch at giba last year...hit the top of my head it felt like i broke my neck...shook my head and continued with the ride...never thought about it again until this morning.

 

recently (a couple months ago ) i went over my handlebars at giba...face planted and noted a scratch on the left side of the helmet...no other visible damage...no hair line cracks inside...cut ear and a few roasties......wasnt going very fast...dont know how long i had been on the floor...jumped up had to look for my bike eventually found it in the bush...never lost any sleep over it...didnt even consider a concussion...due to lack of knowledge about concussions.

 

now this is were it gets interesting...i went to the doctor  because i started experiencing a head rush when i stood up...went to the doctor...got checked out...i was told i had low blood pressure...and i should eat more salt...which i have been doing.

 

been putting in the hours at cadence and pushing myself to the absolute limit...

 

now recently this bang on the head ...but now things just dont feel right this time.

 

it is time to get a second opinion and have  it checked out properly.

[eccc whippet]

I decided to contact Hollard insurance to find out about cover for post concussion...the response...

 

You are covered for emergency situations on site to stabilize you and if there is no medic on site...they will take that into consideration...and review the incident and consider cover for the emergency room procedure.

 

however as in my case...because i had a concussion and wasnt aware of the severity of the concussion at the time and the fact that i didnt go straight to an ER...and now 5 weeks later from reading posts on a bicycle forum and what i have learnt from google...i am now only starting to realize how serious it is...they do not cover any part of the medical bill...and nor do they consider follow up treatment...even if i had gone to the ER.

 

it was just a silly bump on the head...no big deal...or is it?

 

you live and learn...i wish i had read a thread like this prior to the incident.

[eccc whippet]

decided to got get checked out...again just in case.

 

BP 130/95 

Hr 71 bpm 

weight 96.2 kg

even had my ears checked...they require a wax removal...have to use waxsol for 3 days ...then back next week for  clean out and to check blood pressure again.

 

informed the doctor about all my previous incidents...i have been given the green light to continue with recovery training and do as i am doing...if i dont feel right...back off and take it easy or stop completely. 

[Robbie Stewart]

Whippet, you are heading in the right direction i.e. going to see a doctor...but

 

Your G.P. does not have all the required facts available to him to make a call about concussion. This is the sphere of a neurosurgeon and / or neurologist.

I would seriously consider going to see one. You can never think that because your GP seems to think you are fine, that it is indeed so. Yesterday for example, I go see the dentist, because I have en extremely sensitive tooth. He x-rays and tests to tooth, and tells me I have no problem, and sends on my merry way. The tooth still aches.

Also, seeing a neuro-whatever should not be qualified by whether your insurance is going to pay for it or not. Go see one regardless. 

The symptoms you are painting are not getting better, they seem to be worsening according to your posts. A concussion is actually an injury to the brain, and it must be checked out. I know this from first hand experience. You do not know the extent of your damage. I had to undergo CT scans to look for bleeding, and if there were spots indicating bleeding, a further MRI would be required, and depending on the severity of the damage, possible time in theater.

Thankfully, I had no bleeding according to my CT scans, but this morning again I could feel my head not feel quite right. As I keep saying, it has been 28 months since my fall. Post-Concussion Syndrome is a real thing. It takes time.

 

Claudio Caluori had a tumble at Losinj recently, and thought he too was fine. Next thing he was on the operating table having a hole drilled into his skull to drain excess bleeding. 

 

"During one of Claudio’s more recent course preview videos at the brutally rocky Losinj race course in Croatia, Claudio suffered a heavy crash and a mild concussion, which put him in hospital for 24 hours under observation. Having experienced concussions before, there didn’t appear to be anything out of the ordinary for Claudio. About a month later the headaches weren’t going away though, and after experiencing a particular bought of dizziness, Claudio decided to head to the doctors to get things checked out. It was damn lucky he did, as it turned out he had an excessive build up of blood in his skull, which was putting pressure on his brain – causing the headaches and dizziness. Claudio took an emergency trip to the hospital, where he had holes drilled into his head to drain out the excess blood before it caused irreversible damage. Check out the Instagram posts below to see the scars – gnarly!"

taken from https://singletrackworld.com/2018/06/claudio-calouri-talks-pump-tracks-concussion-and-why-he-wont-be-doing-the-course-preview-at-fort-william/

 

_{(highlights my own)}

I reiterate what I have been banging on about incessantly:

 

You can not take a concussion lightly, no matter when it occurred!

[V12man]

 

 

what i understand you are saying ...i shouldnt ride a bicycle for at least a year...just in case i fall again.

 

 

I am not saying this - I am saying:

 

1 - go slowly when starting up again - any symptoms mean you are overdoing it - back off a while and try again later

2 - Don't bang your head again if at all possible - so ride with more common sense than aggression...

[eccc whippet]

I am not saying this - I am saying:

 

1 - go slowly when starting up again - any symptoms mean you are overdoing it - back off a while and try again later

2 - Don't bang your head again if at all possible - so ride with more common sense than aggression...

Thanks for the advice...i am taking note of all the comments made in this thread...and if any changes... i will as I did yesterday... go back to the hospital and insist they do all the checks again...i have an appointment for Wednesday next week to get my ears sorted out...will keep the doctor informed about the progress...good or bad...i noticed he does keep records of all incident bumps and scratches etc.

 

gona stay off the mtb for a while...just in case.

 

ease back into recovery.

 

if i notice any signs...headaches...vertigo ...numbness...back off and take it easy again for a while...if it gets worse...will make sure i get booked into hospital...see a head shrink and get scans done. 

[stefmeister]

After reading about Jared Graves' brain tumour diagnosis, I can't help wonder if this could be attributed to cycling related head injuries.

 

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/jared-graves-diagnosed-with-a-brain-tumor.html

[eddy]

.

 

if i notice any signs...headaches...vertigo ...numbness...back off and take it easy again for a while...if it gets worse...will make sure i get booked into hospital....

 

Personally, and maybe because I don't have impaired cognitive function due to a bang on the head, I am hearing that you should err on the side of caution and avoid anything that MAY even lead to "headaches...vertigo ...numbness..." and not push the envelope at all.

 

How many times have you had to "back off and take it easy again for a while...", without recognising that you have again done damage to your long-term wellbeing?

 

Ps. That is a rhetorical question.

[eccc whippet]

Personally, and maybe because I don't have impaired cognitive function due to a bang on the head, I am hearing that you should err on the side of caution and avoid anything that MAY even lead to "headaches...vertigo ...numbness..." and not push the envelope at all.

 

How many times have you had to "back off and take it easy again for a while...", without recognising that you have again done damage to your long-term wellbeing?

 

Ps. That is a rhetorical question.

i must admit...when i started this thread...i had the attitude...a little bump on the head...cant be that bad and continued unaware of the repercussions.

 

a little better educated thanks to a bit of research and the input from various people... i have changed my attitude and certainly going to be a lot more cautious moving forward.

[V12man]

.... I don't have impaired cognitive function....

Riiiiggghhttt..... :)

[eddy]

Riiiiggghhttt..... :)

Read the full sentence, there is a clear qualifier "due to a bang on the head".

 

Ek is so gebore, nie gemoer nie.....

[V12man]

Ek is so gebore, nie gemoer nie.....

 

Talk about digging a hole deeper..... :)

['Kaze Pete]

Read the full sentence, there is a clear qualifier "due to a bang on the head".

 

Ek is so gebore, nie gemoer nie.....

met geboorte uit die ginekoloog se hande geval, op die kop? ???? [emoji88]

[linuxlg]

I had a motorcycle accident, I got high sided and hit the bank. Bike hit me afterwards. Went blind in my right eye for 3 hours, now have tinutus in both ears. All from head injury. Otherwise healthy and love MTB

[eccc whippet]

met geboorte uit die ginekoloog se hande geval, op die kop? [emoji88]

yip it must have been that bump on the head...where it all started...i forget this is where the supreme generation who glow in the dark...perfect in every sense...hang out...unfortunately you are stuck with some of us less fortunate brain dead beings

 

Thank God its friday

['Kaze Pete]

yip it must have been that bump on the head...where it all started...i forget this is where the supreme generation who glow in the dark...perfect in every sense...hang out...unfortunately you are stuck with some of us less fortunate brain dead beings

 

Thank God its friday

I've had a major off (OTB) myself in which I literary head planted: I blacked out, had a cracked helmet, shattered collar bone, 4 fractured ribs. I tried getting back ASAP but realised I wasn't handling the effort well. Backed off for a few months and waited for the body and head to heal up. Time off gives you perspective as well!

 

Take it easy and do forget about the whole cyclist vs footballer, we are so tough thing. No need to pretend injury, but no need to fake health either!

 

Heal up and there is no need to emulate the proverbial "I am tough and know better" guy, who suffers from the initial silent consequences of his early injuries later in life