Concussion

[Mrgreeky]

The Strava segment of a crossing  less than a Km from home, it took me more than an hour to complete about 600m, I had come off my bike just before this crossing. I only realized this after checking my  route on Strava the next day.  A friend found me close to my house, he phoned my son who came to fetch me and take me to the Dr. I thought they were crazy and I was ok. I was diagnosed with a severe concussion.

That Hour is forever lost. 

Edited September 7, 2018 by Mrgreeky

[V12man]

The Strava segment of a crossing  less than a Km from home, it took me more than an hour to complete about 600m, I had come off my bike just before this crossing. I only realized this after checking my  route on Strava the next day.  A friend found me close to my house, he phoned my son who came to fetch me and take me to the Dr. I thought they were crazy and I was ok. I was diagnosed with a severe concussion.IMG_8376.PNG

That Hour is forever lost. 

Glad you are ok - just shows that it's a bad idea to assume you are ok after a knock on the head - almost certainly one is not "OK"

 

Reminds me when I was a postgrad one of my classmates - now an ENT - clipped a cyclist at sunset at a traffic circle in CT - stopped and picked her up and she insisted she was ok - then he saw her broken helmet and insisted he take her to Groote Schuur - she passed out in the car and he took her straight to ER into surgery for a fractured skull and lots of bleeding - she got lucky that day - 99.999% of people in this world would have let her carry on... with near certain fatal consequences.

[eccc whippet]

thought i would do the daunting task of going back through some of the crap i spend hours typing on social media...trying to make sense of it all...which indicates that this concussion might have happened in Feb or even before...not August...it just got a whole lot worse in August.

 

a while back i hit a low hanging branch at giba...felt like i broke my neck...just carried on ride like nothing happened....a close inspection indicated no visible damage to the helmet.

 

8 Feb this year i landed on my head at giba (found in previous posts)...what i do recall is that i didnt just get up straight away get back on the bike and continue...i was on the ground for a while...not sure how long...i was on my own it was late and there was nobody else on the track...unaware of the symptoms of a concussion i made my way back to the club house and continued my daily routine...riding etc.

 

went to the doc next day and had a fatty lymph node cut out my neck...it turns out he cut out the one next to my spine and not the one on my spine (but thats another story...loosing faith in his abilities) got checked out for a cut ear and other "physical" injuries from the accident...my helmet just had a scratch on the left side...no visible damage...nothing to be concerned about...or not?

 

the dizzy feeling i was experiencing before the incident in August was brushed off as just a head rush when i stood up...a visit to the doc indicated i had low blood pressure...was told to increase my salt intake...the major mind blowing headaches i experienced after a good evening session (not mentioned because not relevant at the time) ...was just that a mind blowing experience...a prior visit to er...indicated it could just be stress related...a pill and a bit of rest had me released in a couple of hours.

 

The walking into a room and forgetting why i was in the room...due to old age?

 

loosing eyesight faster than i can ride a bicycle (not very fast ) due to old age?

 

i start putting the pieces together...i start seeing a bigger picture.

 

understanding that concussions are cumulative...adds a another piece.

 

it makes me wonder why a person would want to even consider playing rugby or boxing...we laugh at football players...who is laughing when they get to blow all that money and live a normal life till old age...rather than end up in a wheel chair as thick as 2 bricks. 

[eccc whippet]

an update...taken everyones advice...popping pills and resting...no training or cycling...did shoot some hoops with my daughter last night...but just took it easy.

 

eyes are feeling better...still a bit sensitive out in the sun....vertigo/dizzy feeling still happens when i get up quickly...but very seldom happens when i am sitting down or go about my daily chores.

[cfcjim]

That "Rest" thing seems to work, doesn't cost much either. No wonder the docs seem to prescribe it so often...

 

Nice to know you're healing.

[eccc whippet]

Interesting topic on SABC 3 this morning...concussions.

[Capricorn]

Interesting topic on SABC 3 this morning...concussions.

what's the gist of it? Still being romanticized as a some bizarre right of passage, or are they taking this seriously, to the point that concussion protocols filter right down into schools of all levels?

[eccc whippet]

what's the gist of it? Still being romanticized as a some bizarre right of passage, or are they taking this seriously, to the point that concussion protocols filter right down into schools of all levels?

i was surprised to hear the doc indicate that rugby players and actually monitored during  games and are removed if they shows signs of concussion. 

 

I speak from my own experience...the general public are not aware of how server or subtle a concussion can be...even after 5 visits back to my GP ..thank goodness i started this thread and taking advise from people commenting here.

 

i read some of the comments during and after the show...there are a lot of people suffering from concussions without being treated or advised correctly.

[Dazshell]

Interesting topic on SABC 3 this morning...concussions.

I was hoping you got to see that.  Very interesting.

[G.S.W]

Some interesting reading!

 

Unfortunately didn't try it as I only came across it well after my incident.

 

Took 26 months to get back to the new normal but still have zero sense of smell which the family find quite funny as I have a rather large nose! 

 

https://www.perfectketo.com/ketosis-brain-trauma/

[eccc whippet]

a pathetic 3.43 shova later...i walk away from the finish line and started feeling like i was going to fall over...ate my oats before the ride and a banana...fueled while on the ride..jam sarmies...a banana etc...including a mix drink (hydration) during the ride...but that wasnt my concern...i started experiencing the same blurred vision as i did after the bump on the head...it was'nt that bad that i could join the ladies and gents for the gathering organised by our club (thanks to ECCC)...it was only my left eye. 

 

i left the gathering and headed straight to the ER...decided it was time to sort out this *** ...no matter what it took or how long....told the quack the whole story...starting with the fall in Feb this year...then left the doc to run a series of tests (not the same doctor who i have been back to 5 times now already)

 

After listening to the whole story and completed the tests and checks...the  ER doctor indicated that there was no need for a scan of any sort....i also pointed out the pain i experience in my neck...which i am concerned about because i hurt my left and right side of the shoulder...she indicated it must be just muscle related and should get a bit of rubbing done.

 

The only test she did ...which the other doctor didnt do...check inside my eyes with a bright light...when she checked the inside of my right eye (the good one) ...no discomfort experienced...as soon as she started the left eye test...it felt like she was using a laser...it started burning the crap out of my eye.

 

The ER doctor has advised that i go see an eye shrink and have my left eye checked out properly...she asked me if i wear glasses...i advised her that i havent been for an eye test in 5 years...i just go to dischem look at the small print on the label and buy pile of the cheapie flexible arm reading glasses...she believes this could be my problem...i am putting way tooo much strain on my eyes using these glasses...as a result when i push myself to the limit...it could be affecting my eyes.

 

She also indicated that the dizzyness i am experiencing could be could just be an electrolyte imbalance....she did a blood sugar test...the result 6.7 ...considering i had just eaten and drank one of the super charged energy drinks...is normal. 

 

So now that i have had a second opinion...it seems it is not as bad as i thought...maybe i should just toughen up a bit.

[Piernas Flacas]

I added one more to my collection on Tuesday. Not too bad but I'm still feeling a bit drowsy. I'll back-off from riding for a couple of weeks