C'mon Fox, use your head!
You get two eyes, two kidneys, two lungs; you can live without one. You only get ONE BRAIN!!.
A girl I fly with fell while hiking, concussion; probably not as bad as yours. Two weeks on the couch, no noise, no excitement, no jostling around, no TV. This is serious stuff man. Want Mrs. Trapper to spend her golden years taking care of a 170 lb. tomato?
Wow, Fox, I am really sorry to hear about the crash. Could it have been a high-side launch?
I've been off the board for a while, with getting the kids off to college, etc., but something told me to c'mon back. Take your time and get better at whatever pace your body allows. I know from experience that my vintage 50's body take some time to heal. Heal correctly the first time; there is no need to rush. The world will be waiting for you.
In the mean time, we are all pulling for you. It'll get better every day.
Jack
Atelectasis on the lung. Partial dropped lung. Yup, you got banged up pretty good. Probably related to the ribs issue. Lucky you didn't get a chest tube. That's a phun one to do in the ER. Whack, stick finger in, swoosh finger, stick tube in, sew anchor, sticky dressing. Not much phun for the patient, I'm afraid, but beats dieing.
See if you can get ahold of the radiologist's reading on the head scan. That would be pretty informative for you.
Oh, and don't be stoopid about activity.
I don't know many here Foxtrapper,but I would not wish that on anyone,God bless you and I pray for your complete and speedy recovery,it's worse when loved ones don't know your sitrep,please get better soon ,best regards Shooter2003
Dr. Hess.
I've read that they think taking certain types of vitamins or eating certain foods can help with repair and recovering of brain damage and concussions. Any truth to those rumors?
Proper nutrition helps with all recoveries. As far as magic pills and foods, well, show me the data. A concussion is a brain bruise. It will just take time for that to resolve, and it sounds like FT got him a good one. Hey, Go Big or Go Home, huh?
Serious Question: How does taking it easy and sitting around help? I get that you shouldn't do things that need a helmet for any valid reason but... what about just doing things to keep from going mad? Doing laps in a pool, mowing the lawn (tractor ride), cleaning the garage, etc.
I didn't have nearly as bad an injury as FT but I got the same advice for a rap on the noggin that dilated my eyeballs. I had a concussion. Doctor says: No lifting, working out, no doing anything interesting... veg out for a week. I listened because my family made me. But, seriously, what difference does it make if you go do something vs nothing as long as you don't re-rap the noggin? My blood pressure cannot be lower trapped in the house with my family if we are talking risk of hemorrhage.
Well, conjecture here and I'm going to suggest anecdotal, but if you've got a bruise, that is, damaged tissue that's leaking, you want to not put any strain on it, especially physical strain. Bouncing around on a lawn tractor is going to jar it. Heavy thinking is going to make it try to work, suck in more blood (yea, I know of the BBB, but we're keeping it simple) for energy and generally putting a strain on it. Things like lifting/working out can boost your blood pressure, which you also don't necessarily want to do, although in an ICU environment you sometimes deliberately boost blood pressure if the patient's intercranial pressure is too high for blood to otherwise get up there.
What I really don't get is the "no thinking" part. Doubly so because it's true.
Earlier, serious thinking wasn't even possible. Later I could do it, but not sustain it (I'd just flake out and then nap for hours). But even now, after a few hours, I'll start slurring and getting confused and very tired.
I see lots of things saying "don't do it". I can rather understand why I can't do it (damage). but I find nothing on exactly why I shouldn't do it, and how it is going to damage me or set me back.
Not arguing the reality of it, just don't well understand it.
Do plan to ask the doctors Friday when I go for another visit.
Well phoey, that didn't go as well as I'd hoped. Now I get to go on to cognitive therapy, and maybe some physical therapy as well.
I was looking all spiffy for my follow-up visit with the trauma doctors. Then I rode the jerky elevator up to the office. And that's about all she wrote. I was back to slurring and stuttering, and the lights were unpleasant, the world kept flipping and my ears were shrieking. ARG! Got home and took a nap for a few hours. Then went to bed and slept for another 10.
They said it's not at all un-typical of a closed head trauma. Just that I'm still pretty darn sensitive to being joggled. We also discussed my MS, and the brain damage I've got from that, as well my unofficial tinitus. And who's aggravating whom, and who knows, but that it all needs to be dealt with. So, to therapy I go!
So, very cautious limited driving now, limited working from home. Even have a work note for this now (building up quite the pile). I can keep doing the physical activities, as long as I take it easy.
Dr Hess, got hold of the admission reports on me. Including the reviews of the cat scan of my head. Nothing. No blood, no swelling. Everything is normal and well maintained. Which the trauma doctors and PA treating me now all say is good, but doesn't mean I didn't get a heck of a concussion, and that yep, I've got the troubles I've got. Is there anything in particular I should look for, or would you like me to type out from the reports?
Ouch! If a jerky elevator can bring back the symptoms that hard.....yeah, you need to take it easy. There are plenty of things out there that are a lot worse than an elevator.
So...going to ride with a full face helmet on your Geezerglide now? 
ddavidv wrote: So...going to ride with a full face helmet on your Geezerglide n ow?
I'd been seriously considering it. kep trying to find a modular I like but haven't. might end up street riding with a motocross helmet. at least they have the chin bar further away and ventilate pretty well.
Just look at the findings section on the CT scan report. And I would look specifically for the report from the radiologist, not the trauma team, which is just going to summarize the other report if it was even available at the time. Trauma team is like "can't see anything really bad and going to kill him right now." Radiologist who looks at it a day or two later in a lot of detail: "there's a little doink right here."
Late to the party, glad things are improving Foxy one.
Small steps brother
Fox and others whom have had concussions.
I no longer work / own a bike shop but I STRONGLY suggest you look deep in to the new tech coming out for helmets. We are learning more and more every year how devastating head wounds are,and how easly you can get your next one. 6D helmets has one heck of a suspension for the head, Yes very pricey BUT think of what you loose when you get another concussion! How many weeks of work income are lost etc. make the price tag much more reasonable. Some of this tech has been around a few years in other sports helmets like skiing is just making it to bike safety gear. It's worth a look but your not going to find it at a wall mart price.
http://www.6dhelmets.com/#!technology/c15pp
I can't wait for there street bike unit to come out.
In reply to 44Dwarf:
Compared to the price of a lot of the higher end helmets that don't have that technology the 6d helmet is a bargain!
didn't see any full face helmets ... maybe I missed them
In reply to wbjones: There is RD now with street helmet (full face) The impact forces and rotation forces need to be studied along with shell shape before they go to market etc.
I'm hoping that it comes out before the next race season. I've had a few mild whacks to the head but never been Diagnosed as "Concussion" but everything I've read say once you get one the next one is much easier to get with more side effects.
thanks Dwarf .... looking for a replacement for my TT/Chump/Lemons helmet ...
with the R&D going on now ... do you think they will come pre-drilled for H&N restraints ?
About 4 years ago, I crashed and got a concussion. I didn't know it at the time, and kept riding. I finished out the season always feeling like I was coming down with something, not even thinking concussion. Over the winter, the symptoms went away, and on my first ride of the season, I fell over in a turn, hit my head and couldn't get up. I still rode the rest of the day, but when I got home, (and feeling like I was coming down with something again), I finally figured out what was happening and went to the hospital. That was 3 years ago, and I'm still not right. In fact, I'm only now realizing just how not right I've been, and made an appointment to see the doc. It can be a slow recovery, so you need to be really patient. I know it's not easy, but you really have no choice.
In reply to wbjones:
Not sure. But you should send a request to them! As with most companies if they get multiple request they will likely develop a product to suit the needs.
That's not that expensive a helmet. It certainly looks interesting, but I'm somewhat skeptical of its effectiveness. Not saying phewy or such, Just a "hmm" sort of thing. I'd love to try one on before comitting.
I've had some concussions before, at least three that I can think of. All as a youngster, which I haven't been for many a decade now. None were fun, but none were anywhere near as debilitating as this one has been. Well, the infant one maybe. That one apparently left me limp for quite a while.
The paperwork fun has begun. Bills, insurance, work. Bills that make no sense. Insurance that doesn't want to cover anything. Work that seems hellbent on unpaid leave. Six hours today reading regulations, writing letters, filling out forms, etc. Yetch! Think I'll go puke and take a nap.
foxtrapper wrote:ddavidv wrote: So...going to ride with a full face helmet on your Geezerglide n ow?I'd been seriously considering it. kep trying to find a modular I like but haven't. might end up street riding with a motocross helmet. at least they have the chin bar further away and ventilate pretty well.
I rallyx in the dirt car (chicken wire windshield) with a moto helmet and a keiffyeh over my mouth. No problems wet or dry.
I've been talking to plenty of people in accidents lately, some car, some bike, that have epilepsy because of them. I'm glad so far there have been no problems of that magnitude for you.
Fox this one so bad partly due to the old ones from what I've read it like a bungey cord you streach it a few time with in reson no big deal but pull to the max it never queit the same still works but each time to use it it get a little less strenght. Never buy any saftey gear with out trying it on. Can't belive how many helments are sold on-line with out proper fitting, when i worked at a bike shop as a kid i had to sit in a class for four hours learning how to fit a person to a helmet....but to many just want this or that graphics package.....
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