Jump to content
Note to New Members ×

Your mom called, and wanted me to remind you to wear your helmet!


~tb

Recommended Posts

Alright BOL folks. Pull out all those tiny violins.

I managed to crash off the trail somehow on Saturday and end up in the woods. Grade 2 to grade 3 concussion depending on who's scale you use. Still no recolection of 20 hours before or 10 thereafter. Most of January is cloudy at best.

No I do not know what happened

Yes I was wearing my helmet

Yes I was riding alone

I witness reports don't make sense to me

Long story short, ride with a friend, and wear a helmet, no if's and's or buts.

If we spoke in the month of January and there was no written record, please assume it didn't take place.

Be safe out there!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 53
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Sorry to hear about you jostling your brain,TB. I knocked myself out-cold two years back in the terrain-park on a Prior 181 WCR(alcohol may have been involved)....I had a killer headache for a week straight,so I'm assuming I had some sort of concussion.Anyway,My doting mother buys me a helmet last Xmas that I won't wear due to poor fit.I really have to stop talking about it and just buy one I like.I make my two kids wear 'em while skiing......time to stop being a hypocrite and find one that fits my noodle.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I defiantly resisted helmets until three years ago. I was bombing full tilt off a steep section and encountered some unseen rollers that were washed out in blinding sunlight. Caught the front edge and whipsawed into the hardpack in a classic faceplant. I laid there seeing stars for a few seconds. I sat up and passed the head trauma orientation test administered by my girlfriend and continued riding. My skull had served as an adequate helmet, but on the way home I stopped and bought me a proper helmet.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm glad you're ok. I blasted myself in the bumps when I got back on the board and had the tail kick out just as I went over a mogul, the first thing to hit the ground was my cheek. I was out for about 20 min and I recall having some weird visions. Afterwards I had to drive myself home after a chat with ski patrol. It's my worst injury so far on a board but that's not from a lack of trying.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

TB, sorry to hear about your accident. Glad you are not more seriously injured. It is not over. Ask your family and friends to keep an eye on you for a while. Months from now, if you find you have issues (anger, lack of concentration, forgetfullnes) don't try to hide it or blow it off. Let your Dr. know. :ices_ange Either that or you are just a grumpy old dummy. (like me) :eplus2:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

tb and his TBI, bad stuff. side-on impact?

got any pics of your helmet, which we trust is being replaced?

I have absolutely no recollection of what happened at all. Completely blank. Dont remember getting dressed, getting to the hill, the lift up, the run, the conditions. . .not a thing.

I have a primal need to know what happened.

The helmet shows almost no wear. I think I might take it apart tomorrow as my neurologist is encouraging me NOT to work.

Regardless, as I am a safety first kind of person, yes, the helmet will be replaced before I am allowed back on the hill.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

+1 on what Bryan said, especially the anger part. I was not myself for a long time after my head shot, then one day about 6 mos later, I let a really good sarcastic zinger fly at a coworker and knew I was back to normal. I still have no recollection of what happened 4 years later, other than what I was able to piece together from misc. bumps, bruises and broken equipment.

mario

Link to comment
Share on other sites

and I mean that literally. I did the same thing a number of years ago (or at least I am told I did something very similar but I have lost about 3 - 4 minutes of memory permanently). Fortunately there were witnesses to tell me what happened. Unfortunately, one of them was my wife. So I do know that I tackled a large maple tree but, curiously, there was very minor damage to my helmet. I sustained a broken collar bone but did not determine this for 2 weeks after. My Coiler was also a casualty, oddly losing all its camber (I mean absolutely flat) and becoming unridable in the process.

I continue to be an advocate for helmets. This could happen to anyone and the head trauma could be much much worse than just a concussion and some memory loss. If don't already ride with one, stop making excuses and get one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The great news is you're alive and will get better, the good news is that you can always ride next year and to everyone's points here, don't ignore odd behavior and rush to do anything that you're not ready for. Been here-knocked out cold, in a helmet, didn't acknowledge signs and have some definite blank spots that are gone forever. Thankful for the helmet and won't ride or ski without one. Hope you take it easy and get back on snow soon.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tb, glad you're ok, and sorry for your (memory) loss.

One other thing for us to keep in mind is that if your helmet's been hit hard, even if damage isn't visible to the shell or inside, it should be replaced. I just bought my son a new one after a spill he took in which his helmet saved his noggin. Ditto with my bike helmet, just replaced it the other day after one too many whacks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey, I'm glad you are in one piece!

Helmet is a must!

After few decades without concussions, I had 4 last spring/summer, every next one was worse then previous, nausea for few days, headaches, yet no memory loss.

First 2 were in the spring, on snowboard riding switch in bad snow, with helmet. Then in the summer, my little son jumped into water head-to-head onto me. He came out unsheaken, but almost drown me... Last one was a weird slip getting into a car on rain-flooded street. Big bang to the head, knee, elbow and dent in the car!

Headache still visits every now and then...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

~tb

- Glad you're ok!

I just related a similar, although seemingly not as serious, accident I had this last Saturday on the YO LCI! thread. I was only unconscience for a few seconds and lost only a little of my memory of the day, but the whole weekend is blurry and still have a ringing inmy ears.

Our helmets may have very well saved our lives!

No violins, just empathy!

I've been riding motorcycles for over 40 years (raced 20+) and seeing first-hand numerous lives saved by helmets, I'll never ride without one! Snow or asphalt!

Hope you feel better soon!

James

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ouch... I have been wearing a brain bucket since 95'. A skate helmet but a helmet none the less. Bono and Kennedy ate trees the following years. I have never "needed" mine but have always forgotten it was on moments after strapping the chin. I have seen many who wished they had done the same, a couple post-mortem. Glad to hear you were not picking up gray matter. I upgraded to a Ruroc full face this season but it had a defect and is under warranty. Wear protection, even on the hill:biggthump

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We'd all like to think that helmets make us unbreakable. Unfortunately as your episode shows, they do not.

There are riders that wear helmets religiously and those that refuse to. No amount of information will convert them.

I never want to say "I wish I had been wearing my helmet".

Heal fast and completely.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

you know, I always explain to the non-helmet mindset that you don't wear a helmet to save your head, you wear it to save your arms. I get that puzzled look, of course.... Then explain that when you catch your back edge and you know you are going to take a massive head shot, with a helmet you just grimace,,,, without a helmet you instinctively stick an arm behind you to protect your head. And then you have broken bones or a dislocated shoulder and your season(s) are done.

of course a helmet lets you ride so much faster too. its way better than fresh wax :biggthump

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On Sept. 9, we were camping in Sam Houston state park, just north of Helltown...Sam Houston has lots of pine trees but it's pretty flat. After Sam and I had spent about 3 hours kayaking around the lake, we headed back and I told my Nintendo DS playing kids to do something. Tim got on his bike to go biking with Sam while I decided to start dinner. I had forgotten to bring the helmets but Sam assured me he was going to stick to some easy flat trails. Needless to say, Tim hit a root and careened into a tree and had to sit out the rest of football season because he'd fractured his skull....and, yes, we drove him to the ER after packing up camp because I, with my medical training, ATLS, 10 years ER experience and 22 years total medical experience, thought he just had a concussion....(this is a reference to the Sugarloaf widow's experience with the EMTs and clinic personnel-it can happen anywhere)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.




  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...