Concussions

Any more threads on this topic today? I'm up to three from you.

SVmikeAny more threads on this topic today? I'm up to three from you.

Hit tab unknowing it was posting :S #newtoNS

Rugby & Competitive sailing eh? After your concussion, your brain will develop an overwhelming fear of skiing, the only way to overcome that fear would be to purchase all new equipment. Take a few days off skiing while waiting for your new skis to come in the mail. BTW, since you're getting new skis, you should totally donate your old ones to me. PM me and I'll send you my address.

Had a few in my life, mostly recent. School got a lot harder after the last bad one.

I've never had one. They definitely scare me a little bit but I've kinda learned in life that intelligence doesn't really translate to happiness so I'm not willing to give in to fear of concussions over the awesomeness of skiing and other action sports.

bighomieflockI've never had one. They definitely scare me a little bit but I've kinda learned in life that intelligence doesn't really translate to happiness so I'm not willing to give in to fear of concussions over the awesomeness of skiing and other action sports.

Not even if you knew the risk was high?

I've had seven known concussions. Three were from skiing, three from MTB, and one from soccer.
In my smaller concussions I limited my exposure to loud sounds and harsh lighting, drank lots of water and just waited them out. Two of my biking ones were pretty bad, I was confused for ~ a week. First one I hit a tree in a race and broke my helmet, second one I lost traction on roots and was sent over an edge. Those times I had to make sure my physical exertion wasn't too much.
I had a TBI from skiing (almost) three years ago, and I'm still affected by it. That was over 8 months of my life lost, a diagnosis of PCS with traits of PTSD. I had to lay in pitch black rooms and listen to classical music to stimulate my brain, but not over stimulate it. It was hell for my family and myself.

ImmasI had a TBI from skiing (almost) three years ago, and I'm still affected by it. That was over 8 months of my life lost, a diagnosis of PCS with traits of PTSD. I had to lay in pitch black rooms and listen to classical music to stimulate my brain, but not over stimulate it. It was hell for my family and myself.

How did you manage that one?

CAUTION "THINKING" OUT LOUD

It's scary shit. I thought the one before my last one was pretty bad. Had bad headaches for 6 months, once in a while for a year, and then sometimes even after that. It's been 8 months since my last head injury. Things still aren't even close to right. It's pretty fucked up and scary to think about.

I can walk well now, but still can't run or jump around(not that my knees were any good anyway) Can't listen to music with headphones, can't be around loud noises. The vibration from people who stomp around instead of walking on any floor that isn't solid bothers my head.

Always carefully choosing my steps. Have to be pretty fucking paranoid walking around on snow and ice now.

Still hoping to be like 90% in the spring at some point and maybe be able to drink a beer or 2 again sometime. Would be pretty nice. Even just like no more than a few beers a day kind of thing. Hell even just one beer, one decent beer. Hell even no beer and feeling some kind of normal again and having brain function in the return of normal.

Fuck head injuries.

Actually avoiding watching the crash reel for a while. When I went to NZ for early summer it was available on the plane. It was pretty intense. The movie is intense in general but it definitely spoke to me. It also made me realize that I'm lucky that my brain isn't way more fucked. Compared to lots of other people, I'm in pretty good shape.

I was in rough shape on the plane ride though. Head injury the day after I get a job in NZ. Wasn't sure if I could work and support myself over there, wasn't even sure if I could deal with flying. Was stressed about a lot of things. On the flight I had time to watch that and also think about a lot of things. Try and set things right in my head and figure out what I wanted to do, what I needed to do to accomplish goals, and make peace at least as best as I could with the past.

Idk. It's just scary to think that a normal day at the hill could be your last. On the plus I've grown less frustrated and more motivated. I decided not to stop skiing/snowboarding. Not to stop working in the parks. Not to stop riding the parks. With that I'm getting risky but it's what I want to do. Being reminded that life can be short has me motivated to try and do as much as I can while I'm spinning around on this rock in space. Spring 2009 was the first time I realized my own mortality at least had it in the forefront of my mind. Since then I haven't lived perfectly but I've done a lot, seen a lot, met thousands of great people along the way. In a sense some of the shit that I spent months wishing to find a time machine and change things, might have been blessings in a sense.

Life isn't always perfect, sometimes it sucks, but would you really want to change anything? It's the mold that produced you, led you to any of the friends around you, the mountains you've skied etc. I say fuck it, the past is the past and the future is a clean slate. Party on Wayne, party on Garth...

BlurstHow did you manage that one?

A snowboarder hit me a moguled run while I was teaching my class. Slammed the top of a mogul pretty hard, and blacked out. Broke my helmet, and had indents inside of where my head hit.

theabortionatorActually avoiding watching the crash reel for a while. When I went to NZ for early summer it was available on the plane. It was pretty intense. The movie is intense in general but it definitely spoke to me. It also made me realize that I'm lucky that my brain isn't way more fucked. Compared to lots of other people, I'm in pretty good shape.

I still haven't been able to finish that movie, gets too real for me. I had a panic attack the first time I tried to watch it.

Once I caught an edge wakeboarding and managed to jab the side of my head hard with the tail of the board.

Whole thing was a blur, I remember some blood, but I was kind of in the middle of nowhere so I didn't really get it checked out. Bad choice in hindsight. Still a decent scar there, haha. Might have chopped the tip of my ear off if it'd came any lower.

theabortionatorCAUTION "THINKING" OUT LOUD

It's scary shit. I thought the one before my last one was pretty bad. Had bad headaches for 6 months, once in a while for a year, and then sometimes even after that. It's been 8 months since my last head injury. Things still aren't even close to right. It's pretty fucked up and scary to think about.

I can walk well now, but still can't run or jump around(not that my knees were any good anyway) Can't listen to music with headphones, can't be around loud noises. The vibration from people who stomp around instead of walking on any floor that isn't solid bothers my head.

Always carefully choosing my steps. Have to be pretty fucking paranoid walking around on snow and ice now.

Still hoping to be like 90% in the spring at some point and maybe be able to drink a beer or 2 again sometime. Would be pretty nice. Even just like no more than a few beers a day kind of thing. Hell even just one beer, one decent beer. Hell even no beer and feeling some kind of normal again and having brain function in the return of normal.

Fuck head injuries.

Actually avoiding watching the crash reel for a while. When I went to NZ for early summer it was available on the plane. It was pretty intense. The movie is intense in general but it definitely spoke to me. It also made me realize that I'm lucky that my brain isn't way more fucked. Compared to lots of other people, I'm in pretty good shape.

I was in rough shape on the plane ride though. Head injury the day after I get a job in NZ. Wasn't sure if I could work and support myself over there, wasn't even sure if I could deal with flying. Was stressed about a lot of things. On the flight I had time to watch that and also think about a lot of things. Try and set things right in my head and figure out what I wanted to do, what I needed to do to accomplish goals, and make peace at least as best as I could with the past.

Idk. It's just scary to think that a normal day at the hill could be your last. On the plus I've grown less frustrated and more motivated. I decided not to stop skiing/snowboarding. Not to stop working in the parks. Not to stop riding the parks. With that I'm getting risky but it's what I want to do. Being reminded that life can be short has me motivated to try and do as much as I can while I'm spinning around on this rock in space. Spring 2009 was the first time I realized my own mortality at least had it in the forefront of my mind. Since then I haven't lived perfectly but I've done a lot, seen a lot, met thousands of great people along the way. In a sense some of the shit that I spent months wishing to find a time machine and change things, might have been blessings in a sense.

Life isn't always perfect, sometimes it sucks, but would you really want to change anything? It's the mold that produced you, led you to any of the friends around you, the mountains you've skied etc. I say fuck it, the past is the past and the future is a clean slate. Party on Wayne, party on Garth...

Damn... this was actually mind opening.

Do you guys have mixed feelings about answering a question like this online or even admitting to having had multiple concussions? As more and more info comes out more of the public is aware of the potentially serious and long lasting affects of a concussion. On the one hand it would be nice for everyone to share so as much info as possible. On the other hand it is worrisome that sharing about ones own concussion could lead to discrimination in the workplace.

OregonDeadDo you guys have mixed feelings about answering a question like this online or even admitting to having had multiple concussions? As more and more info comes out more of the public is aware of the potentially serious and long lasting affects of a concussion. On the one hand it would be nice for everyone to share so as much info as possible. On the other hand it is worrisome that sharing about ones own concussion could lead to discrimination in the workplace.

Absolutely. There is no way I will share every detail of my injury. I have the option to inform my employers about the trauma I've suffred however I don't disclose unless I feel my job is triggering or could effect my condition.

OregonDeadDo you guys have mixed feelings about answering a question like this online or even admitting to having had multiple concussions? As more and more info comes out more of the public is aware of the potentially serious and long lasting affects of a concussion. On the one hand it would be nice for everyone to share so as much info as possible. On the other hand it is worrisome that sharing about ones own concussion could lead to discrimination in the workplace.

I'm pretty sure all the other stuff I've posted on here would fuck me over far before anything about my concussions.

Also if my employer cares enough to search online forums and trying to connect me to the people on there, good for them. I don't care.

I would laugh if I was ever asked to explain my icon and username by an employer.

Concussions blow and have lasting effects far after you think you've healed physically. Last winter I fell ten or fifteen feet to flat on my head on a sketchy backflip gone wrong, and blacked out. I woke up with no idea what happened, went home, vomitted, passed out, and had constant neck pain for the next five months.

Even after the physical pain had left, I wasn't totally right mentally. I was depressed for months afterwards, and only recently have felt 100%. The whole experience made me take a step back and realize that - wow - I'be done some stupid shit and should consider myself lucky to even be alive. I still throw down but I'm more careful about taking uneccesary risks.

Only 18% of votes have had no concussions, that's a lot lower than I expected.

What I'm interested in is: of that 82% with concussions, what percentage of those were while wearing a helmet?

dyyylanOnly 18% of votes have had no concussions, that's a lot lower than I expected.

What I'm interested in is: of that 82% with concussions, what percentage of those were while wearing a helmet?

All of my recent ones snowboarding/skiing were. When I was little I didn't where a helmet but nobody did.

I'd say 75% + with a helmet. It's hard to remember.

dyyylanOnly 18% of votes have had no concussions, that's a lot lower than I expected.

What I'm interested in is: of that 82% with concussions, what percentage of those were while wearing a helmet?

All of mine (except for the soccer one) have been with helmets. Pretty sure I got some minor ones in hockey as well, but they were never diagnosed. Had helmets on then too

theabortionatorI'm pretty sure all the other stuff I've posted on here would fuck me over far before anything about my concussions.

Also if my employer cares enough to search online forums and trying to connect me to the people on there, good for them. I don't care.

I would laugh if I was ever asked to explain my icon and username by an employer.

I appreciate that you've always been so willing to share. Best wishes to you and everyone that has to deal with concussions. Every concussion is it's own unique road and the only advice I can give is to keep on truckin'. The world is always in flux and it is always worth it to live on to see what the next day will bring.

dyyylanOnly 18% of votes have had no concussions, that's a lot lower than I expected.

What I'm interested in is: of that 82% with concussions, what percentage of those were while wearing a helmet?

My one and only concussion was from a bad crash bmx racing, I was wearing a full face at the time. Finished the race, blacked out, woke up in the track office. Threw up. Couldn't remember the previous 5hrs or so. I'm fairly certain that without the helmet I'd be seriously brain damaged, I was sent face first into the lip of a step-up going pretty damn fast.

dyyylanOnly 18% of votes have had no concussions, that's a lot lower than I expected.

What I'm interested in is: of that 82% with concussions, what percentage of those were while wearing a helmet?

I'm not trying to rehash the helmet debate, but I think its understood that if you're skiing at a high level (fast speeds/big hucks) that a helmet doesn't offer much protection. I'm pretty sure there was a study that came out in the last few years that said something to the effect that concussions in skiing have gone up despite more widespread use of helmets, which you can attribute to kids going bigger or better understanding of concussions. That being said, I have a very good friend who was in a crash and had a tbi, even though the helmet split it probably saved his life.

Anyway, excellent thread, just like good decisions in avi terrain lead to skiing another day, sometimes that huck to flat ice isn't worth it no matter how many people are looking.

dyyylanOnly 18% of votes have had no concussions, that's a lot lower than I expected.

What I'm interested in is: of that 82% with concussions, what percentage of those were while wearing a helmet?

I was wearing mine. Probably saved me from some serious brain damage

In my opinion, not wearing a helmet is personal choice, but in some cases like some of yours and Kevin's... it did save his life even though he did suffer a tbi

Ginger_GaperIn my opinion, not wearing a helmet is personal choice, but in some cases like some of yours and Kevin's... it did save his life even though he did suffer a tbi

There's no doubt wearing a helmet saved my life. Granted, I got a TBI, but without it I would have died. I also had a spine guard on, that probably played some role in protection