Concussion experiences

apex
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apex
So I rang my bell 2 and a half weeks ago, I wasn't unconscious but had some peripheral vision trouble for like 20 minutes after that. No throwing up, not even an upset stomach. Just a very slight headache in the evening, but I have that quite often after riding (probably a little low on magnesium). Being the dumb kid I am, I attempted to ride the 2nd moto as my vision cleared up, but I was just too slow and dizzy and pulled out.
I slowly got back into light sport, but unfortunately I thought that mental effort was good so I played a bunch of video games and felt a little dizzy. So basically I didn't recover correctly. Tried to ride yesterday again but still didn't feel perfectly right, but it's really really hard to tell with all the adrenaline. During jogging a week ago (another dumb action) I could easily feel the dizziness and mental exhaustion (think like the mental state you're in when the heart rate is up in the 190s for a long time). On the bike however it's hard to say if it's only in my head.
Now what's your experience, I read that in like 90% of cases you're all good to go after 2 weeks, so I'm super bummed that I apparently still have symptoms?
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chump6784
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chump6784 6/27/2019 12:06am
6/27/2019 12:06am
My last concussion was by far my worst, crashed at 11am and don't remember anything until 8pm that night. Spent the next 2 weeks walking around like i was drunk and serious short term memory loss. Took a few months off riding and anything strenuous. Also no alcohol, 1 beer and I would feel like a space cadet.
Take it easy, head injures are no joke
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avidchimp
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avidchimp 6/27/2019 12:11am
6/27/2019 12:11am
I've rung my bell too many times which is why my riding is very limited nowadays. I had two really bad ones about 6 weeks apart from each other and that was what made me throw in the towel.

After the last one I got home from Sunrise and took a shower, got really hot and light headed and tried to get out as fast as possible. As I opened the shower door I passed out and came about 4 inches from hitting my head on the toilet as I fell. I was out for a good 15 minutes, girlfriend was losing her shit.

Head injuries are the worst of the worst and need to be taken seriously. I suffer short term memory loss in a bad way. I'm good at my job, but when it comes to talks with family and friends about things I forget a ton of shit.
#434
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#434 6/27/2019 12:35am
6/27/2019 12:35am
Had one same as you. Not knocked out, no throwing up, problems with my eyes. Went home felt very slow and groggy. Next day the problems with my eye came back, I went to the hospital and they saw small internal bleeding in the brain on the CT-scan. Took me two weeks to feel ok, six weeks to feel normal.
Most important thing is to take everything easy and to get enough rest until you feel like your old self again. This goes for everything, not only riding.
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apex
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apex 6/27/2019 1:34am
6/27/2019 1:34am
#434 wrote:
Had one same as you. Not knocked out, no throwing up, problems with my eyes. Went home felt very slow and groggy. Next day the problems...
Had one same as you. Not knocked out, no throwing up, problems with my eyes. Went home felt very slow and groggy. Next day the problems with my eye came back, I went to the hospital and they saw small internal bleeding in the brain on the CT-scan. Took me two weeks to feel ok, six weeks to feel normal.
Most important thing is to take everything easy and to get enough rest until you feel like your old self again. This goes for everything, not only riding.
Unfortunately I wasn't smart enough to go to the hospital imediately, as I believed that they couldn't do anything anyways. From what I understand now it's too late now though, as there is only a possibility to see it after 7-10 days...

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T-Fish
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T-Fish 6/27/2019 3:01am
6/27/2019 3:01am
I’ve had several over the years. The last one I got was snowmobiling. I don’t know if I was knocked out, but I don’t remember a lot of what happened afterwards. The next day I was brutally sore, threw up all day, and just felt like I was dying. I had dizzy spells for the next 7-8 months, several of them each day.

The one prior to that, I was knocked out for about 12 minutes. I remember a little bit about the ambulance, but that’s about it until the next day when I went to work. They sent me home because I couldn’t hardly walk a straight line.

I had a few prior to the above one, but they weren’t as severe.

Another memorable (hardy har har) one was when I swapped going down a hill. I don’t remember a thing, but I was told that I sat on my bike for more than two hours just off of the track watching riders go by while I tried to start my bike. Thankfully, I somehow managed to damage the kill switch and my bike wouldn’t start. Probably a blessing.
Casting
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Casting 6/27/2019 3:27am
6/27/2019 3:27am
It's never too late to see a doctor.

Rest, rest, and more rest. Do not elevate your heart rate. Limit screen time.

While the concussion itself will faded, the cognitive and emotional symptoms can last much longer.

Mine did.

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sandtrack315
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sandtrack315 6/27/2019 3:38am
6/27/2019 3:38am
It can take much longer than two weeks to feel normal. Do not rush it. I’d take at least two months away from any activity that risks another concussion.
floridaflash
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floridaflash 6/27/2019 4:33am
6/27/2019 4:33am
I encourage everyone in moto to read Dale Jrs. book, it is very enlightening about the process of dealing with head injuries.
TE333
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TE333 6/27/2019 5:10am
6/27/2019 5:10am
I went down hard a few years ago and knocked my self out cold. When I woke up from the fall I was in the hospital. I received a concussion and tore some muscles in my eye. It was no joke. I had seizures for awhile till the doc got me on some meds that worked. Off bike for over a year.
shaffstall721 6/27/2019 5:36am
6/27/2019 5:36am
Just chill out for a few more weeks, you will be fine.

No working out, riding, or anything to get your heart rate going, just normal daily activities.

Video games after concussion are never good, I noticed this when I was like 12.



mulletracer
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mulletracer 6/27/2019 5:55am
6/27/2019 5:55am
avidchimp wrote:
I've rung my bell too many times which is why my riding is very limited nowadays. I had two really bad ones about 6 weeks apart...
I've rung my bell too many times which is why my riding is very limited nowadays. I had two really bad ones about 6 weeks apart from each other and that was what made me throw in the towel.

After the last one I got home from Sunrise and took a shower, got really hot and light headed and tried to get out as fast as possible. As I opened the shower door I passed out and came about 4 inches from hitting my head on the toilet as I fell. I was out for a good 15 minutes, girlfriend was losing her shit.

Head injuries are the worst of the worst and need to be taken seriously. I suffer short term memory loss in a bad way. I'm good at my job, but when it comes to talks with family and friends about things I forget a ton of shit.
I had a similar experience, almost like I was black out drunk for 7 hours. Don't remember anything during that time. My family said I was walking around and talking but I made very little sense.
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lumpy790
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lumpy790 6/27/2019 6:04am
6/27/2019 6:04am
In 3 weeks July 21st will be 2 years. I do not remember 3 weeks in the hospital or the life flight to hospital but doing pretty dam good now and will be on meds for the rest of my life Could have been a lot worse but the guy is in prison for it.
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WW444
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WW444 6/27/2019 6:12am
6/27/2019 6:12am
I high sided through some rollers back in April of 2016 and never went out or anything but saw a torn jagged line in my vision right after and experienced what doctors told me was an opthomal migraine for the next several weeks after. All that cleared up and then about 4 months after the crash, I started having these spells of just feeling weird and dizzy. Especially after riding or doing something active. Well I saw my doctor, ENT, and even a Neurologist. We couldn't find anything wrong or a cause of the problem. I still deal with it to this day. I think it may be some weird form of anxiety but I have never had it anxiety problem or anything. Maybe it stems from the crash? My doctor had me try zoloft and I took it once and the side effects were so damn rough on me I never tried that shit again. It made it worse even. So i just take it day by day. I still ride and everything but feel I can't lay it down like I use to.
tingo
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tingo 6/27/2019 6:16am
6/27/2019 6:16am
lumpy790 wrote:
In 3 weeks July 21st will be 2 years. I do not remember 3 weeks in the hospital or the life flight to hospital but doing...
In 3 weeks July 21st will be 2 years. I do not remember 3 weeks in the hospital or the life flight to hospital but doing pretty dam good now and will be on meds for the rest of my life Could have been a lot worse but the guy is in prison for it.
Lumpy were you the dude on the hood of the car? I think it was on here that someone posted pics of some nut that drive into them after a fender bender, but I can’t remember (no pun intended.)
fanger
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fanger 6/27/2019 6:17am
6/27/2019 6:17am
Yep had a good knock a few weeks ago and still fucked in the head, I’d rather snap an arm than get a concussion.
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Casting
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Casting 6/27/2019 7:01am
6/27/2019 7:01am
Taking time to heal is important, however, shout out to all you crazy bastards who don't let injuries or pain stop you from riding and enjoying the sport we love.

I love this community for the support people show and for having a sense of belonging with people who get back up when they fall down.

Hope everyone who has experienced a concussion is healing and getting back to normal.

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Mr. Info
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Mr. Info 6/27/2019 7:05am
6/27/2019 7:05am
It’s not best to compare concussions because each persons level of impact to cause lasting effects can vary. It’s best to get checked if you have any sort of head to ground or violent neck whipping especially as we age. But any age needs to be checked. IMO
usafwx
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usafwx 6/27/2019 11:36am
6/27/2019 11:36am Edited Date/Time 6/27/2019 11:37am
Have had a few diggers and a few concussions when I was still riding, havent been for awhile now, but currently doing my VA disability claim and TBI was mentioned since I claimed concussions from a few bad getoffs while active duty. After speaking with the doc doing the TBI testing he mentioned something that never really occured to me and that alot of concussions / TBIs may not show any damage or effects till years later, he's seen things such as changes in personality, increased anxiety, decision making processes being impacted, etc. Just be mindful as you continue as I am starting to link some of my own issues as a result of TBI / concussions during my moto life. Don't push it and heal up fast!
Moto520
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Moto520 6/27/2019 11:48am
6/27/2019 11:48am
I broke my wrist and got knocked the F out last year. I was out for a couple of minutes which was really scary. I got checked out immediately (because i broke my wrist badly and was already in the hospital) and was fine. Very scary. Take a couple weeks off just to be safe, check/ replace the helmet, get checked out if you have any ongoing symptoms, then go back to riding.

I tend to freak out every time i hit my head whether it's a big one or not. Sometimes it's not as big of a hit as you think.
philG
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philG 6/27/2019 2:08pm
6/27/2019 2:08pm
Back in the day we were racing Supermoto in Belgium, USA v Europe, i had an AMA licence and got drafted in for Dave Sadowski who had to bail 2 days before, everyone and his dog was racing . Everts, Bervoerts, Schwantz, Scott Russel, Chris Carr, and numerous other names from MX and road race, and me making up the numbers,, wasnt slowest , but these boys were fast so not being last was a priority. One of my team mates decides to crash in front of me on the first lap, his bike hits the wall and comes back into the track and wipes me out, i hit the deck hard, get up, restart the bike ride to pit lane , and get the brake lever sorted , and finish the race , ride the slow down lap back to the start , pull up behind Everts, who won, and my crew come over and ask if im ok.. i dont even know who i am , im sat there with all these famous racers in my kit, so i must be somebody right ? Errr nope.. I got helped off the bike and to the podium for the team photo, then off to the med centre.. When i got back to the truck, i thought the nanny we had at the time was my wife, (despite the wife being with me in the med centre) and didnt know who my kids were... went to the after race party , but honestly, i only know this because i was told afterwards.. took 3 weeks to feel properly right , felt like i was watching a video of someone elses life every day .

Falcon
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Falcon 6/27/2019 3:20pm
6/27/2019 3:20pm
My only significant one was in 1999. I came up short on a long double and hit my head on the bars (I think.) I remember floating over the bars in a panic rev and then it fades to black. Don't remember the crash, being out for 5 minutes, or talking to the EMTs afterward. I came to while my buddy was walking me back to the pits. I was apparently talking and answering questions the whole time.
I never went to the doctor or anything. Fortunately, there have been no long-term issues from it.
Timo_2824
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Timo_2824 6/27/2019 4:21pm
6/27/2019 4:21pm
My last one was 2 years ago, I was out 15 minutes and was in a full body seizure and foaming at the mouth for about 8 of them. If I'm counting correctly it was my 8th one and the second time I've been knocked out. They definitely get worse with each one, and the side effects last longer. It took 4-5 months before I felt normal after that one, haven't raced since then either.
dimetime
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dimetime 6/27/2019 4:29pm
6/27/2019 4:29pm
Worst one was as a kid. Put a board up on a chain that divided a parking lot and intended to jump it to impress the boys. I guess l got way back and hit full speed before the board dropped as l hit it, went straight into the chain, over the bars and l pile drove face first into the asphalt. Scraped the shit out of my forehead and face and l guess l was out for a few too. I lost about twelve hours of memory. Came to eating Lucky Charms in front of the TV that night.

I've had a bunch more since then. There's all sorts of different ways to hit your head it seems. I do believe it has changed my personality and affected my memory. I wish we would have known earlier about the long term effects of head trauma. I always thought it just meant l was having as much fun as possible. A little scary going forward.
eric513anderson 6/27/2019 5:14pm
6/27/2019 5:14pm
I had a bad one a few years ago. I was knocked out for a few minutes and had a bruised hip bone and a busted collarbone that needed plated. I had some vision trouble for awhile after also. Everything on the edges seemed fuzzy and if I turned my head fast I would get hot and dizzy. I didn’t ride for about 3 months because of my surgery and healing time etc but after that I felt fine on the bike just skittish obviously. But all in all I wasn’t 100% back to normal for about 6 months. I had some memory loss for the time. You could tell me something and thirty seconds later it was like you never talked to me. Take it easy and let your body rest. Don’t try to rush back into it
motogrady
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motogrady 6/27/2019 5:23pm
6/27/2019 5:23pm
The last one I had I went over the bars at speed.
They said I was out cold for like 3 minutes, I think. I vaguely remember riding 2 motos that day.
Pretty sure I did. Found puke in the van the next day. Don't know where that came from.

What were we talking about?
tampabayjay 6/27/2019 5:29pm
6/27/2019 5:29pm
apex wrote:
So I rang my bell 2 and a half weeks ago, I wasn't unconscious but had some peripheral vision trouble for like 20 minutes after that...
So I rang my bell 2 and a half weeks ago, I wasn't unconscious but had some peripheral vision trouble for like 20 minutes after that. No throwing up, not even an upset stomach. Just a very slight headache in the evening, but I have that quite often after riding (probably a little low on magnesium). Being the dumb kid I am, I attempted to ride the 2nd moto as my vision cleared up, but I was just too slow and dizzy and pulled out.
I slowly got back into light sport, but unfortunately I thought that mental effort was good so I played a bunch of video games and felt a little dizzy. So basically I didn't recover correctly. Tried to ride yesterday again but still didn't feel perfectly right, but it's really really hard to tell with all the adrenaline. During jogging a week ago (another dumb action) I could easily feel the dizziness and mental exhaustion (think like the mental state you're in when the heart rate is up in the 190s for a long time). On the bike however it's hard to say if it's only in my head.
Now what's your experience, I read that in like 90% of cases you're all good to go after 2 weeks, so I'm super bummed that I apparently still have symptoms?
My last one was my worst. Two years later, I have zero memory of the entire day it happened and the following 3 days. I did see a neurologist and did brain MRI, which was negative. I sat around for a week with no tv, cell phone or computer. Took a week off of work thinking that would be enough. After about 3 to 4 weeks I began to feel "normal" which made me realize that I had gone back to work way too soon. Since the concussion, I have difficulty remembering things. My memory of stuff prior to the hit seems fine though, weird.
Sierra Ranger
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Sierra Ranger 6/27/2019 5:36pm
6/27/2019 5:36pm
How about being knocked out and not realizing until weeks later? I remember crashing hard at Baltimore Arenacross amateur day in the whoops, and I remember the aftermath (I was just banged up and drove hom). Later I am looking at photos my buddy took that day, and he has pics of me laying stretched out for several laps (I see the same bikes coming around in the pics).
I told him I didn't even realize I was out, and he says "Oh yeah, I thought you were dead." GrinningGrinningGrinning And he's taking pics.

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