Dear diary - apparently I crashed

foxtrapper wrote: It was a pretty brite day today. Foggy in the morning, and it came again in the afternoon. But for several hours, it was great. I walked around outside without getting tired or overwhelmed, and quite steady on my feet! I sat on the harley, for the fun of it. Thanks for the well wishes and advise about the medical info bracelets and helmet thingies. I think I'll do both. And the cell phone. I looked at the helmet again, and again, it looks fine. Not perfect, but darn good. Confusing. Then I had a thought. Try it on. Oh my. It's now very loose in the front. That matches with the forehead pain and the neck pain. Near as I can tell, I went face first into a big clean boulder. Something so big it didn't scrape the helmet. Good thing I was wearing my old motocross helmet and not my regular open face unit. Not sure about how hard the coffee cup foam is though. It didnt crush much. I'd think more energy could have been absorbed and less brain trauma if it had. It, I really don't know how hard I hit, or how much or little it takes to scramble a brain. It's about bed time, so until tomorrow.

Still upright and mobile! Terrorize the citizens Post here when you can. This diary writes back.

Hope you're alright man. Rest and take it easy for a while.

"I sat on the Harley" I assume means that you were riding something else when you bit it. What were you riding?

My assumption with this thread was he was on a semi organized trail ride/trial. And sadly from the sounds of it, the bike is probably just fine. Sounds like he most definately got the ass end of the deal here.

I had a pretty bad accident on a mountain bike about 4 or 5 years ago. I was wearing a moto style helmet.

I cracked teh helmet from the eye port to the very top of the helmet. I also broke off the mouth / chin gaurd area. It took me several days to recover. I got sent home from work (I thought i was fine!).

My helmet did not "crush the styrofoam" either. However, i kinda played with it and realized that it crumbled the styrofoam on the inside of the helmet near the outer shell. The inside (where your head touches) looked fine.

Get some sleep (as much as you need / want). don't drink any alcohol. Don't try to go to fast (let the healing process happen). Drink lots of water!

You should be back to whatever normal is in no time!

Rob R.

Beer Baron wrote: Remember everyone, ICE (In Case of Emergency) your phone!

Or, just use one of the products above or even just a card in your wallet with blood type, allergies, meds, next of kin, etc... and lock the phone as you see fit. Paramedics don't need to know who to call - they need to save your ass. The folks at the hospital can deal with family and police after they have done their main function and they just need good info - the kind you cannot get from a phone that has been in a lake, soaked in blood, slid down 40 yards of blacktop or shoved thru your pocket and halfway up the inside your thigh.

Blood type is useless information to carry with you. I can see no need whatsoever to carry that. I wouldn't trust it. Who did it? What if it's wrong? You're dead. Ooops. Who do you think is going to get sued? "Type and Cross" is fast and safe today and then everyone knows fer sure.

Allergies to medicines, major medical problems, medications you're on, that is important. Next of Kin, yeah, that's important, but not as much as the rest and not to the doc in the ER crash room, unless it's to get info on allergies to meds, major medical problems or medications you're on.

DILYSI Dave wrote: "I sat on the Harley" I assume means that you were riding something else when you bit it. What were you riding?

I think he has an xl500, so I'm guessing that. Not sure though, but i'm hoping once he feels a little better he can post of more specifics of bikes, gear,etc.

wvumtnbkr wrote: I had a pretty bad accident on a mountain bike about 4 or 5 years ago. I was wearing a moto style helmet. I cracked teh helmet from the eye port to the very top of the helmet. I also broke off the mouth / chin gaurd area. It took me several days to recover. I got sent home from work (I thought i was fine!).

Just out of curiosity what brand helmet? It wasn't the flip up style was it?

I am interested as well......details will come in time, keep healing.

In reply to Cotton:

It was a Fox brand Motocross style helmet. The mouth / chin guard was bolted on with 4 large bolts (to make it adjustable).

Just to be clear, I was on a bicycle.

Rob R.

Can't believe how much I sleep. 15-20 hours a day. Hard to stay awake after a few hours. I was feeling bright a few hours ago when I woke up. And doctor/wife said I was much more alert than I've been. But, it's getting close to another nap time. The fogs are closing in (grin).

I was on my Honda Xl500s. 1980? It was an organized trail or enduro ride up on Michaux state park on Sunday. I think I remember finding it more demanding than I expected, but not hard. I don't know.

Helmet type. Z1R? I think that's what that's supposed to be. It's a motocross stype helmet. Not a flip up.

Yes, I drink as much water as I can. And sleep. And breath in my puffy thing to help my lungs. None of the ribs punctured my lungs, but there's fluid in them. So I do these breathing exercises every hour. No alcohol. That hasn't been in my life for many years now, so no trouble there.

The club that did the ride (michaux off road?) took my bike, and my truck and trailer home somewhere. So everything is safe and secure. My wife and them are working out how to bring it home. I think they said they can deliver it, and it might be coming home this weekend. I don't know. I'll see it when I see it.

I'll be curious to see if one of the faces from the club is the face I remember seeing. The my age/ older face of some man who I think was telling me I'll be ok.

I think I've heard the bike looks ok. But who knows. I'll know when I see it. Or maybe not. It's not like I can lift it and spin the wheels or such. Bent or bashed I could spot, but not so much subtle damage. Not yet.

Doc Hess, what would you recommend be on the tag or such for emergency crews or the trauma team?

OK, time to go lay down again.

Your posts are more coherent, good!!!

Much more coherent! Good SHTUFF!

Well, like I said, what medical conditions do you have? I know you have a serious one, so that would be listed first, along with anything else, like high blood pressure, history of a heart attack, anything that ever put you in the hospital. Any surgeries you have had. Anything from an appendicitis, hernia (be specific, there's like at least 10 different hernias other than what you may think of as a "hernia,"), brain surgery, back surgery, heart transplant, ingrown toenail, whatever, if it was surgery, put it down and when. What medicines are you on right now? As up to date as possible. Like, if you have high blood pressure and you take a medicine daily for that, you would want to write that down. Are there any medicines you are allergic to? Write them down AND what happens when you take them. "Hydrocodone - Constipation" is not an allergy. That's a side effect. "Penicillin - Heart Stops" that's an allergy. "Penicillin - Rash" that's an allergy. Are you allergic to iodine? That's important. People who can't eat sea food usually are. "Rag weed - sneeze" is an allergy, but not a drug allergy and not critical to this list unless it is something like "Bee sting - Can't breath."

That information is very important to the first few minutes of your treatment/survival, especially if you are not 20 years old anymore and never been sick.

Here, FT, when you are rested up more and feeling better (and yous other guyz), cut and paste this into a word processor, delete the stuff in the brackets and fill it all out, print it out in a small font of about business card size, plasticize it to a card and stick it in your wallet:

EMERGENCY INFORMATION FOR MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS
NAME: (Your Name Here) DoB: (Date of Birth here)
EMERGENCY CONTACT: (Spousal unit and phone number here)
PMH: (Past Medical History... here list EVERYTHING that is seriously or chronically wrong with you like major medical problems, cancers, neurological problems, heart disease, heart attacks - what year, high blood pressure, asthma, anything that ever put you in a hospital or could. Examples: Bee Sting - Throat swelled up-2010. Heart Attack-2011. Prostate Cancer-2008. )
PSH: (Past Surgical History. Any surgeries you ever had and when they were. Example: Right Inguinal Hernia - 1989. C4-C5 ACDF - 1992. Left Tibia ORIF - 1999. Spell it out if you are not 100% sure of the medical lingo: C4-C5 Anterior Cervical Discectomy with Fusion... Left leg bone got fixed with screws and stuff... It is more important that you put it down to the best of your knowledge than to not put it down.)
Meds: (List all drugs you take regularly. Example: Verapamil ER 240mg 1 a day. Prednisone 5mg 1 a day. Ibuprofen 800 mg as needed.)
Med Allergies: (List all drugs you are allergic to and what happens. Examples: Penicillin - Heart stops. Penicillin - Rash. Iodine - Rash. If you have no medicine allergies, then list "No Known Drug Allergies.")
Other: (This is kinda optional, but here I would list things that didn't fit above, although one could argue it might fit in PMH. Ex.: Allergic to Sea Food - Rash. Hay fever is not really that critical. You could mention it if it is a serious problem for you and you have the space, but I would keep it short. Anything that you are allergic enough to that it causes you breathing difficulties, for example needs to be mentioned somewhere.)

Glad to see you're still getting better. Keep pulling out of this mess.

Dr. Hess ... thanks for the template

Hey Fox, glad you're feeling better. You're posts are sounding better every time. Be cool man, don't rush the process. It's going to take some time.

In reply to Dr. Hess:

Very useful list, thanks.

Just a quick Q - would you put "wearing dentures" on this list as well?

FT, glad to hear you're feeling better and are apparently getting better.

Tim,
Dentures isn't really that critical a piece of infomation. You can list it if you want, but it's not that helpful to the crash team. You want things that you really, really want the crash team to know if you're "found down." Dentures, they'll figure out as soon as someone looks in your mouth. A potentially fatal allergy to a medication they won't figure out until it's (hopefully almost) too late. If you have no medicine allergies, then list "No Known Drug Allergies." I should put that in there via Ninja-edit.

I actually just made one of these for myself, this being a good idea and all. I printed it out and put package tape on both sides, cut it to business card size and stuck it in my wallet. I drive 20,000 miles a year on the Indy 500, I mean Interstate 540.

Thanks Doc. I'll show that to my wife, and I suspect she will immediately do it, and laminate it like you. For each of us (me, her and son).

One step forward, two steps backwards. I was so smug and happy this morning, feeling all spiffy. Wife even said I was doing much better.

And then it all went to hell. She came home, took one look at me, and put me down (again). Feel like a toddler some times. I feel better now, but not nearly as good as this morning. Guess I won't set a record for recovery. Over stimulation sucks.

I think she said the bike and truck will be coming back sunday at 5:00.

take it easy bro. pushing too hard will just set you back

it has been interesting to watch the "change" in your posts as you progress

Dr. Hess wrote: Dentures isn't really that critical a piece of infomation.

I recall a racer passing a way a few years back after choking on his dentures...dam sad way to go. If you racin take'm out before.

Fox i have the U-tag dog tag. I've put old mri and x-rays in the drive area aswell so if they need to look at before crash they can.

http://www.utagice.com/

FT. It didn't go to hell,you just have to give your bruised brain time to catch up with your hard azz.

Trapper, Some years ago I got a concussion in a skiing accident. Some amnesia that wiped out most of the previous six months. Over time most of it came back or pieced together. As others have suggested, don't rush your recovery. It would seem you are past the critical first days, but are still in a vulnerable time. Rest up, feel better. My thoughts and prayers are with you.