Gerryattrick

It was a lovely day yesterday so I went for an early morning ride to a seaside cafe for breakfast. I was riding through a park on a MUP when the next thing I remember was sitting on a grass bank talking to a paramedic. It seems as if I had a fall, but I can't remember it at all. After talking to the paramedic it seems I was taken to hospital in an ambulance and spent the rest of the day having tests, scans and x-rays. I can only remember things properly that happened about an hour after the crash.
The people who phoned it in said that I had just gone past them in the opposite direction when they heard a crash and saw me on the floor. They said that I talked to them and gave them my home phone number to let my wife know I'd be a bit late. After that I passed out.

It turns out there's nothing broken, although I ache like mad today. Scans showed no brain damage other than some internal bruising and a little bleeding, but nothing requiring intervention.

Here's a picture of my Giro helmet, showing where I hit the back of my head on the floor - frightening! I'm not getting into the whole helmet debate, but I dread to think what my head would have looked like without the helmet on.

The biggest problem now is my wife and father telling me I'm too old for this cycling lark. It has made me a bit nervous though that I have no memory at all of it happening.

Rowan

Glad you're OK. This memory loss is normal. 10Wheels may chime in here with his experience so far. I remember a poster on Crazy Guy On A Bike, Denise, was perturbed about a crash she had on a her Bike Friday (IIRC); there was no evidence of what caused the accident, not even marks on the bike, and she had no idea of what happened, too.

It's tough having the two close people urging you to stop riding. But really, you are extending your life through the increased fitness cycling is giving you. That's a great defence. But it may also take a while to get back on the bike with confidence.

Finally, if you want inspiration (and to show your wife and father how things can turn out), check Bruce19's posts over the past while. He's back doing his thing on bicycles after his crash.

Gerryattrick

I remember reading Bruce19's posts on his injuries and how he got back into riding. Inspirational!

Cougrrcj

Wow, that is scary. Looks like the helmet did it's job. Glad you're semi-O.K. You seem to be able to write coherently, so at least the old gray matter is still functioning properly today. Lets just hope your body heals without complications. Best wishes for a full recovery!

OldsCOOL

That's scary! Glad you are ok!

Wanderer

It's all part of life - enjoy what you like, as long as you can.

Glad you are OK, now go get a new helmet, and have your bike checked over while you are there.

gregf83 

I had a similar incident a couple of years ago. I was riding with one other person and went down somehow but don't recall what happened. Knocked out for a minute or so and managed to give directions to a nearby railroad worker who drove me home in his truck. Never did recall what happened and it took an hour or two after the accident before my short term memory recovered and I stopped asking my wife the same questions over and over again. Went for a ride the day after and then took a few days off. Fortunately, I had no lingering symptoms.

JanMM

Glad to hear no awful outcome.
The internal bruising and bleeding was inside your head? Would be a good idea to follow up with a healthcare provider to discuss those injuries before resuming cycling.

raqball

Holy cow! Glad to hear you are okay..

I assume you need further test to determine the reason for the blackout?

10 Wheels

He is not Ok:

It turns out there's nothing broken, although I ache like mad today. Scans showed no brain damage other than some internal bruising and a little bleeding, but nothing requiring intervention.

Eight weeks after my Crash.

My bleeding required an emergency brain operation to remove the blood coming from the right side bruise.

My brain surgeon say that ER Ct Scan, most of time do not show any damage.

Hope you visit a Good Neurosurgeon Soon.

athasi

Had an accident 45 years ago as a child where I remembered nothing of the rest of the day. I did remember the accident, coming down a hill on a back road that they had decided to close to traffic by running a chain across it. Didn't see the chain until it was too late. The next thing I knew, it was the following day. I was told that I was cared for by neighbors immediately after the crash, was taken home where I slept for a few hours, and then appeared normal in the evening. But I woke up the next morning remembering only the sight of the chain seconds before I hit it.

Of course, being a child there was no fear or concern getting on the bike again.

NVanHiker

+1

There's something going on here that needs looking into.

longbeachgary

Glad you're mostly OK. That was money well spent on the helmet.

RoadTire 

The back corner of your helmet took most of the hit, wonder exactly how you went down. If I were you I would lay low for a while, follow 10wheels advice about the doctor(s) so that you can recover faster and safer. Not knowing how or why you went down is the scary part - stick in the spokes, something jamming the front wheel, or maybe you just passed out. After you recover enough and do a little CSI on your bike let us know what you find.

In the meantime, and most importantly, sure glad you came through this well so far. Take it easy for a while and come back whole!

OldTryGuy

Good that you could post the events. Much better than having it reported second hand. Heal quickly.

Is that internal bruising and a little bleeding inside the old melon? Please remember Natasha Richardson, Michael Schumacher as far as hitting their head.

If the accident was due to a black-out, be glad you weren't driving.

Gerryattrick

My scans were examined by the neuro-consultant who told me the the damage didn't require intervention, but he has set me up for a follow-up scan in two weeks. I'll definitely have that.

My next door neighbour is an A&E (ER) senior nurse and he said they often have people in with no memory of what happened following an accident.

gman214

WOW!!! Glad you're okay!!!!

10 Wheels

Cool...Take care.

10 Wheels

I hit an old crack in the road that had been patched, but the material sunk in and disguised the edge of the crack to make it difficult to see when riding at 16 mph. Crack put me into the ditch where I crashed onto the left side on my head.

fietsbob

Michael Schumacher was wearing a helmet in his skiing accident.. he was in a induced coma to attempt to control that Hematoma and swelling since 29 December last year.


see Trepanning - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

decotriumph 

I crashed when I was 9 years old (gravel on pavement in a curve) and was knocked out. No one wore helmets then (1960). I remembered the slide starting but nothing else until I woke up in the hospital, although I apparently got up and ran home to Mom on my own (only a few hundred feet). I had a concussion and spent the night in the hospital. I think memory loss of some of the events is normal. Take it easy until that second scan. I'm really happy you are OK and that you were wearing that helmet. I'm keeping the pics of your helmet to show non-believers!

JanMM

Glad to hear you already have a followup plan in place.

Gerryattrick

Thanks for all the expressions of concern. That's the good thing about the 50+, a lot of people have some experience of any issues you come up with.

There's no doubt that the concussion leaving me with no knowledge of the accident has dented my confidence a little (as well as my helmet). But I'll wait until I have the follow-up scan, and a new helmet, before I ride. That'll give me the time to make some progress on two rebuilds I have had hanging around for a while.

And I've got a holiday in Lake Garda, Italy in three weeks time to look forward to.

P.S. I've already got a Giro road helmet, but tbh I prefer off-road helmets - at my speeds I don't need the aerodynamic style, and I very rarely ride drops.

Miami Biker

Sorry about event. Health comes first and seems like you are taking the appropriate precautions.

Only you know about riding in the future. After you learn your medical prognosis next question is whether you can isolate the cause and if it can reoccur. Assuming you can and wish to ride, you will decide if go back to old self or do something different (type of bike or trike, riding with others etc).

Answer will depend on how important riding is to you. Some will ride as long as they can and others might pursue something less risky. We all know there is a small risk riding, though higher than walking, than a car or the couch.

i know some who will take the risk and some who won't. Enjoy your trip and you will know better when you return. Keep us in the loop

Zinger

You know that's scary but being knocked out like that without memory of it is not necessarily an age issue. This happens to fighters in their 20s and 30s. However if the bleeding you spoke of were internal rather than external that is something you don't want to repeat anytime soon. If you were a fighter and showed internal bleeding they would put you on the shelf for a few months and re-examine you before letting you back in the ring.

Any internal bleeding (if that was even the case) around the brain is no small matter and fighters have lost their life from taking successive beatings with that condition. A little time off for just awhile might not be a bad idea......At least until your return to the doc for your scheduled exam.