Venting - no riding after crash :(

[lo123]

thanks everyone. I just needed to her that encouragement.

On the plus side, I didn't need any pain killers for headache today!

[Melalvai]

I love your helmet.
I bet you never fall for train tracks again.

[marni]

first of all, owie ouch, I am so sorry for your crash.

Secondly, I went through exactly the same thing at the beginning of the year. The cause of the crash was different, but the results were 4 broken ribs with a partially collapsed lung and a severe head trauma, subdural hematoma, loss of consciousness, ambulance ride and 5 days in the hospital. The worst part of all of it was that I had to be off the bike for almost 12 weeks and I just about went berserk.

It took me about two weeks of fretting and fuming to realize that like it or not, I was going to have to take and extended recovery season. Of course the head aches, double vision and dizziness sort of helped that decision. When I finally got off of the pain medication and could move around without the world spinning, I began doing some light exercises, leg lifts, knee lifts, arm circles, gentle head rolls and some very very gentle torso stretching. After another week I added some yoga stretches and some of the poses that didn't force me to invert my head. After almost two months, the doctor finally gave me permission to start back at the gym and I started with some no resistance elliptical and treadmill walking in 1 hour intervals at least 5 days a week and built it up in length and intensity.

I know it's frustrating and crazy making, but I had the good fortune to have a doctor who is also a biker who promised if I followed his orders, that I would be riding as strong and as long as before the accident within 6 months and that there would be little or no after effects in my breathing, head or ribs.

How much of this was tempered by the fact that I was 62 at the time, I can't say, but do get yourself on less pain relief as soon as possible, since they tend to be depressants. Watch your nutrition, since you are less active....... drink lots of nice warm soothing liquids since pain relievers also tend to constipate you.

I could go on but you get the gist. Give yourself time, be patient with the healing process, take up knitting, read, play with the kitties if you have any and heal heal heal.

[lo123]

Give yourself time, be patient with the healing process, take up knitting, read, play with the kitties if you have any and heal heal heal.

I'm working on that. In my case, the doggies have been a godsend. On bad days they both curl up with me on the couch or in bed

I'm almost off the pain meds except for the occasional headache (especially when I'm at work--those suck). I needed one yesterday, but hadn't needed one in a few days. I see that as a good thing. Thankfully the vertigo only lasted a few weeks, and seems to be gone. If I can just get the fatigue under control and my vision back to where it was since it appears my prescription has changed, I think I'll be on my way. A sleepy, fuzzy world is no fun. The vision problems have also taken away my usual coping mechanism: reading. A friend suggested I pull out my painting materials and give that a go. I think I will.

Marni - glad to hear you're better. Thanks for the note.

[marni]

Glad to hear you are getting off of the pain relief. Although a blessing when it is needed, it is depressing and slowing and generally blah making to life in general.

Re fuzzy vision and reading. Personally I depend a lot on audio books, downloaded to my Ipod for reading. I have few opportunities to sit and read but I can fall asleep listening to a book, and as for the obligatory treadmill and elliptical cardio training and exercise when not riding, I couldn't survive without it.

The added benefit to listening when I fall asleep is that my brain treats it as white noise and stops listening after about 15 minutes which means that a a 20 hour book can last as long as 40 hours.

My local library has an extensive collection of audio books which can be downloaded off their central computer or borrowed and downloaded through ITunes.

You might also want to take a very close look at your fit after you get back on your bike and get used to riding again you may find it has changed. My posture changed a lot.

hang in there and keep healing.

[smilingcat]

When the injuries are visible, its much easier for others to understand your plight; but, when you can't see obvious injury such as what you are mentioning, you DO have to explain that you're not feeling right. AND YOU HAVE TO TELL YOURSELF not to over do it.

If you still have occasional headaches, dizziness, you are still recovering, soo RELAX HARD and sleep HARD! Take the proper care and heal right. Head trauma is very serious and you really need to take it easy. Tell your DH to be more patient! I've had far more than my share so I'm telling you from my personal experience.

Not to scare you, but you do need to know that head injury is cumulative. From the outside, it looks like its healed. We act like we've healed... And yes our brain does heal but its not back like before the wreck. Someone like me who have suffered multiple concussions are more prone to depression (I do get depressed for no apparent reason), more prone to headaches (yes beside what used to be my monthly migraines, I got them at other times too) and most telling is that my short term memory is not what it used to be.

So please take it easy. Tell your DH that you need to take it easy. Your brain is very susceptible to concussion right now so protect your head very well and not do anything that could cause you to knock your head.

And lastly, I do understand what you are going through, dogs are great. Curl up with them and try to unwind in your down time.

Wish you a speedy recovery.

[Laguna]

lo123,

Earlier this year I went through two months of perpetual dizziness. Brain scans, specialists, etc. and no one could figure it out. Eventually it just went away...but it was sure debilitating and depressing. Hope you feel better soon.

In the meantime...how about some podcasts from Georgina Terry. There are lots to choose from:

http://www.terrybicycles.com/podcast