Concussion after-effects: any experience?

aschofield

Been commuting a couple of years. A few evenings ago I came-round in the back of an ambulance: had been out cold for about 30 mins. Just cuts and grazes, and helmet saved my head from anything worse than a mangled ear. Past three days been sleepy, headaches in all different areas, no energy, no concentration - hope it will improve soon?

Bit of a freak accident: I'm usually quite conscientious of anything not quite right on the bike (rubbing or clicking etc). I use a "full-length" front mudguard - about 90 degree arc. This one was made of flexible plastic but quite brittle. On the morning of the accident my toe clipped the mudguard separating the bottom "stay" - secured to the front forks at the wheel hub - from the rest of the guard. It looked quite harmless hanging there in the eight o'clock position with about an inch of mudguard still attached.

On the ride home it must have started to meander up along the direction of wheel travel. When I pick the bike up the next day after being discharged from hospital, the mudguard stay has got a knuckle-clenching grip on the tyre at the two o-clock position, having travelled through the caliper brakes, and brought me and the bike to a catapulting halt in a quarter-of-a-wheel rotation!

Looking forward to getting back enough strength to straighten out the front forks, and to start queue jumping again whilst humming that Bob Marley favourite through all the open car windows: "...I hope you like jammin' too"

Lesson: can't be too careful of anything which might interfere with wheel rotation!

Timbike700c

On October 25, 1997 I was struck by a hit and run. I don't recall the moment of impact and five hours later. My helmet absorbed the greater part of the impact. I experienced nausea and lessened mindfulnessover the next four days. Parts of me were numb ovr the next month. The feeling slowly returned. My lower back pain slowly subsided by Christmas.

bikelet

Yeah i knocked myself out once, on a mountain bike though. Don't know how long i was out for as i was by myself. I don't think it was too bad though. I was a tad confused when i came round but i realised pretty quickly what had happened when i saw my bike ( i'd been doing some jumps at the time). Anyways, i threw up, had a huge headache and wasn't fully conscious for the rest of that day. I went to bed as fast as i could ( probably not a good thing but i was too far away from hospital to go in) and yer i felt really groggy for the next three days. My head felt waterlogged and slightly throbbing but it didn't stop me much ( well i didn't ride again for a little while).