Some of you all may remember my post from a few weeks back about giving myself a Darwin award. Well.. I didn't take myself out of the gene pool per se but I sure did mess myself up bad time. After a few days I began to wonder if I didn't give myself of full blown concussion. I couldn't eat without puking. Couldn't sleep more than about an hour. Noise and lights were killer in my head never mind the usual screaming hiss from tinnitus I have.
Come to find out, I laid on the concrete face down for a while before realized I wasn't moving and then they decided to pick me and I came around. Time elapsed: I don't know. 30 seconds or so perhaps. I really have no clue.
This afternoon I'm in the bathroom and notice in the mirror I still have minor black-eye shadow left over. Being curious as I am, I look up concussion symptoms. I have every single one of them including emotional bizarre states out of the blue. No music, no radio, no TV. I couldn't tolerate it.
I couldn't stand to look at these computer screens or the outdoor light for a week. Never mind the right eye was still swoled shut. Add to that the nose bleeding and some blood coming from the right ear the next day. Hindsight: I should have called 911 on myself.
So I figure I'm over that after a week or 2. Good to go. Not. Sleeping becomes fairly decent - for me. No more usual tinnitus than I normally have. But I have songs going through my head of songs I haven't heard in 30 years and they won't go away. Lyrics and all. After a few days that finally stops. I get back on the net to see about 50 new emails. I answered a few and deleted the rest. About 30 minutes of that and I'm laying back down.
So another uneventful week passes and I'm pretty good to go - I think. Then this big storm hits here in the South. Me and my neighbor and his 3 boys decide to go out and help people out. We must have pushed out some 20 or better cars from around noon until about 2000 hours.
During such time I took a fall. Landed on me backside and bonked the back of my head. Not good for a recent concussion recipient within a week. They tell me I fell under a tractor-trailer big-rig. No problem since he wasn't moving. The problem was the SUV that about ran over me. I honestly don't remember anything except landing up under the semi. An hour or so later here come along a school bus. (it's about late serious O-dark-thirty by then, 9:30 or so). I'm back on feet by then and still going. I ask the school bus driver does she have any kids on board. Just her daughter she says. I take it upon myself to ease her on down the road and get her right side tire off the icy pavement where she can "some" traction. She follows my advice. I grab hold of her mirror and "skitch" down the road with her to safety.
Any of you ole timers and/or wild men remember "skitchin"? My neighbor buddies couldn't believe what they were seeing. They thought I was trying to push/guide that big-a$s bus all by myself. I was hanging on to the driver's mirror bracket her window open so I coach her. I skitched all the way down the road standing upright. First time I ever did that! Super dangerous I know but my thoughts were about the young'ns on board.
So a few days pass by (last week) and the snow was gone.
All seems well - except for me.
I can't recall things I know for a fact.
I do several crossword puzzles a day and none take me over 30 minutes.
The first one afterwards took me about 2 hours. That's getting better now.
I see the answers and know it but can't spell. Like the songs I was hearing. I could visualize it and know the words but couldn't tell you the singer.
That's really on the side of my aggravations - memory recall.
I'm having a difficulty typing and I have been typing professionally for almost 40 years (since I was about 15). I can't seem to find the "home row".
I've also noticed that I am leaving out more words than usual. I'm bad for that anyway.
My buddies said when I hit the pavement it sounded like a 22 rifle going off. I reckon I hit pretty dam hard.
I don't remember it [yet] and don't recommend it.
Sorry to ramble. I'm due for a good night's sleep.
Thank Goodness for my new Beer Leg coozie and a few beers to have put in it!
E.
See a doctor
You need to go see a doctor!
See a doctor
I'll second that.
You need to go see a doctor!
And take it easy for a while until you become invincible again.
If I went through half of that, I sure wouldn't be able write about it.
You must be tough, but there is a limit.
Yup, doctoring time.
I appreciate the sentiments fellers. If I really feel the need for a Dr. I'll just call my sister (Dr. Andrea).
She or any other Dr. would just tell me the same as I already know.
Rest, sleep, take it easy, etc.
What are they going to do? Strap a giant Band-Aid around my head? Boy, that would sure make for a good picture. Other than that, they would just tell me "yep, you hurt yourself pretty good this time". Gee.. ya think! :-O
Some of these days I'm going to realize that I am NOT indestructible. Otherwise, I might just wake up on the "wrong side of the grass". I ain't ready for that just yet. 🙂
I'll be fine. Just give me another month especially after last week's bonk while pushing out cars and trying not to get run over.
E
With the eye swollen shut, it will be awhile before you know how much of that is eye and how much may be brain.
You should be able to find any noticeable knot on the backside of your head from the second fall.
Hopefully you haven't dislodged any brain matter.
Have had several and from my experience I don't believe that concussions ever actually heal, they become more or less tolerable thru time.
The other effect is the shock that travels thru your skeletal system.
It would take a cranial scan to see any possible damage inside.
Once the swelling has gone down, your vision and motor skills should return to normal.
If you plan to keep this up, with the head banging and all, you may want to get fitted for a helmet.;-)
Best of luck.
> She or any other Dr. would just tell me the same as I already know.
> Rest, sleep, take it easy, etc.
True, but actually hearing the words come from their mouth is often the ONLY thing that helps ME execute the plan. Gotta feeling you and I ain't much different.
Steve
copy and paste your post to an email to your sister. Get her to tell you what to do. You do not know what's best for you and you have proven it. Maybe rest is the only answer, but I would want to make sure you aren't letting something get worse and generate into permanent damage that you could stop right now.
I agree with you and some of the above posts, that you are one tough guy, but I'm not sure your ego is keeping you from good health care.
Sheesh, Eric
Good thing you landed on your head, or ya mighta got injured!! Joshing aside, you have a concussion, end of story. You should get in and have it looked at, MRI, CT scans, whatever, and start taking it easy on the physical stuff until you ARE healed up! You (and I) are on the cusp of being "Old Farts", which means you lay there until they bring the little cart out to you! Take care, E, and watch yourself!
-JD-
> I agree with you and some of the above posts, that you are one tough guy, but I'm not sure your ego is keeping you from good health care.
How did that go in "Top Gun" when Maverick was getting chewed out? "Son, your ego is writing checks your body can't cash!"
Oh, I don't about "one tough guy". Seriously lucky might be more like it. I used to say in the past "There IS a God. And, he REALLY does like me."
I'm starting to think a little more serious about that especially after last week falling under that big-rig and have that SUV about run over me at the same time. I came away unscathed. That afternoon was all about helping others in distress and a state of panic. Thinking of myself was not part of that plan. I don't how I got "built" this way. But, to just jump and help without regard is part of nature and I do it without hesitation.
Lesson learned: No more "here, hold my beer and watch this" crap anymore. Funny thing about that is the night I face-planted I was holding my beer and it went down with me. As I've since told my buddies that were there that night "that s..t just ain't gonna happen again".
As to MRI, CT scans, et. al.... who is going to pay for that? I sure don't have them kind of bucks available. Nor will I put that on the tax payers. It ain't no one's fault/stupidity but my own and I own up to it.
As to the eye swollen shut. That was seriously discomforting nevermind the appearance. It opened back up after a couple days but did tear up something terrible before, and would ooze tears all night. Imagine "Rocky" [the first movie]: "cut me Mick! Cut me!". And all that blood came spurting out. Mine was worse. No, I didn't cut myself but I will say the thought did cross mind just to get the eye opened back up. OH, I forgot to mention there was blood in the whites of my eye a few days later.
How on God's green Earth anxiety and depression have to do with all that kind of injury I have no clue. But it happened. The first bonk was on the right side which is the emotional and creative side of the brain. Thank Goodness I didn't hit the left side - analytical, logical and especially for not the 3rd convolution of the left from temporal lobe. That's the language part known as "Broca's brain". My programming skills would have to be re-learned I suppose.
I expect all symptoms to pass over the next couple weeks. It wasn't at all good to have that 2nd bonk (no knot after that fall) so soon. Of course having two good knocks in that short of time is not at all good. Yeah, I'm taking it easy for the next few months for sure. Bright lights, loud noise, computer screens are still not at comfortable to say the least.
Leaving out words seems to be a chronic thing with me. Remembering simple things like from "that movie I just saw the other night" and recall the names of actors might be another issue. I can picture the faces just fine and know the names in my head but just can't put exactness to who that was. Someone called me this morning about working [possibly] for them. (I won't mention names or company so don't ask). We dropped a bunch of names back and forth and many here were mentioned. He dropped a name on me that I recognized but couldn't put my finger on it. I thought about it all day and it finally came to me. The guy that called me is a lurker here. He knew my name and that was about it. Amazing our paths haven't crossed in the past!!
This is somewhat related my recent threads about the raw file view effort and the resume updating stuff.
All I will say to that at this point is, "when it rains, it pours". An old friend from years ago calls me up Wed. morning about converting some old project of theirs to the latest .NET stuff. I take the challenge. It is taking a lot mental focus to keep up for more than a few hours (4 or so) and I'm ready for a power-nap and break. I've known this guy for about 30 years and he always dumped the sh..tty job that no one else could do or handle on me.
I haven't told him about the concussion seriousness thing so as to cut me a wee bit of slack. Not that it matters in the end I suppose. He wouldn't care except that the job gets done. But, dam, do you all dump your s...tiest jobs on your prime race horse? Gees, you'd think he might remember that time back in the mid80s when he got deviated nasal septum operated on and who came and got him from hospital and took him home and then went and got him groceries and got his prescriptions filled during recovery. He demanded I drive him home in his car (black on black Trans-Am with T-tops) so that meant I had to get someone (my first wife Andrea - same name as my Sis) to follow so I could get back to our house. Actually, stayed at his house that first night to be sure he would be OK. Nevermind that was time off her clock. I was on yearly salary so it didn't matter except to take away from vacation days - which I didn't mind. Nevermind those 2 times I helped move him from apartment to apartment and then to his house. I never got any help when I moved. Guess it's one of those deals where you are buddies at bar and "no body" at work. Total separation. I understand. I can be the cold-hearted sob on the planet - that's just not me and never will be.
I very much appreciate having you folks' ears to bend. My cat, Moose, doesn't seem to have anything constructive to add to the conversation except to raise hell if his bowl ain't filled up.
I'm sorry to ramble. My apologies.
Always you all's friend!
E.
concussions
We're just worried about you, BigE.
Any chance you could still run the happenstance and aftermath of your fall(s) by your sister for a medical opinion just to make sure?
