Subject: Concussion...hoping for some comfort. Hello all,
I (less than 24 hrs ago ) crashed my bicycle for the second time in ~2 years. The first time I skidded on some gravel/sand and ended up with road rash and a badly injured left wrist, which is on the mend.
This most recent incident was worse BECAUSE I CAN'T REMEMBER THE CRASH. I turned onto a bike trail and the rest is a blank. I did not hit anything/anybody else, and however it happened, apparently passed out. According to the EMT I went over the handlebars (which seems unclear since my injuries are all to my right shoulder, forearm, and chin/cheek. There's only a few scrapes on the helmet, on the right hand side. I was also clipped in so that seems less likely to me. I was disoriented for a while, I vaguely remember interacting with the EMTs across a fence, getting on a golf cart to be transported to the ambulance, the entire ambulance ride is patchy as is the first few minutes of being in the emergency room. Then, things start to come into more focus/memory.
Having done some cursory research on concussions online and from what education I was given by the hospital staff after discharge, it seems to me this is the most serious sort (especially since I lost consciousness ). I am also quite disturbed by the lack of recall since I don't know what caused the accident. All I can point to is that both incidents took place while I was on my clip-on aerobars, and I seem to have reduced control/maneuverability on the aerobars. I am very unclear on what the future holds, but I may be giving up cycling entirely since these crashes have taken place too frequently for my taste, and the recovery is killer...it takes forever.
Any tips on recovery or how to possibly get enough gumption to get back in the saddle? Also, how to prevent more crashes? |