skating with a concussion | Golden Skate

skating with a concussion

bethissoawesome

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 12, 2005
Yesterday I fell off my dorm loft bed (which is about 6 feet high) and landed primarily on my head. I suffered a severe concussion (I'm surprised I am able to type right now, the ability comes and goes) and at times I'm having severe memory lapses, unable to count, couldn't tie my shoes, etc. I still went to my skating lesson this morning and when I asked my coach about skating, she said it would be fine. It took a lot of concentration and sucking up a lot of pain, but I managed to stay on my feet, but only practiced very easy things. I just don't know if this is the right advice though. Any input would help. Thanks. :biggrin:
 

antmanb

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 5, 2004
bethissoawesome said:
Yesterday I fell off my dorm loft bed (which is about 6 feet high) and landed primarily on my head. I suffered a severe concussion (I'm surprised I am able to type right now, the ability comes and goes) and at times I'm having severe memory lapses, unable to count, couldn't tie my shoes, etc. I still went to my skating lesson this morning and when I asked my coach about skating, she said it would be fine. It took a lot of concentration and sucking up a lot of pain, but I managed to stay on my feet, but only practiced very easy things. I just don't know if this is the right advice though. Any input would help. Thanks. :biggrin:

I don't know what to say but if i were you i wouldn't be on the ice. The risk of falling and doing yourself more damage (and potentially hitting your head again) are increased sginificantly. Also i hope you got it checked out by your doctor...head bangs, even the most minor ones always need to be checked out because of the danger of any internal damage that might not be apparent straight away.

With a severe concussion i would definitely say ask your doctor.

Ant
 
I

IcyBallerina

Guest
I pray to God that you have seen a doctor! Do not skate again until you have talked to your doctor about it. The damage of a concussion is that essentially, your brain has been bruised. It swells like any other body part- this can cause serious and permanent brain damage. Who's to say that you won't pass out on the ice and injure yourself more?
 

julietvalcouer

Final Flight
Joined
Sep 10, 2005
Uh--memory lapses, motor skill malfunction, cognitive disfunction? Go directly to the emergency room. Do not pass Go, do not collect $200. Did you deliberately understate your condition to your coach, or is she just insane? I'm all for skating on injuries and pushing through pain but that's just crazy. Those are serious symptoms after a head trauma! Please, please, please, go see a doctor, sooner rather than later.
 

Fiji

Spectator
Joined
Oct 22, 2005
I once had a concussion - and it was totally minor compared to yours. I didn't have anything along the lines of memory lapses or the inability to count, yet my doctor still told me to take a week off. With those types of symptoms, you run the risk of literally KILLING yourself if you were to fall again. Although this is rare, it can happen. I can't imagine that your coach understands the seriousness of your condition. Please explain it to him/her, and get off of the ice!!!
 

antmanb

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 5, 2004
Concerned

If the original writer of the post is reading this thread - can you let us know how you're doing...am i the only one who is a little concerned that we haven't heard back after that post?

Even just a quick one liner to say that you are ok!

Ant
 

bethissoawesome

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 12, 2005
I'm still hanging in there. I have to take some time off skating. Apparently, I will still be feeling the after-effects of this for a few weeks - a few months. I'm hoping for a few weeks *crosses fingers*. My coach still doesn't fully understand why I have to take time off from banging my head. Thanks for everyone's concerns.
 

antmanb

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 5, 2004
bethissoawesome said:
I'm still hanging in there. I have to take some time off skating. Apparently, I will still be feeling the after-effects of this for a few weeks - a few months. I'm hoping for a few weeks *crosses fingers*. My coach still doesn't fully understand why I have to take time off from banging my head. Thanks for everyone's concerns.

Is there an emoticon for "phew"! Glad to here you're hanging in there...was just concerned when we didn't here back!! Hope you manage to get over the set back and you can get back on the ice soon!

:) Ant
 

julietvalcouer

Final Flight
Joined
Sep 10, 2005
Your coach doesn't get it? Maybe you need clarify the difference between "bumped my head" and "fell six feet onto my head and hit it so hard I had cognitive function problems." Sorry, but it disturbs me that a coach doesn't get that skating with a head injury is a very, very bad thing.

Good luck recovering, and I hope it's a short recovery time! I know it sucks to be off the ice.
 

MsLutzy

Rinkside
Joined
Mar 16, 2006
Take care of yourself, and don't go doing anything risky for a while. If your coach doesn't understand the seriousness of this, he/she has a problem. I hope s/he isn't pushing you too hard, or wants you to pass a level or be ready for a competition or whatever and therefore doesn't want you off the ice. Or some personal reasons, like earning money? I might be getting a little paranoid, but you should really explain it to her so that she can understand why you can't skate for a few weeks. I wish you a speedy recovery :yes:
 

Mrs Redboots

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 20, 2004
bethissoawesome said:
I'm still hanging in there. I have to take some time off skating. Apparently, I will still be feeling the after-effects of this for a few weeks - a few months. I'm hoping for a few weeks *crosses fingers*. My coach still doesn't fully understand why I have to take time off from banging my head. Thanks for everyone's concerns.
Maybe your coach needs to educate him or herself. I know at least people who have had serious concussion (two of which definitely not caused by skating!) and they were all off work, never mind skating, for several months. Actually, one skater was back on the ice long before she was well enough to go back to work, but I don't think her doctors knew that.....

Please be very sensible about taking the time off you need.
 

lindasaffell

Rinkside
Joined
Dec 16, 2005
bethissoawesome said:
I'm still hanging in there. I have to take some time off skating. Apparently, I will still be feeling the after-effects of this for a few weeks - a few months. I'm hoping for a few weeks *crosses fingers*. My coach still doesn't fully understand why I have to take time off from banging my head. Thanks for everyone's concerns.

Well, *I* am proud of you for being smart about your own well-being! It just goes to show that coaches don't necessarily know everything! I'll join you in crossing fingers that the recovery period for you will be shorter rather than longer. But do not push it when it comes to something you love as much as skating. Better to stay off the ice in the short term (even though I understand how, right now, it may not SEEM like the short term), to skate more and more healthy in the long term. I was relieved to see your post.
 

sk8addict

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 22, 2004
Helmut

bethissoawesome said:
Yesterday I fell off my dorm loft bed (which is about 6 feet high) and landed primarily on my head. I suffered a severe concussion (I'm surprised I am able to type right now, the ability comes and goes) and at times I'm having severe memory lapses, unable to count, couldn't tie my shoes, etc. I still went to my skating lesson this morning and when I asked my coach about skating, she said it would be fine. It took a lot of concentration and sucking up a lot of pain, but I managed to stay on my feet, but only practiced very easy things. I just don't know if this is the right advice though. Any input would help. Thanks. :biggrin:
For goodness sake...wear a helmut while you are skating, ayt least until you are cleared by a physician. A small fall could cause you major brain damage. Take care of yourself.
 

SusanBeth

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
bethissoawesome said:
I'm still hanging in there. I have to take some time off skating. Apparently, I will still be feeling the after-effects of this for a few weeks - a few months. I'm hoping for a few weeks *crosses fingers*. My coach still doesn't fully understand why I have to take time off from banging my head. Thanks for everyone's concerns.

Thank God that you did the smart thing! I had a slip and fall on the sidewalk last year. It was pretty much as you described. I swear, it felt like my brain exploded about 2 seconds after my head hit the concrete. I can't imagine trying to skate like that. How much good would it do, even if you managed to keep from killing or crippling yourself?

At first it was hard to walk. The world was spinning in all the wrong directions at once. That cleared up within a couple of weeks. However, I still had sudden attacks of dizziness for a few months. Just laying down could send the world into a fast spin for up to 10 minutes at a stretch! I took it easy for a few months and now I am back to normal. See a Doctor and play it safe! An attack of sudden overwhelming dizziness on the ice could cause a horrible accident.

Good Luck!
 
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Ageless

Spectator
Joined
Nov 3, 2004
julietvalcouer said:
Your coach doesn't get it? Maybe you need clarify the difference between "bumped my head" and "fell six feet onto my head and hit it so hard I had cognitive function problems." Sorry, but it disturbs me that a coach doesn't get that skating with a head injury is a very, very bad thing.

Good luck recovering, and I hope it's a short recovery time! I know it sucks to be off the ice.

I totally agree with julietvalcouer on this. I would be very concerned about a coach who doesn't seem to recognize an injury for it's severity. Just what exactly does this coach recognize as an injury serious enough to take time off the ice? Just my opinion, but I would seriously consider looking for another coach.

Hope you are feeling better.
 

megsk8z

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Two words: Paul Binnebose

Sure, his was a hard fall, but the consequences were awful for him. Head injuries and skating don't mix.
 

Sandra_persch

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 8, 2006
Your coach doesn't get it? Maybe you should bang his head against the boards so that he knows what it feels like. He probably is just thinking about his fees and not about your health.

Mikkeline Kierkgaard (Danish lady) had to give up skating because she started skating again to soon and didn't really recover.
 

skatere1990

Rinkside
Joined
Mar 3, 2004
i got a cuncussion in janurary and the docter told me to stay off the ice for a week AFTER symptoms end... that ended up to be almost 2 weeks...Mine wasnt even nearly as severe as yours if you were having all those problems... Even when i got back on the ice i didnt jump or spin for a couple days... just did a lot of walkthroughs and stroking since im done with my moves.... I got mine actually skating... I was trying a camel in the opposite direction, I can kind of blame the new system for it! lol

Thats weird you coach doesnt understand... Mine wouldnt let me come back and wasnt letting me jump... Your coach must not know a lot about injurys AND LETTING THEM HEAL!! lol. it wont get better if your not helping it.
 
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