When a helmet isn't enough

Sometimes its a pain in the ass to have a helmet with you but I have never gone without one. I remember being a kid and getting my first ski helmet some weird bright yellow uvex foam thing that I had to squeeze over my abnormally large child head. When bootbacking its hot and regardless of if I am doing a diagonal or a frame ski carry the first generation snowpulse makes it hard to strap down the helmet on the back without it flopping around and its just too hot to have it on going up. Yea sometimes it flops around and smacks me in the back of the head or in the face but when i get up to the top and my buff is all sweaty and the wind is going my noggin is freezing its nice to put the helmet back on and just get warm again. The thing I will say to my head injury story is that its sad to see when you pay a bunch of money for a helmet how shodily they are put together. I know the helmet protected me but getting to the bottom the foam inner shell was separated from the harder PU outer shell. When I pulled the shell out it was literally attached my some hot gun glue smeered around seemingly at random and to be honest was not liberally applied. That pisses me off if one hard impact is enough to break the bond between the shells. How does this affect its ability to protect from a second impact no idea but some chinese dude putting a dab here and a dab there for a 150 dollar helmet is a little lax tbh.

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Originally Posted by InspectorGadget

Thin cover and all, I decided to ski the groomers at PCMR for a couple hours yesterday morning.

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Glad to hear you're OK. Ripping groomers is probably the most dangerous thing I do out there. Granted, I don't huck cliffs or anything. The consequences of bailing at 90 km/hr on hardpack should not be underestimated. I flirted with ditching my helmet earlier in the year. Thankfully, my wife and child convinced me it was a dumb move. Thanks for the cautionary tale.

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Originally Posted by sqikunst

How does this affect its ability to protect from a second impact no idea but some chinese dude putting a dab here and a dab there for a 150 dollar helmet is a little lax tbh.

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They are good for only one impact. The cheap bonding has little to do with impact absorption, it just keeps the two pieces together on a day to basis. When they separate in an otherwise good helmet, then there is an issue.

What I hate is the fact you need to replace what seems like a perfectly good, and expensive helmet every couple of years. Makes me what to go out and head butt a tree just justify a new lid.

helmuts, pshhh

shit aint pure

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Originally Posted by digitaldeath

helmuts, pshhh

shit aint pure

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The cost of a helmet<than the deductible on a cat scan.

No comment on the helmet, helping / not helping. However I can say that all my bad crashes / skis, Bike, Street bike always seem to come during that (Last time down, around) You know you have pushed it!. You feel that you are worn down and no longer 100%, You have a bad vibe and your thinking last run, And BAM the inevitable explosion. Yard sale on skis, jacted up knee, split head. Severe road rash totaled bike and on the way to the ER.

Seems for me its always like that>?

Also just as a reminder to everyone.. make sure your chinstrap is tight under your chin.

I used to wear mine a little loose just because it never felt that comfortable but took a scary as hell slide for life into high speed cartwheels this year and during the crash my helmet ripped off my head when the strap ripping out of the helmet and the buckle breaking apart. Part may have been poor design (Amplid Helmet - got a POC now) but part was probably the loose strap .

Concussions suck.

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Originally Posted by telemike

cuz my lovely and talented wife ate shit today, smashing her Variant Brim and coming away with "just" a concussion and whiplash

I've had a couple two three four closed head injuries over the years (can't you tell?) - but this is her first - happy she was wearing the lid -

took her to ER - CT scan and xray were fine - but she's a hurtin' unit

time to start monitoring her for PCS - it can take quite a while to recover from a concussion

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Man I hate reading these stories; I hope Mrs. telemike makes a full and speedy recovery.


I second rip's comments about the chin strap. Your helmet won't do its job when called upon if it comes off your head due to a loose (lesbo9000?) chin strap.

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Originally Posted by rip

Also just as a reminder to everyone.. make sure your chinstrap is tight under your chin.

I used to wear mine a little loose just because it never felt that comfortable but took a scary as hell slide for life into high speed cartwheels this year and during the crash my helmet ripped off my head when the strap ripping out of the helmet and the buckle breaking apart. Part may have been poor design (Amplid Helmet - got a POC now) but part was probably the loose strap .

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This. Maybe 10 years ago I had the misfortune to watch a kid catch a toe edge straightlining a pitch under the Blue Chair at Mt Hood Meadows. The initial faceplant knocked his helmet off on first bounce but he took a couple of additional belly flops before coming to a stop. Major blood leakage, and dead by the time patrol got to him. Turns out it was his first run ever.

Telemike, happy to hear your wife is OK (other than the concussion of course). Owen deal with it OK?

http://www.impacttest.com/

I mentioned MIPS earlier in this thread. As I replace my helmets, I will definitely be looking at brands that include MIPS technology. Because, contrary to what some may think, my brain is worth saving.

I've been thinking about MIPS, too. Especially now. POC Receptor BC looks like a good one for me. Everything I've read about POC helmets - even w/o MIPS - sounds like they are better protection than most. Owen wears one, and we've been considering them for ourselves. I've already got a replacement Varaint Brim coming for Krystal, but I think she needs something better.


telebobski - Owen did just fine with it. He was with Krystal and our neighbor Diane and I when she went down. He didn't freak out and stayed off to the side observing while we checked her out. He and Diane went to the top patrol shack while I stayed with Krystal, stayed at the top while the first patroller came to us with Diane, then followed another patroller down to us when he brought the sled. He was calm and helpful, explaining to them what happened and where she was. We talked about it later and he told me he was scared, but he knew he needed to help mommy. We got to talk about what he would do and how he would handle it if he'd been alone with mommy or one of his friends. He's on the hill a lot and hangs out with Patrol a lot, so he knows the movie - he's just never seen his mom in the starring role.


so I posted a link to the ImPACT test website above - worth looking into

ImPACT (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) is a brain injury measurement tool for people who have sustained a traumatic brain injury (concussion). Through a series of computerized tests, ImPACT identifies subtle changes in brain function, evaluates post-injury condition, and tracks recovery. By comparing baseline (pre-injury) and post-injury test results, ImPACT can help determine the extent of damage following a concussion. It can also be used post-injury to track treatment and recovery progress.

Krystal did not have a pre-injury test, but performed very poorly on most of the tests, indicating a serious concussion. Our doc was concerned enough to take her off work for a couple of weeks. No work, driving, skiing, etc. She is supposed to simply rest until symptoms subside. They want her to even limit reading, tv, texting, etc. She's already going a bit stir crazy, but is trying to take it seriously. Doc said 99% of concussions resolve themselves in 6 weeks, 90% in 4 weeks, 70% in 2 weeks and 40% in 1 week. Seems important to be very conservative and be very careful the first couple weeks.

Sort of a scary deal.

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Originally Posted by Caucasian Asian

Someone told me the time to quit is when you think to yourself "One more run, and i'll call it a day".

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If I followed that rule every-time I'd often miss-out on the last three to five runs!

Sounds like Owen knew the drill and executed. Well done. Good he had other adults with him this time, and a great teaching opportunity for the inevitable injuries as he gets older.

The US Military is doing a lot of research on TBI, due to the huge number of casualties caused by IEDs in Iraq. The sonic concussion caused by a bomb is different than whacking your head real hard, but the underlying symptoms and treatment is pretty similar. Didn't spend a lot of time searching, but this might get you started if you are interested
http://www.military.com/benefits/vet...treatment.html

Sending good thoughts for Krystal...

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Originally Posted by telemike

Sort of a scary deal.

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This thread brings back memory of my 16 y.o. daughter a year ago. She had a crash and had TBI and it's been over a year now and we're still fighting Post Concussion syndrome. She's having troubles concentrating in school and is seeing a neurologic psychologist. She's taking some anti seizure medicine for some "brain spikes" she was having afterwards. They're thinking of weaning her off them this summer once school is over.

Be safe out there.

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Originally Posted by telemike

bump cuz I was doing some SEARCH FUNCTION JONGing




Search:
Keyword(s): concussion


cuz my lovely and talented wife ate shit today, smashing her Variant Brim and coming away with "just" a concussion and whiplash

I've had a couple two three four closed head injuries over the years (can't you tell?) - but this is her first - happy she was wearing the lid -

took her to ER - CT scan and xray were fine - but she's a hurtin' unit

time to start monitoring her for PCS - it can take quite a while to recover from a concussion

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Seriuos vibes to you and your wife.....hope she is feeling much much better now.....while reading i was wondering if owen was with her and how he handled itt....good to know she was wearing a lid as you said......hope she can make some turns in a month for late spring harvest.....again hope she heals up quick......

Two weeks out and still headaches, dizziness, vertigo, etc... Better but not 100%. Lots of walkies. Hoping she can tolerate the drive up Sonora Pass to get her out for a tour.

I would be dead without a helmet. Not speculation, not exaggeration, just dead. I got a subdural hemotoma 2 years ago wearing a Giro G9 (sized too small, it turned out) after a front somersault in my sitski--bindings weren't properly seated. I actually kept skiing after instructors checked me out, and I drove home later. But I had a headache localized at the top of my head, and road bumps increased the pain from very minor to bothersome. The hemotoma still exists, so my chances of getting another injury at the site is greater. A big risk factor in SH is the use of blood thinners, which I had been taking and completely forgotten about as a skiing consideration--more like extra danger in car wrecks. I no longer take a blood thinner (either Coumadin or Xarelto) except aspirin (as a heart med), and avoid taking aspirin for 2 days before and during ski trips. I'm careful with ibuprofen, just a little (very needed) right before I ski. Anyway, get that CAT scan immediately after the onslope evaluation. Death rate from a subdural hemotoma is 80 percent, folks. Your only clue is a headache, think Natasha Richardson RIP.

Right now I use a properly-sized Giro G9, need to try a POC. Good thread.

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Originally Posted by telemike

Two weeks out and still headaches, dizziness, vertigo, etc... Better but not 100%. Lots of walkies. Hoping she can tolerate the drive up Sonora Pass to get her out for a tour.

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A friend of mine wacked her head on first and only day of snowboard lessons - no helmut of course - full treatment with the backboard and ride to hospital, etc (and she was a nurse, so knew what was going on). She had dizziness for a long time afterward, but it did get better. It just can be slow and much patience is required.

I had much less severe issues with my only concussion, but it sucked and I never want another.

4 weeks = Krystal is doing fine
visiting the doc tomoorow
back to full duty

60 Minutes last night (I'm so old I watch that show) had a piece on TBI in soldiers. The brain imaging in people with concussions is pretty scary--looks a lot more like the image of someone in a coma from head injury than the image of a normal person. And these were people who weren't even knocked out. I hit my head playing hockey back in the day--wasn't knocked out but couldn't remember which way I was supposed to be going and who was on my team. (The fact that no one noticed tells you how well I played.)

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Originally Posted by telemike

4 weeks = Krystal is doing fine
visiting the doc tomoorow
back to full duty

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That is great news!

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Originally Posted by old goat

The fact that no one noticed tells you how well I played.

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:biggrin: