Any of you geezers manage to get over a concussion kinda fast-like?

[snowsprite]

Welp, I went and did it. I wiped out like a god-damned old freaking dipshit walking to my car the other day. Luckily I'm not simply falling over from plain old walking and hitting my head /getting concussion yet...it took a sheet of solid ice cleverly shrouded in a light coating of snowy fluff to fool me and take me on a noggin-ride down the sidewalk in full view of my coworkers. Nice!

Anyway I hit my head HARD and was out of work for 2 days just kind of resting on the couch b/c I was told I had a mild concussion and whiplash. As much as I love taking time off from work, laying around not doing anything nearly drove me to the brink. So I hauled my ass back to work and all was good...until I got on my new little cross-country ski set up and did some TAME little loping around on the property here.

Of course I took a few spills (no head-hits, come on I'm not that uncoordinated!), and just kind of fell on my butt or whatever. Just tame little falls. But later when I go inside I suddenly get the old headache/dizzy/nausea thing. I was really disappointed after doing so well!

The first fall was last Monday and this little cc ski incident that knocked me back was on Saturday. So I took it easy today and opted for Superbowl relaxation and drinking, which was a good choice because I feel great again.

Aside from this dumb story...any older people here get a concussion and how was your recovery time? I'm pushing 50 now and this noggin is probably quite deteriorated especially given the nature of the stuff that goes on inside there.

I'm thinking about seeing a neurologist, but I hate doctors. Well, I mean I hate going to them.

Any advice/insights/jokes would be greatly appreciated.

(and I better be able to ski--real ski that is--before this season is out or I will be quite bummed!)

[WestCoastPDR]

Fish oil pills. Seriously.

[kootenayskier]

Recovery from concussion is unique for every person, every time. However the cumulative effects of further damage incurred while not fully recovered are so severe that you don't want to chance it. Try whatever voodoo you like, but wait until you're completely recovered before putting yourself in a situation where further damage is possible.

[snowsprite]

Thanks, I am planning to head to a neurologist. Would like to try fish oil, that stuff seems to be good for cognitive function so why not for concussion. Didn't think of it!

[irul&ublo]

Sprite's back! Sorry about your noggin. Drinking is contraindicated following a concussion.

Considered a walker?

[old goat]

Who falls down XC skiing? You should probably be seeing the neurologist about that. (But seriously, the main reason to see a doc would be to get a scan to rule out a small bleed. I don't know what criteria the docs are using these days to decide who gets a scan--other than payment due on the private plane.) Other than that, no head hits until you're better, however long it takes.

And the reason we're geezers is because of all those concussions.

[SchralphMacchio]

Wow, I have a surprisingly similar situation, minus the old geezer bit I’m 39 years old. How did your situation work out Sprite? How long did the recurrent symptoms last? You see a neuro?

In mid November I fell on black ice on a concrete ramp and hit hard enough to dislocate my shoulder, bruise my skull. No loss of consciousness, no concussion symptoms for 4-6 hours after the fall (the pain of being unable to reduce my arm on my own and having my muscles and nerves stretched out waaaay more than they ever had been was pretty mind occupying). Lightheaded/ foggy, sporadic bouts of intense fatigue, light headaches for 72 hours - then fine. Skull sensitive for 6-8 weeks.

Fast forward to Jan 30, I tripped over furniture and fell indoors to my hands and knees, nothing major at all. Wow, the symptoms since we’re way worse than the original injury. Intense vertigo (as of being on a boat on the Drake Passage) for 2-10 seconds at a time following rapid movement. Decently strong persistent headaches that come and go. Concentration problems, feeling drunk/lightheaded. Symptoms wax and wane on strange cycles, build over 2 days then relax then build up, and nights are more intense than days.

I haven’t seen a neuro yet because this is a work comp claim (I fell 5 mins before an international sales meeting was about to start!) and I’m stuck in paperwork admin issues (also trying to approve and schedule an arthroscopic Bankart repair for my shoulder) but if I don’t get good progress on Monday I’m gonna just schedule an appt to pay out of pocket.

Anyways just looking to commiserate ... we have a 6 week old baby and my wife isn’t stoked to be a mom taking care of 2 of us since I’m no use overnight when I can’t reliably walk straight (so it’s too dangerous for me to help change diapers) or am feeling too lightheaded to get up (hard when rocking the baby makes you dizzy), etc.

[apex dave]

I'm definitely a geezer jock but that's not really relevant when it comes to concussions. Long story short - there is no short cuts with concussions. I have regained consciousness in Emerg twice with concussions most recently skiing February 28 last year. Doctor was very clear that if I wanted to dirt bike in the summer my ski season was over. The big risk is reinjury shortly after the first incident which compounds problems dramatically. I have a friend who reinjured himself this way and is still suffering symptoms a year and a half later.
Did you get a CT scan to check for brain bleeds because that will kill you fast although maybe not right away? It killed Liam Neeson's wife
https://people.com/celebrity/natasha...er-fatal-fall/

[SumJongGuy]

Concussions happen more frequently and the damage is worse the older we get. Your brain actually starts to shrink after it stops growing and developing, around age 25. With the bran a little smaller, floating around in your skull which doesn't contract your brain rattles around more in your skull when exposed to impacts and sudden high g force changes. It also degrades your internal gyroscope and balance functions as you geezer quotient increases. Keeping active slows the decline, but the increased susceptibility to concussions and their severity is something we can't really compensate for.