Got my new board, wound up with a pretty bad concussion!

[kimokalihi]

I finally got my wakeboard in the mail from another board member here. It's a 2005 Hyperlite premier. I put my new 2008 Watson boots on it and went to the lake with my step dad, little sister and my niece.

I haven't wakeboarded in a couple years and I wasn't very good before that either. The water was great, really smooth in places and not bad in other places. I was lovin the new closed toed boots and the board was cool although I'm thinking about removing the fins because that's how I was used to riding on my old CWB and it didn't really have molded fins like the hyperlite does.

So I decided to try some 180s. Started off with just a few ollie 180s which I landed easily. Did a couple 180s going over the wake but landing halfway to 3/4 across it. Was feeling pretty confident so I decided to go for the wake to wake 180. The first time I almost had it. So I got back up, carved out pretty far and cut in real fast. Shot up and over the wake, spun the 180 and dropped my left hand off the handle and SMACK!

I hit the water so hard. Front of the board caught somehow I think, not sure. Can't even remember which part of my head hit the water but it was painful. When I was laying there choking and trying to breathe again after it knocked the wind out of me, I thought I might have broken a couple ribs. It hurt bad. My head was in a lot of pain. And I thought I was going to drown because I couldn't breathe. I managed to roll over on my back so my face wouldn't go under if I passed out.

I finally was able to get small breathes but nothing quite deep enough to satisfy my thirst for oxygen. Felt like I had air trapped in my throat. Like if you're swallowing while you hiccup or something.

I got up into the boat and was still struggling to breathe when I looked at my new board. Except, I didn't recognize it. At all. That's when the questions started.

"Whose board is that?!"
"What day is it?"
"Do I work tonight?"
"How the hell did I get here?"
"I can't remember anything!"

It was the worst feeling. Hardly knowing who you are. I think I may have forgotten my name for a minute. I could not remember how I got to the lake or anything leading up to my crash. It was like a bad dream where you completely forget everything you know. I seriously thought that somehow I had wound up with someone's board and bindings.

I was freaking out. I don't remember anything from that time til the boat was back at the launch on the trailer and I was still in it! I don't remember my step dad loading it up on the trailer or anything.

I called my girlfriend to come pick me up because I was driving like that. I was so scared that I had brain damage and would never be able to remember again, I was sobbing with my face in my hands. Completely bewildered and lost.

Horrible feeling. Wouldn't wish that experience on anyone.

I was so out of it I didn't even think to go to the hospital and get checked out. I went home, ate and went to work. Now here I am 13 hours after the concussion and eveything has come back to me except the ride to the boat launch and loading up the boat.

I've had a headache for the the past 13 hours and my whole spine, neck and back muslces are very sore and painful.

I remember now one of the last time's I road a couple years ago I hit the water so hard (at the same lake) that I blacked out for couple seconds. But I never had memory loss that time.

This sport can be dangerous!

Be careful out there. Shitty thing is, you can't avoid this type of thing while you're learning and I'm sure even if you're pro, it can't be avoided without avoiding wakeboarding all together.


Kimo

[Josh 154]

You know what i did that same thing last week! It definitely sucks! Was landin 180's single wake tried w2w about had it first time. Went for it second time over rotated caught my heelside edge bam! Most painful fall I've taken. My neck and abs hurt real bad after that for about 3 days. I remembered everything but couldn't breathe for the first couple seconds. Good thing i was floating on my back. The only thing this did for me now is make me wanna get back out there and just nail it! That's exactly what i did. Last time i went out i went for it and got it down right away!

[kimokalihi]

I want to go back too...except I'm weary of doing it again too soon and really having brain damage.

My entire back (mainly my spine on the right side) and neck have hurt every day since. And if I cough hard, my head hurts, or any kind of excertion that involves blood pressure rising.

[ky1e]

Josh 154, getting the wind knocked out of you comes with wakeboarding. I can't even count the amount of times I haven't been able to breathe for a few seconds. Wait till you blow out an ear drum and go deaf for 10 minutes. Now that is scary.

kimokalihi, You should have gone to the hospital and gotten a scan because with a concussion that bad, you are also at risk for a bleed, which is how you goto sleep and not wake up in the morning. Either way, if you don't goto the hospital you should not wakeboard for at least 3 weeks since the day of the injury. Because your head still hurts, I really would go get it looked at. You want to make sure you didn't suffer a traumatic brain injury. Have you had any nausea or vomiting since the accident? Any amnesia from after the accident ie Are you having trouble remembering new information? You have made it through the critical time where if you have a traumatic injury and they admitted you, you would be getting released today, but if you have insurance, go get it checked.

[Rhawn]

kimokalihi, seriously, if you had that hard of a concussion, why did you come here to post the story instead of going to a hospital. Go get your head checked and use better sense next time.

[kimokalihi]

I haven't had any problems with my head since the wreck. No naseau or vomiting or anything like that. Just back pain. Little neck pain too.

I definately was not thinking straight and going to the hospital never crossed my mind. I went home, ate, showered and went straight to work.

You think I should still go to the doctor after 4 days?

[cletis]

Hey man, i'm an Athletic Therapist(Trainer) up in Canada. Speaking from both experience and well, knowledge, i would go get checked out just so you can be managed properly. I just got over a concussion that lasted almost four months. I was symptom free for the last two months except for when i would do the return to play exertional tests. Concussions can be serious, and they are also compounding, every time you get one weather it be as simple as a headache for a couple hours after bumping your head, to the full on knocked out, they become easier to get and typically worse every time. Plus they have a lasting effect. I'm not saying you should live in a bubble, they day i was cleared to return to sport i jumped back on the board. But while you have symptoms you have to be cautious. No physical activity, limit your computer and TV use, wear sunglasses outside, try to limit all mental stimulus. The more you can do that the more it rests your brain, the faster you recover. Once you are symptom free for 24hrs you can start the return to play, which starts off with a 15 minute bike test with your HR under 140, you go 24hrs with out symptoms after that, you go to bike test number 2, 15 minutes hr under 150, you go 24hrs symptom free, you can do the excertional test, 5 min warm up, then 10 15s max sprints on the bike with 45s breaks in between, you go another 24hrs with out symptoms, then you can start doing light activity with no contact, 24hrs, return to play. If you every get symptoms after any of these stages you go right back to the begining, but you must be symptom free for 24 hrs. Also the longer you go with a concussion, ie weeks and months, the longer the gap between tests, and the more controlled. So for me at the 4 month mark i had to get through 2 tests at each stage with 2 days off inbetween. I'm not saying you have to follow this protocol, but this is what a lot of universities do for there athlete's. I'm just trying to make you aware. Once you can do all that with out problems you should be fine to return to sport, with out major risk.

[Wakeboarder3780]

double post

[Wakeboarder3780]

I agree with everyone else here. If you can afford it get it checked out. That's some serious concussion. I'm not going to rag on you for not going to the hospital because its obvious you weren't of sound mind due to the concussion.

In any event take a long time away from any impact sport and I agree with the above, get it checked out if possible.

Anyways good luck and hope you get better soon, take it easy out there

[kmagnuss]

I think the board is cursed. That's the board I tore my ACL on.

Sorry man. Maybe you should burn it.

[Medina]

Well, this post is really impressing man.... Glad you didnt drown, otherwise you couldnt tell us the story

I had one small concussion, wich was over after i guess 3 seconds, but it hurts, and ineed you have no clue where you are

[kmagnuss]

Concussions don't end in 3 seconds. They happen when your brain gets bounced around in your skull, and there is a bit of swelling in there.

I've had 7. Good times.

[ky1e]

kmagnuss, You've had 7 concussions??? What on earth do you do....freestyle motocross?

[kimokalihi]

I can see getting 7 concussions just from wakeboarding. I've hit my head pretty good a few times wakeboarding. Knocked me unconcious for a few seconds one time a couple years ago. Oddly enough, that one resulted in zero memory loss yet hurt much worse in my head.

[kimokalihi]

I have insurance but I have no idea what they cover. I just had xrays on my shoulder and I'm going to physical therapy for it from a weightlighting injury to my rotator cuff.

I'm afraid to see the bills from all this stuff.

Why is it that everything I enjoy doing is dangerous? What is wrong with me. The only thing that seems to be safe is video games and that's not good for your eyes or your wrists (PC) or your posture. Geez.

[ky1e]

kimokalihi, Only if we lived in Cuba, wouldn't have to worry about the cost or insurance, and all the cigars we can smoke There is only one problem though...you are in freaking Cuba!!
But back to the subject, getting a concussion wakeboarding is pretty difficult, but yours sounded like a doozy. What worries me with yours is being prone to them in the future and second impact syndrome. That is why I would go get checked out just to make sure you aren't putting your life in danger by wakeboarding to soon. As the resident wakeboarder.com medical advisor, I would highly recommend going to see a doctor being that you have insurance.

[kimokalihi]

Alright, well do I see a family practition or some sort of specialist?

[kimokalihi]

BTW the weather has been dynamite pretty much every day since my crash. Not cool. I want to ride so bad.

[brew]

I don't mean any offense by the following, but why the hell didn't your stepdad take you straight to the hospital? You're laid out unable to breathe, you can't remember $hit, and he just lets you go on your merry way?

It ceases to amaze me the injuries people come on here and post about instead of heading straight to the doctor. I've got bad knees and ankles and I just suck it up and deal with it until something finally gives out, but if I'm knocked out then I'll be on my way to the ER pretty quickly. Knees and ankles can be rebuilt, but you only get one shot with your brain.

[Christobull]

I know exactly what you mean. I've had three concussions from motocross, mountain biking, and snowboarding in that order. The first was the worst. I've never been more terrified in my life. You really do just want to cry. I didn't remember anything. I had to follow my father off the track and back to the truck because I didn't even know I had been riding my bike, let alone where we parked. I forgot nearly the whole night including the ride home, and I woke up the next day thinking I dreamed that I went racing. I skipped the race that weekend and went riding again the following week. But, the memory loss was terrible. I completely forgot the first ten or so years of my life. After a year or so, it started coming back to me. If you still can't remember the events after the fall in about a week, have everyone that was with you describe it in detail, and that might help.

Third one on the other hand was hilarious. The whole thing is on video. I kept asking my friends to show me where we were on the trail map, then if it was my map they had, and checked my new goggles I had bought for the trip close to ten times to see if I cracked them. I was terrible, then it seemed like I just snapped out of it after about 15 minutes and said, "well, let's go".

[kimokalihi]

He probably should have brought me to the hospital. Not sure why he didn't. I guess he grew up tough.

I'm not sure if I mentioned it already but I did cry. Scared me so bad I remember sitting in the passenger seat of the boat so bewildered and lost with my face in my hands crying. I was in a complete panic.

I rarely cry.

[Christobull]

My parents didn't take me either. I did what is the biggest, no no, and went to sleep when I got home. You did mention the crying. You actually described if just the way I usually do, so I wanted to point that out. If it hasn't happened to you, it's hard to understand what kind of emotions you experience. Harder? How I hit? Solid ground verses water for one thing, but early on in my riding, I hit back of my head on the up slope of the opposite wake after a wake to wake attempt where my nose plowed into the first, and I fell horizontally onto my back. It can happen. Someone mentioned it, but just keep in mind that you are more likely to get concussions in the future. The memory loss even as bad as mine, isn't permanent. I have foggy memories of the events after my first. Some things I remember well now, and others, I can't tell if I just think I remember them if you know what I mean. The second and third were not as bad, and I had a speedy recovery so to speak. You might ask the guy with seven if the first one is the worst. Like you said, you would never wish that upon anyone, but in my experience anyway, the others didn't scare me because I was able to recognize what was going on. Ride on, and be safe. I hope this doesn't kill your season.

[kimokalihi]

I'll get back out this season for sure. I'm going to nail that 180 too. Just gotta focus more on landing right. I guess I should practice riding switch more too so that should help me to land switch and not catch my edge.

I read on the internet that the whole going to sleep and not waking up thing is just a myth. Who knows. It's not exaclty something you would want to risk your life over though.

It's crazy how harmless the water and the sport feel while you're going along on your board until a split second later your face meets the water and it just seems to stiffen right up and resist you as hard as it can.

I've had many many similar speed and much higher speed crashed and faceplants while snowboarding and none of which could hold a candle to this.

[Christobull]

Wakeboarding and snowboarding seem to be the most forgiving board sports, but they can get you. I entered a high-dive belly-flop competition once because I lost a bet. I actually ended up winning, but that was no pain at all compared to the falls I take wakeboarding. I've coughed up blood after hitting the water before, and that wasn't fun at all.

As for the 180, I'm sure you'll get it. I'd make sure you have it down with a one wake jump before going back to the wake to wake. Look for videos of edging drills and do them switch to get you more comfortable. There's also a good article on this site about it. Doing ollies cutting out to the flats on edge seemed to be most beneficial to me, but I'm not that good at it in rough water still.

http://www.wakeboarder.com/display.phtml?a=35

[cletis]

The thing with concussions is there is no rhyme or reason to them, right now. Research has grown by leaps and bounds the last couple years but we still don't have all the answer's yet. Sometimes you right crack your head off something and not be concussed, other times a light blow can put you out for months. A lot of your symptoms have to do with how you hit your head, where you hit your head. Certain areas of the brain are responsible for memory, other are resonsible for vision and sound. I've had three diagnosed concussions, and my third was by far the worst, and my symptoms were different then the others. I couldn't watch TV with out sunglasses, ear plugs and a hat for like 5 weeks. Yet i had no memory loss at all.

Also research is showing that waking a person up in sleep with a concussion can actually make things worse. What should happen is someone should monitor your vitals and let you sleep. If it's minor that can be a parent or a friend. If it's serious like your it should be a doctor or nurse at the hospital.

Finally it is possible to go to sleep and not wake up, that usually is caused by a venus bleed in the brain, what happens is that blood slowly leaks of the vein do to low pressure and builds over hours and even days( Liam Neessons Wife). Eventually the pressure build so high that you die, not even knowing there was a major problem.

The other side of that is an arterial bleed, where blood flows out of an artery rapidly due to high pressure, and vitals and alertness faid rapidly, usually easy to pick up on and rectify.

As a therapist if i had an athlete with a head trauma, i would preffer the arterial bleed cause i will know right away that the hospital is needed, where a venus bleed starts out as a minor headach and gets worse over time. FYI i would happy if no one in the world suffered head trauma.

[kimokalihi]

Scary stuff. It's been 6 days now and I've got no symptoms aside from a pain in the middle of my spine if I arch my back and push my stomach out or lean backwards for a good stretch.

What was the hat for while you were watching TV? I would have just not watched TV if I had to go through all that.

[Christobull]

haha Like the old adage, "it hurts when I do this", "well, don't do that". Very glad to hear that you're doing well. Find you an attractive wakeboard girl to give you a massage on the boat before each run, and you should be good. I can't wait to hit the water this weekend. Everyone be safe, no more concussions.

[cletis]

The hat was to help cut down on over head light, the reason why i would watch TV was because it gets boring lying in a dark room all day, which was all i could do comfortably during that time, lol.

If your symptom free, then i would say try jumping on a bike for 15 minutes with your HR at 140 or below. See how you feel afterwords. However neck pain is a symptom of concussion if it's in the area close to the scull.

[Christobull]

cletis, That's pretty good advice, because you'll get light headed and your headache will return if you are still having problems. In my experience, it feels like a handover on a hot day.

[kimokalihi]

How about an eliptical? I have on in my room. I believe it can even measure my heart rate.

[Christobull]

Your target range is based off of your resting heart rate. You'd have to look up how to calculate it. My resting rate it between 45 and 55 bpm, so my target is 110 to 120 bpm roughly for aerobic exorcise. I think you start burning at your target rate. It's been a long time since I was up on that stuff, so don't take my word for it.

[ky1e]

kimokalihi, just goto the walk in clinic and they will refer you to a specialist. You need to see a neurologist but unfortunately how medicine and insurance works now a days, you need to start at the regular doctor to make it to the specialist to guarantee it is covered. Just tell her you want a referral to a neurologist and she will not say no, believe me. Because if something happened to you, god forbid, she is the one getting sued. You should not start working out yet either. No physical activity for 3 weeks or until you see the doctor and he says otherwise. Your concussion sounded pretty serious, so go get it checked out. Hope all is well in your medical conquest, and keep us updated on the process and procedures.
-Student Doctor Linsey




sorry, had to do it. The doctor I'm shadowing right now for rotations says that is how I have to introduce myself to all my patients. So corny

[Christobull]

ilubronix, You're probably right, Student Doctor Linsey. I was just giving him advice from the standpoint of not going to the doctor, but because of my boneheaded/stubborn/spiteful nature, I think you would know right away if you needed to be out there riding or not. For me, with the exception of the first which was like his, the concussions didn't even put me out the rest of the day, and none of them for more than a week. I finished my normal ride. Good idea? Maybe not. The biggest concern for me was hitting my head again. Thoughts?

kimokalihi, own a helmet that fits correctly?

[cletis]

I agree with you about him getting checked out first, however waiting 3 weeks may not be necessary. If he goes with out symptoms for 24 hrs and has been cleared by a dr, light exertion will tell him if he is still concussed. He should work through the stages i outlined as well. He should probably see a specialist, a neurologist would be great but a sports med dr would be just as good. I know up here in canada it's hard to see a neurologist. Eaither way, before you do anything get checked out man. If the Dr doesn't know alot about concussions make sure you get a refferal to someone who does.

Also if he needs a helmet to wakeboard safely, then he shouldn't go back. In this instance his concussion is likely not from hitting his head but from the whiplash effect. It's more then likely a countercoup injury, where there is a rapid deceleration or acceleration of the scull in one direction, which leads to a displacment of the brain and acceration followed by rapid decceration in the opposite direction which results in the brain crashing into the scull.

[Christobull]

cletis, no I agree. But a snug fitting helmet would make regular falls less uncomfortable. Even after being cleared, which I'm sure he would be, the helmet would make him feel more comfortable getting back out there.