Head Injuries? Concussions? Recovery time?

[Jim]

Has anyone ever fallen and slapped their head on a wooden stage or similar surface? And even though there was no external injury (bump, bruise, laceration) you got up and felt a bit woosy? Then you continued to feel a bit woosy for like a week or two?

If that ever happens to me, how long would the woosy feeling last?

Just wondering.

Jim

[martin ewen]

I will briefly take a break from my writing. 'martin ewen, an autobiography of head injuries.'
To try and answer your inquiries.
No bump? No visible sign of impact? Tut tut, head injuries bleed like billy-O
Use it, its a performance technique you can master in a split second.
If you are feeling woosy for anything more than a couple of days then see a doctor. I'd suspect an inner ear dislodgement (we all have little men on roller-bollars in our inner ears, its what makes us seasick)
It may not be physical, you might just be depressed that you have to risk hitting your head for a living.
Its either an eye thing (david holder (fish) hit his head and his retina's started detatching)
or an ear thing
or a mental thing. (your mind taking its first opportunity to stear you towards clerical work)
Or it could simply have woken a tumour from its slumber.
I advise a holiday.

[Steven Ragatz]

Well, if that would ever happen to you, I'd advise using that great street-performer's health insurance policy and seeing a trained physician. Even mild concussions can lead to complications.

More to the point, as a regular reader of P.net, I have a vested interest in keeping you, our faithful site administrator, healthy, or at the very least, conscious. Go see the doc.

Steve

[Stephon]

Absolutely see a doctor. Head injuries are nothing to mess around with, and if you are still woozy after several days you should have it checked out. Especially if you're still performing--I'm just speculating, but dizziness could be a bit of a handicap when rola-bowling; you might fall and hit your head.

[Stretch]

In case you are bleeding, avoid asprin and asprin like products as they thin the blood, and of course avoid booze . Another possibility would be a pinched nerve in the neck.

Likely your brain would rick - o - sha (sp) in the skull bouncing off those bony ridges on the inside of the skull, likely causing some bruising or bleeding.

You will either get better or worse. Go see a doc, s/he will likely order xrays, barium ennimas, body cavity searches, and a silly putty helmet.

[jester]

You could be really democratic and ask your nearest and dearest if they prefer the woosy you to the old you. But I think you should see a doctor post haste.

[Richard]

I wouldn't worry to much about it Jim. If you're still feeling dizzy in a year then maybe you should be concerned.
If it would happen, could you get it on video for us? Slow motion if it's not to much to ask.
Kidding of course Jim. Tell the Dr. your friends from p.net said hi.
Rest, relax, and heroin may help.

[Jim]

Funny thing is... It is on tape. I just have to get my hands on a copy because I have no idea what part of my head hit the stage. (I was wearing a paper bag at the time.) I just know there was a thud and I immediately went into 'self diagnostic' mode and recited my name and address to myself. Then I felt all over my head and I couldn't even feel any areas that were tender or bumpy. If I wasn't feeling dizzy, I would have had no idea I'd hit my head. There was zero pain, just an overall feeling like I had guzzled a beer. A little drunk, but not too drunk.

I did a show the next day and felt a little tipsy, but I was able to do all my tricks.

I've had a full schedule for the last 2 weeks and only yesterday did I notice I was still a little woozy. I only really noticed it when I couldn't juggle 5 clubs in a show. Then after the show I tried for about 15 minutes and I could barely flash them. Everything else was fine, but I just couldn't get 5 clubs to work. It was like my hands were moving in slow motion.

Then today I was performing and noticed I felt a little dizzy. I thought it was the heat, but then realized it could be something in my head. So basically I thought I was fine after a couple days and now two weeks later, I'm feeling it again.

Any suggestions for a doctor? I don't have a physician. I'm basically going to have to look in the yellow pages, but I have no idea where to start. Brain Surgeons? Neurologists?

And to reiterate, I'm not feeling pain. It's just a mild 'floaty' feeling. Maybe Martin was right. It may be an inner ear thing. My eyes are fine.

Jim

[martin ewen]

Feeling tipsy all the time mmmm have you tried drinking really heavily, that might shake it.
It could also be that you went through some sort of substaintial transformation and without recognising it have become enlightened, a higher being, a fully evolved human being. (that soupy feelings familiar to most of the popes and Gandi)
You must relinquish the old Jim, no-one who's evolved juggles.
Of course a doctor might tell you different,

[Drew Richardson]

Maybe this is why I can't juggle five clubs.

[em]

I got smashed on my forehead once by Nick and the bottom of a very heavy mike stand as we bumped into each other on the steps leading up to the stage. Instantly my vision went funny and stars appeared everywhere...at this point i was already in full on mode and shouting a good 'un...a few minutes later my forhead begun to swell up and the most enourmous alien like lump became the object of focus. I staggered through the show and finally came stumbling off. The only usefull advise i was given was to drink lots of water and no beer. So i drank lots of water and lots of beer. It got better eventually...

[Peter Voice]

I've hit my head lots of times and it hasn't smelborp yna em desuac.

Yrrow yhw.

[martin ewen]

Rather than just accepting your sad statistical inclusion into the 'dumbing down of america' I suggest the kind of doctor you are looking for is a neurologist or neuropsychologist(under 'Gibber' in the yellow pages) look up "post concussion syndrome" on Google
Have you tried sticking a kitchen utensil into a power socket?

http://www.subtlebraininjury.com/

I've had a fractured skull and been bleeding out the ears and twenty odd stitches in my forehead, been knocked out countless times ,it was the way i scared opposition in rugby as a child I tackle them head on and knock myself out, the tackles were spectacular and successful and people would avoid me on the wing because they feared my unearthly singleminded commitment and lack of concern...I then went on to high diving and used to hit the water with my head at 45k while rotating and knocked myself out a few times that way as well, I've hit snow at speeds enough to have me carted off to hospital, I've been knocking myself out consistantly forever. Not to mention drinking so much that I spent decades blacking out, (once coming to in an ice fed river in the country when my last memory was being at a party in the city)
The only effect is that I cannot remember more than 3 things at once, (numbers letters etc) where most people can do 5 to 7.
Oh and humanity and society leaves me confused and I freeze when I have to make decicions sometimes.
You on the other hand are a healthy young buck and should recover from this moment of head whacking stupidity within weeks.
best of luck.

[ 07-26-2003: Message edited by: martin ewen ]</p>

[Richard]

Ahhh now we've found a topic we can all have fun with. Jim's head injury. Your basic family physician in the yellow pages is the place to start for finding a dr. He'll, or better yet she'll, decide if you need to see someone more experienced then her. Find a hot one and then tell her your prostates been bothering you too.
I am a little confused though. Your article in "hype yourself" said you've got insurance, retirement plan, & house payment....but you don't have a fricking dr? You're not getting any younger Jim. Time to find a basic family physician to go to. Even if it's just to have your prostate examined just for the fun of it.

And about that video, if you could add some blood it'd probably make it more exciting for our viewing pleasure.

Just in case something does happen to you Jim, is there a second in command to take over your p.net duties? Might start thinking about creating little Jimmay and Jimay to take over you p.net empire in the future.

Seriously, I hope you're feeling better Jim.

[jester]

Jim. I think a doctor can help you.

All you sick bastards who replied to this, I'm afraid there is nothing that science can do for you. You are 20th Century bastards hanging on in the 21st. We're all in it together... Shit.. I'm in a disaster movie for real and you guys are all I've got.