Hi everyone. Just looking for some sympathy/empathy. Today started out good. Coach was impressed with my new footwork. He said he's never seen me move my feet so fast! OK now for the crappy part. He had me work on my ever problematic camel spin. I must have gone too far back on my outside edge on the entry and body slammed myself into the ice hitting the right side of my head on the ice!!

Now I feel like I fell off a truck. Not only does my head hurt where I hit it but my hairline hurts. As well as my wrists(both), neck, and upper back and weirdly my ear on the same side that I hit my head. I mean the inner ear, I didn't hit my ear itself. And again, weirdly the whole right side of my face. Nose, cheek bones, ect.

I don't have a concussion, never lost consciousness, no blurred vision or confusion. Just the above. Bleah!!

Let the sympathy pour in please!

Sounds like you may have a mild concussion, and i'd go get some x-rays because it sounds pretty rough. Maybe a chiropractor?

Take care, and take it easy! MANY sympathies! Skating is hard work!

ooh! I'm so sorry, that sounds awful!

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OMG, I'm trying to picture that but can't quite figure out that fall. Do you spin CW or CCW? But you certainly have my sympathy! Sounds like you needed a big hug!
A year or two ago, I flipped myself over and fell on my head on the entrance to a flying camel during the 6-minute warm-up for a competition. As you might imagine, I was a little shaken and didn't skate my program very well. I think the lesson here is that with camels and flying camels, trying too hard can be dangerous!

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Hi doubletoe... I jump and spin CW. It happened when I stepped in on my right foot. But I don't think I rode the edge long enough and my coach wanted me to try to keep my left arm in front on the entrance. I usually swing it back, the left arm that is. Well, I think the left arm was too far in front of me along with the short entrance and I maybe fell 'off' the edge onto my right side.

And to miraclegro.. I have an appointment Wed with one my ART people. She a physical therapist. The chiropractor guy is away this week. And I called my primary Dr's office. They don't think I have a concussion but.. it was over the phone..how can they tell? They did say to come in if I feel worse. I've had a mlld concussion years ago and I had some uneven pupil dilation. None of that this time.

Yeeeeowch!!! I hit my forehead hard once, years ago, just slowly doing an inside 3-turn. Had a HUGE goose egg there---it was kind of creepy. Took me a while to get up the courage to do an inside 3 again!

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Ooh I've had some bad head falls so you have my sympathy.

Not too many months ago I had a concussion and you'd know it right away or a few hours later anyway- I had a bad headache, felt loopy, very drowsy and they can't tell with an xray - they made me get a CT scan!

Two days before my test I fell backward and hit my head and I was so upset I was going to go through the whole thing again but it wasn't my head so much as my neck because I did a whiplash thing and my stomach muscles felt like I"d tried to do 100 situps for days.

j

Yeah, I'm wondering if maybe I had a concussion because now I feel much more 'clear' in the head. The aches are setting in but I'm not fuzzy anymore. NOT that my vision was fuzzy just a fuzzy feeling.

Yuck I hate hitting my head on the ice. I've only done it a few times, but it's never fun. Don't forget that your cheekbone is sore! After I hit my head/face the most recent time, I kept going to rest the side of my head in my hand, forgetting my cheekbone was all bruised. Ouch!

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OUCH!!! (Rubs own head in sympathy)

I agree - you do not sound as though you have a concussion. You're not describing any of the symptoms (not all people lose consciousness, but you're not telling anything else that would make me think concussion - like the stuff jskater described). But I would keep an eye on yourself, if you'll pardon the vernacular, and I do recommend going to the doctor if you feel any worse or notice ANY changes.

And take care of yourself - getting whacked in the head, concussion or not, is a heck of a thing to have happen to you.

OUCH! I've whacked my back of head on the ice twice really badly.

Ice helps keep the swelling down and handle some of the whiplash (if you got a bit of that.)

Pain / inflammation medicine (like Advil) taken regularly for 48 hours. Don't miss a dose - it keeps the swelling in check.

Neck/Shoulder Massage a day or so later really helps.

Get well soon.

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I know there are a number of medical staffers on this board.

Would a skater always present concussion symptoms if they cracked their skull during a fall?


ETA: I'm not suggesting that's why you hurt, I'm just asking for future reference.

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Oww. I've had a lot of head falls, including a flying camel fall similar to one described up there and my personal favourite, falling forwards very fast out of a double loop, so fast that I can't do anything to prevent my head from face planting down. Oh and of course, stabbing my head and producing lots of blood because there was a Christmas decoration in my usual off ice spot...

I hope you feel better.

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You have my sympathy too! I had something like that but it was on my jaw. No concussion, but my cheek was swollen up pretty badly. I think I was pretty banged up.... had to skip work for the day and put on HEAVY AMOUNTS of makeup the next day so no one thinks that my husband was beating up me.

Lots of rest and ice. The ART therapy is good, as is a massage therapy session with a competant CMT.

Feel better soon!!!

(I'm admitting now that I'm getting a bit nervous about that camel spin thing and I spin in your direction too!!! )

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11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
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Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

Ouch. I feel for you. Last year I was doing the quickstep and got my L blade caught in my R pants leg on the choctaw and flew up and landed on my head and then my tailbone. I guess it made some loud, awful thud sound but I was pretty much out of it so I had no clue. I spent about 3 days in bed at my parents' house mostly sleeping (we have a lot of medical professionals in my family so I was pretty closely monitored), and 4 days after the fall, I started having very painful muscle spasms in my neck and back and I couldn't turn my head. And I was groggy/fuzzy for a good 2 weeks. I was back on the ice after a week but didn't really do much other than glide around for a week, and was afraid to practice in pants for about the next 4 months. :laugh:

Def see a doctor and a chiropractor or a physician who specializes in sports medicine and sports-related injuries. Especially if it might be a concussion, you REALLY need to take it easy for a bit because the last thing you need is to hit your head again. For other injuries, see if your hospital's sports medicine department has a D.O. on staff--I usually see one who works in a chronic pain department and specializes in sports-related injuries and chronic pain in athletes. They work wonders when it comes to back and other joint problems and if your health insurance is tricky when it comes to chiropractors (mine is), you can usually get a visit to a D.O. at the hospital who can do the same treatments covered.

Especially in these first few days, if it was, in fact, a concussion, and you feel tired and want to sleep, just make sure someone knows and is checking on you every 30-45 min.

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Lots of sympathy! I am sure you know all the warnings signs that mean you need to get to A&E fast - vomiting, drowsiness and so on - and as you don't have those I don't suppose you've done any serious damage.

We've all bashed our heads at least once - it goes with the territory!

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Ouch! I've done that, too. I had a very mild concussion and felt sort of the way you're describing. I never vomited or lost consciousness, but I was a little dizzy and had a pounding headache all that day.

I was so upset because it was my first competition on the synchro team and someone took my feet right out from under me while we were on practice ice. I was a good team skater and let go of the person ahead of me so I didn't pull her to the ice, too, but landed flat on my back, my head bounced twice. Saw stars, then the roof of the rink, then my entire team crouched over me. Apparently, there was a mom of another skater who was a nurse who came flying out of the stands when I didn't move after the fall -- to be clear, I was completely conscious, just totally stunned and laid there a moment to figure out if anything was broken, plus the thought occurred to me that leaving my head on the ice would help if if were starting to swell. Felt good enough to stick around through the preliminary round, though I didn't skate, then went to the ER. By then, my balance was fine and I was only suffering a humongous headache, so they didn't think a CT was necessary, but I was warned not to compete the rest of the weekend.

I was so dang excited that I really DID want to try and skate, but it was clear when I woke up the next morning with whiplash and big, black bruises on my hip, back, shoulder and head that it wasn't going to happen. I felt like I'd been hit by a car! And that wasn't even a bad concussion!

Long story (not so) short, take care of yourself and seek medical attention should you think you need it! The endorphins you feel right after an injury like that sometimes mask how hard you've really whacked yourself, so make sure you're paying attention for other symptoms!

Thanks guys... you are all great and give some great advice. My primary is a D.O. and I think I may see him today. First I'm taking my kid to Chuck E. Cheese to meet some friends. I really have my priorities in order huh? Tomorrow I have an appointment with my ART person.

But.. during the night my neck and mostly left shoulder/arm/wrist are extremely tight. (mild whiplash) And, I realized that for most of yesterday I was in a kind of fog. The 'fog' lifted early in the evening and the pain set in. Not severe pain, just the tightening. I agree w/quarkiki2 about the endorphins masking other symptoms. I too, paused on the ice to evaluate if I could get up on my own power and if my noggin were bleeding or not. It wasn't thank God. I was just so happy an ambulance didn't have to be called.

And Rachelsk8er... I n..e..v..e..r skate in pants any---more. Because of just what happened to you happened to me in the past. I love wearing jazzpants/flare bottoms but not skating--any...more.

And, jazzpants.. I don't know why but I thought your comment on wearing a lot of makeup so noone would think your husband was beating on you was hysterical. Maybe because (this is OT) once my mom fell and her whole face was black/blue from bruising and she needed stitches. She was about 70 something at the time and when ever someone asked her what happened she would look at my father and said in her most pathetic voice... he did it. Now you have to know my parents. Very old school, Dad is a WWII vet very proper. It was hilarious to watch.

Anyway, I'm planning on skating tomorrow. No jumping or spinning though but I'm sure you all think I'm crazy for contemplating it. I'll see what the dr. says later.

Nah, I don't think you're crazy. You're like me - you get out there again asap.

I agree -- our team had a week off after that competition and when we came back, I was there, ready to go!

I think in my case it was more of a fluke (they weren't flared loose or too long or anything). Plus my synchro blades have short heels and it *should* be harder to get them caught. It was more due to the fact that I'm a complete klutz and nothing seems to be Rachel-proof (hence why I'm sitting at work today in a white skirt with coffee spilled down the front because I tripped going up the stairs at work this morning). I've also gotten toepicks caught in over the boot tights before, got myself tangled in the skirt of a dance dress on warm-up once, and the list goes on.

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I've worn jazzpants for AGES and never once did I trip on the hem. Then again, MY problem seems to be NOT getting myself to close my leg tightly over the skating leg in my scratch spin... I'm sure my time to trip on that hem will come soon enough...

Rachel: That's why I keep a change of clothing in my car... just for those occasions of spilled coffee, foods, etc...! Of course, knowing ME I will also spill something over the change of clothing too. LOL!!!

herniated: if you're not dizzy and the doctors don't think you have a concussion.... THEN go back on the ice!!! But knowing you and a LOT of AOSS "victims", you will go on the ice and THEN go see the doctor!!! (Guess how I know? )

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Cheers,
jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

I hear you Rachelsk8er about the klutziness. Been there myself too. And jazz..well I tried to get and appointment with my doctor today but they were toooooooo busy. Nice. I do see the physical therapist tomorrow though. lol. After I skate.

I'm feeling better now. Still stiff but better.

Sounds like you "got your bell rung"--that's what we call it in hockey when we're not sure if it's a concussion or not but we know the parents probably aren't going to take the kid to the doctor!

I had it happen once when a kid clipped me under the jaw with his GIGANTIC HELMETED HEAD! At the time I was pretty sure I was okay and determined to show the other (male) hockey coaches I was okay so I got back on and finished the practice with the kids (stopping to spit blood occasionally, I was so relieved I didn't lose any teeth I didn't care!). I never did go to the doctor although the right side of my face swelled up and got black and blue--I suspect I must have had a mild concussion or I would have had the sense to go to the doctor! (I blame husband for not making me got--it MUST be his fault!).
I've been told (by USA Hockey in their gloom-and-doom head injury classes) that you can have results long after an initial concussion, so it can't hurt to go to the doctor.

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Thanks sk8lady. Yes, I got my bell rung. Love that expression. I went to my physical therapist today and she evaluated me. She felt I could have a mild concussion and was appalled that I skated today! She has grounded me for the rest of the week and possibly Monday. Alarmist. I have to see her again Monday. I also have whiplash. Nice!!

Skating WAS challenging today. I was a bit dizzy and felt a bit vomitous(sp?). But IIIIIIIII did it!! Lunatic I am.

And I did read that symptoms of concussion can show up days later. Lovely.