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epic crash....pity I dont know what happened

pofadderpofadder Posts: 19
edited June 2010 in Commuting chat
long time reader, first time poster...

So I had an epic crash the other day. Broken arm, busted nose, busted face, busted knuckles & knees. My helmet's also cracked, blood all over. I don't know what happend, I just remember having breakfast, setting off....and then some time later waking up in the back of an ambulance, copper asking me if he can call someone for me.

Very nice ambulance dude loaded me plus bike into ambulance, went to hospital(kingston), where the very nice ambulance dude proceeded to securely lock up my bike. (the bike was OK btw - not even a scratch :D )
Got my arm plastered, lots of head xrays, ct scans, etc, after about 9hrs they said I'm ok, can go home.

Anyhow - does anyone here have experience of this kinda crash - I still can't remember anything of the crash itself or where it happened. I am not even 100% on where I was going...

Does one gradually remember after time - or is that bit of memory just wiped out?
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  • prj45prj45 Posts: 2,208
    Wow, sounds lucky.

    Any car imprints?

    Sobering to realise that we all worry in the back of our heads about having a big crash, but that's pointless because it's highly likely that you'll know nothing at all about it and just wake up in hospital.
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  • pofadderpofadder Posts: 19
    Yep, it was a very sobering experience for me! :shock:

    I don't know if anything hit me, the bike seems ok. The wheels do look a lot more whobbly now, but no scratches on the paint work (that I noticed). There was apparently a witness who called 999, but I don't know if anything fishy happened, or for that matter what exactly.

    I might have just gone and done something stoopid causing it myself, or I just got hit. I was a bit freaked out not knowing what happened, but I'm sort of ok with it now!

    Guess the best thing would be to try getting hold of the policeman, maybe he knows something
  • meanredspidermeanredspider Posts: 12,550
    Sounds like the lid was a good investment - seems like it did its job by cracking rather than that energy doing the same to your skull. I assume the 999 folk can trace the caller?
    ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH
  • pofadderpofadder Posts: 19
    Yep, the lid did its job nicely - glad it was there! (was a Bell Variant - very comfy lid indeed!)

    The guy who called 999 actually did it from my mobile,he must have found it while I was passed out.
  • suzybsuzyb Posts: 3,449
    It may come back to you eventually. After I crashed and was knocked out I couldn't remember anything for ~10 minutes before the accident. But it eventually came back to me.
    Whippet
  • pofadderpofadder Posts: 19
    I sure hope so - It happened on Thursday, hopefully with time it'll come back!!
    I would just love to know - coz if I did something stooopid I would like to know about it so I don't do it again! If it was something/someone else, well, I would still like to know..
  • EKE_38BPMEKE_38BPM Posts: 5,980
    Often when you are knocked out, the memory isn't 'saved' in your short-term memory and therefore can't make it into your medium/long-term memory. If you can't remember it now, maybe you never will.

    Lots of racing drivers, when asked about a big crash, say I can't remember what happened so I'm not scared of driving quick. Says a lot about their mentality but also demonstrates that if you can't remember it straight away, maybe you never will.

    Try not to be scared of cycling again. You fall off the horse, you have to get straight back on (injuries permitting).

    Get well (and back on the bike) soon.
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  • pofadderpofadder Posts: 19
    Thanks for that,

    I'm going to be off the bike for about 6 weeks, but I guess there's nothing wrong with getting in some trainer time meanwhile so that I don't lose fitness completely - my legs are bruised and so on, but they are ok apart from that.

    Hehehe! I think I'd prefer to not know what happened then- in case it freaks me out completely! Not knowing will make getting back on the bike easier, so maybe its better not knowing. (although, then I could just go out there and do the same thing again...)
  • Mickey EyeMickey Eye Posts: 590
    Colleague of mine has just returned to work after two weeks absence due to a mountain biking crash. He was with friends so they can tell him that he went over the bars on a drop and face planted, split his helmet and really messed his face up. Still two weeks later and he can't remember.

    I'd have thought that if there was someone else involved in the accident the police officer would have told you at the time?
  • pofadderpofadder Posts: 19
    The police guy didn't tell me much - well - nothing that I can remember now anyway.
    But you are right, someone would probably have mentioned it if someone else was involved.
  • RadioactivemanRadioactiveman Posts: 964
    meanredspider wrote:
    Sounds like the lid was a good investment - seems like it did its job by cracking rather than that energy doing the same to your skull. I assume the 999 folk can trace the caller?


    Another benefit is they slow the brain down, the brain damage is done by high velocity impacted the skull internally I think. Sound like you had a lucky escape , good to see a good response from the blue light brigade,particularly the bike

    Hope you get fixed up and find out what happened,would frustrate the hell out of me not knowing
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  • EKE_38BPMEKE_38BPM Posts: 5,980
    Radioactiveman wrote:

    Hope you get fixed up and find out what happened,would frustrate the hell out of me not knowing

    Ignorance is bliss?
    FCN 3: Raleigh Record Ace fixie-to be resurrected sometime in the future
    FCN 4: Planet X Schmaffenschmack 2- workhorse
    FCN 9: B Twin Vitamin - winter commuter/loan bike for trainees

    I'm hungry. I'm always hungry!
  • clantonclanton Posts: 1,287
    I had a head injury as a child - 20+ year ago and still remember nothing about that day at all!
    Glad you're ok.
  • lost_in_thoughtlost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
    Glad to hear you're OK enough to be posting on here.

    I've still got memory gaps from every time I've been knocked out - falling badly from a horse at age 8, and again at age 14; playing water polo at 16, rugby at 19, knocked off my bike at 25, still only know what happened from being told in any of those events, never regained the memory. The rugby one I lost pretty much 2 whole days, all I remember is wearing a stripey beanie and the eye chart in the hospital which said

    E
    ND

    which I thought was inappropriate for a hospital.

    If you're really burning to know, ask the police, and ask if there were any witnesses.
    FCN 7/1
    Viner Maxima, Tifosi CK7, Giant Bowery, Old commuter.
  • pofadderpofadder Posts: 19
    EKE_38BPM wrote:
    Radioactiveman wrote:

    Hope you get fixed up and find out what happened,would frustrate the hell out of me not knowing

    Ignorance is bliss?

    Hehehe! I think you are onto something there :) Might be better if I dont try and find out!
    I'm glad for the helmet - head would have definitely taken more damage without it.

    But alls OK enough now I guess - getting used to the one-handed thing for now (although its very annoying if you start to itch somewhere under the cast and its impossible to scratch!! :? )
  • pofadderpofadder Posts: 19
    :D I'm glad I didn't get an eye chart saying E ND :wink:
  • Kieran_BurnsKieran_Burns Posts: 10,052
    pofadder wrote:
    EKE_38BPM wrote:
    Radioactiveman wrote:

    Hope you get fixed up and find out what happened,would frustrate the hell out of me not knowing

    Ignorance is bliss?

    Hehehe! I think you are onto something there :) Might be better if I dont try and find out!
    I'm glad for the helmet - head would have definitely taken more damage without it.

    But alls OK enough now I guess - getting used to the one-handed thing for now (although its very annoying if you start to itch somewhere under the cast and its impossible to scratch!! :? )

    You see, this is the kind of thing we don't need to know! :shock:
    Chunky Cyclists need your love too! :-)
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  • pofadderpofadder Posts: 19
    hahaha! not like that - eating and cooking and that kinda thing!! :D
  • frazerbrownfrazerbrown Posts: 64
    Bad luck, hope you're feeling better soon!
  • LazyBoycpLazyBoycp Posts: 320
    pofadder wrote:
    EKE_38BPM wrote:
    Radioactiveman wrote:

    Hope you get fixed up and find out what happened,would frustrate the hell out of me not knowing

    Ignorance is bliss?

    Hehehe! I think you are onto something there :) Might be better if I dont try and find out!
    I'm glad for the helmet - head would have definitely taken more damage without it.

    But alls OK enough now I guess - getting used to the one-handed thing for now (although its very annoying if you start to itch somewhere under the cast and its impossible to scratch!! :? )

    Apparently knitting needles are good for scratching under a cast - thin enough to slide inside the cast, but blunt enough that they won't cut you. :)

    There seems to have been a lot of crashes recently - I came off on Wed but only have grazes, bruises and a sore neck. Hope you recover quickly.
  • dilemnadilemna Posts: 2,187
    You importantly remembered your login and password though :wink:

    Did you black out if there is no evidence another road user collided with you?

    It might now be better to buy a helmet cam.

    Hope you are feeling better.
    Life is like a roll of toilet paper; long and useful, but always ends at the wrong moment. Anon.
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    half of them are even more stupid than you first thought.
  • mtb-idlemtb-idle Posts: 2,177
    glad you are okay: would be good for you to know what caused it though. Very little info, i assume you were commuting? Where was the crash?
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  • itboffinitboffin Posts: 19,773
    It's been a couple of days since my crash and I'm forgetting more stuff I think :? dunno but the first two days were very weird and even now I'm not sure WTF is going on :|
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  • Rich158Rich158 Posts: 2,348
    I still can't remember a thing after my crash last year, and it's wiped out about two days. I only found out what happened from the police report. I only have flashes of being in hospital, I know I was kept in overnight because my familly told me they took me home the next day. That first week at home is also extremely hazy.

    On the plus side it getting back on the bike didn't worry me, I had no bad memories to worry me. Glad you're ok relatively speaking, try contacting the police to see of there will be a report that may shed some light on what happened
    pain is temporary, the glory of beating your mates to the top of the hill lasts forever.....................

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  • lost_in_thoughtlost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
    LazyBoycp wrote:
    pofadder wrote:
    EKE_38BPM wrote:
    Radioactiveman wrote:

    Hope you get fixed up and find out what happened,would frustrate the hell out of me not knowing

    Ignorance is bliss?

    Hehehe! I think you are onto something there :) Might be better if I dont try and find out!
    I'm glad for the helmet - head would have definitely taken more damage without it.

    But alls OK enough now I guess - getting used to the one-handed thing for now (although its very annoying if you start to itch somewhere under the cast and its impossible to scratch!! :? )

    Apparently knitting needles are good for scratching under a cast - thin enough to slide inside the cast, but blunt enough that they won't cut you. :)

    There seems to have been a lot of crashes recently - I came off on Wed but only have grazes, bruises and a sore neck. Hope you recover quickly.

    Nooooooooooooo don't do it with the knitting needles! Your skin gets really thin and delicate under a cast, so while a knitting needle wouldn't normally cut you it may. An ex of mine managed to stab himself in the leg really rather badly with a knitting needle. It was very icky indeed.

    An itch will go away by itself. It will. Promise.
    FCN 7/1
    Viner Maxima, Tifosi CK7, Giant Bowery, Old commuter.
  • NGaleNGale Posts: 1,866
    itboffin wrote:
    It's been a couple of days since my crash and I'm forgetting more stuff I think :? dunno but the first two days were very weird and even now I'm not sure WTF is going on :|

    no your just forgetting things because of your age dear :wink:
    Officers don't run, it's undignified and panics the men
  • rjsterryrjsterry Posts: 18,969
    NGale wrote:
    itboffin wrote:
    It's been a couple of days since my crash and I'm forgetting more stuff I think :? dunno but the first two days were very weird and even now I'm not sure WTF is going on :|

    no your just forgetting things because of your age dear :wink:

    Seriously though, if you are feeling a bit weird, might be worth getting yourself checked out.
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
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  • NGaleNGale Posts: 1,866
    rjsterry wrote:
    NGale wrote:
    itboffin wrote:
    It's been a couple of days since my crash and I'm forgetting more stuff I think :? dunno but the first two days were very weird and even now I'm not sure WTF is going on :|

    no your just forgetting things because of your age dear :wink:

    Seriously though, if you are feeling a bit weird, might be worth getting yourself checked out.

    he's right you should get checked out, could be some concussion going on there
    Officers don't run, it's undignified and panics the men
  • itboffinitboffin Posts: 19,773
    NGale wrote:
    rjsterry wrote:
    NGale wrote:
    itboffin wrote:
    It's been a couple of days since my crash and I'm forgetting more stuff I think :? dunno but the first two days were very weird and even now I'm not sure WTF is going on :|

    no your just forgetting things because of your age dear :wink:

    Seriously though, if you are feeling a bit weird, might be worth getting yourself checked out.

    he's right you should get checked out, could be some concussion going on there

    But it makes my day so much more interesting, spending half of it wonder what happened today and the rest what am I supposed to be doing :lol:

    Drinking 20 bottles of corona extra and watching the entire LOST back to back season helped no end :roll:
    Rule #5 // Harden The censored Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • NGaleNGale Posts: 1,866
    itboffin wrote:
    NGale wrote:
    rjsterry wrote:
    NGale wrote:
    itboffin wrote:
    It's been a couple of days since my crash and I'm forgetting more stuff I think :? dunno but the first two days were very weird and even now I'm not sure WTF is going on :|

    no your just forgetting things because of your age dear :wink:

    Seriously though, if you are feeling a bit weird, might be worth getting yourself checked out.

    he's right you should get checked out, could be some concussion going on there

    But it makes my day so much more interesting, spending half of it wonder what happened today and the rest what am I supposed to be doing :lol:

    Drinking 20 bottles of corona extra and watching the entire LOST back to back season helped no end :roll:

    I'm like that most of the time and I haven't even had any crashes :lol: I put it down to being blonde :roll:
    Officers don't run, it's undignified and panics the men
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