Re: helmets

[jmutchler@juno.com (Jan A Mutchler)]

Hi Melanie:  I second what you said about helmets.  They are extremely
important.  I would like to take this opportunity to remind people that
in a case where you come off and strike your head, just because you have
a helmet on does not mean you don't have damage.  My husband came off a
horse about as softly and gently as you could hope for.  He had a helmet
on and he did strike his head on the ground, we thought rather lightly. 
In about 8 weeks he was having headaches and then started developing
neurological signs, i.e. tingling around his lips, tingling in fingers. 
His doctor immediately sent him to the E.R. where a CT showed a subacute
subdural hematoma on the right, front  part of his brain.  He had to have
immediate surgery.  The doctor thought the hematoma could be drained, but
after 8 weeks it had hardened.  This meant a craniotomy, where they had
to open the skull and remove the clot.   I was scared out of my mind that
I would lose my husband.  Yes, he is just fine.

What I learned is: after a fall in which you think the head struck the
ground, watch for any unusual signs in the following weeks.  In my
husband's case, the whiplash-like effect caused the front right side of
his brain to pull away from the lining, and the clot formed between the
lining and brain, putting pressure on the brain.  I also learned from the
neurologist,  that this type of scenario is more likely to happen in a
man over 50 (for whatever reason).
Jan Mutchler
jmutchler@juno.com
Littleton, CO

On Tue, 12 May 1998 14:53:17 EDT Horsestwo <Horsestwo@aol.com> writes:
>I'm not one to push for mandatory helmet wearing but I do feel 
>STRONGLY about
>the need to inform, cajole, pressure, shame, challenge those of you 
>not
>wearing a helmet every time you ride.  I ride in the desert SW and 
>other than
>matting my hair down I'm not bothered by my helmet.  If you're so vain 
>as to
>worry what your hair looks like you're probably not a serious 
>endurance rider,
>IMHO!  Who cares what their hair looks like when they're in the 
>emergency
>room?  I have taken several spills both off the horse and with the 
>horse and I
>know the helmet has done its job because I have had whiplash where my 
>head had
>bounced off the ground.  Troxel had a replacement service for the 
>helmet: I
>paid for shipping and handling.
>It is also important to wear the helmet every time you ride because if 
>you
>knew when you were going to fall off you wouldn't ride that day!  You 
>can
>recover from the broken bones and contusions caused by a serious 
>accident but
>it takes only a little blow to the head to have deadly consequences.
>
>Melanie in AZ

_____________________________________________________________________
You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail.
Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com
Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]