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Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Sometimes you just don't know.


We were taking a nice walk the other day. Not exactly here; but in a beautiful surrounding nevertheless, in Eugene, Oregon, the Willamette River on one side, runners, bikers and mothers with strollers passing us on the other side.

We  were following the river from our parking place by the Mall at Valley River Center to McGrath's Restaurant.

We got to lunch and gloated.

Yes, we had walked almost a mile from our car to the restaurant, on a pedestrian path with a beautiful view. We ate well, a salad, a piece of fish. We talked about how well the doctor's visit had gone earlier in the morning, and how our lives had been  so blessed. Imagine, we said, six months ago we had had to park close to any place, especially a restaurant. Six months ago we could not walk far without a long stop.  Yes, we kept saying, our lives are finally easing up.

We walked back to the car through the parking area until a few yards before we reached the car, when we crossed the parking area and walked toward the river path.  Hubby slipped going up a small dirt bank separating the parking area from the river path. He struggled a bit to get his balance and fell head down, wounding the top of his head. By the time he was up on his two feet the wound had opened and rivulets of blood and dirt made their way down his face.

I had nothing with me to stop the blood, to wipe his face off. The car now appeared miles away. I debated what to do: call emergency, leave him there and go for the car...
He insisted he was fine and we walked to the car among the usual crowd of runners, mothers in strollers, bikers.

Nobody looked at us.

A few minutes later, washed and wiped, we drove to our second doctor's appointment for the day where Hubby was reviewed for his usual conditions, and then the doctor decided that he needed to be assessed by the emergency personnel. Hubby insisted he felt fine, but his doctor insisted and Hubby was  wheeled to the Emergency Room and taken right in.

Head traumas are never easy to assess.
Vascular problems, internal bleeding can occur without the patient showing signs, Doctor Pacini, Hubby's Heart and Vascular Specialist advised.

Hubby was treated and released with four pages of instructions  for follow up care  that specify symptoms may appear even a year later.

After a head injury, here are signs to look for:

`decreased concentration
`difficulty learning
`memory problems
`vision changes
`headaches-especially with stress or physical activity
`mood changes
`increased sensitivity to noise
`dizziness
`difficulty with relationships
`decreased interest in sex
`increased susceptibility to alcohol( becoming intoxicated more easily)

If you notice any of these symptoms, talk to your doctor.
For more information related to head injuries, contact the Brain Injury Association of America
www.biausa.or








18 comments:

Brian Miller said...

oh goodness...i am glad he is ok for now and i hope that none of the symptoms show up...esp right on the cusp of thinking you were so blessed....kinda sad no one looked at you....

The Odd Essay said...

How scary! Head injuries are so frightening... hope it all turns out okay. You're so right... you just never know what's going to happen next.... good or bad.

Ginney E said...

How traumatic and strange that was! You must have been terrified. I'm so sorry for the shake-up, and hope he recovers without further need for care.
JSYK- my husband is in Eugene 5 days/week for treatments, and rides his bike on those trails. He would've stopped to help if he saw anyone hurt.

decomondo said...

Sorry to hear of this unfortunate accident.
Hopefully you will soon overcome it all. Best wishes!

Perpetua said...

So sorry to hear this, Rosaria. Head injuries should never be treated lightly and your doctor was right to get it checked out.

yaya said...

I'm glad he didn't play the hero card and insist he was OK..getting a head injury, even small ones, need a good checkup. I hope he heals quickly and does just fine. I want you both to continue to have good health and lovely days of walking!

Kerry said...

Oh no. Just when you were doing do well. But I hope hubby heals up quickly. But...a head injury, dear god, I don't know how you can talk about it at all. You are very strong.

Rian said...

Things unexpected happen in the blink of an eye... and there really is no way to avoid them. Hindsight makes you think you can, but accidents are going to happen. Hopefully everything will be fine.

ellen abbott said...

Whoa! Sorry to hear that. I'm glad it didn't turn into anything serious.

the walking man said...

Bummer for the husband! But you know what i would rather NOT know possible side effects and things to look for...if my mental awareness or approach to life changes without immediate cause enough people are around to tell me.

Amanda Summer said...

oh my goodness, rosaria - i'm so sorry to hear this. sending healing wishes to your husband ♡

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Rosaria .. those sorts of blips can be very dodgy .. so I'm pleased the doctor had him checked out.

Hope all is well with both of you - and that the wound is healing ...

Incredible no-one offered to stop and help ...

Have a quiet and peaceful weekend ... still counting your blessings - cheers Hilary

Dr. Kathy McCoy said...

Oh, my goodness! I hope he will be okay, Rosaria! I'm heart-broken that no one offered to help. That's so scary! And scarier still to realize how quickly things can change in only an instant.

Rob-bear said...

So very sad that nobody offered to help you!

Having had a concussion, I understand how tricky head injuries are. Fortunately, I made a full recovery, after getting good treatment from a specialist in Emergency Dept.

Blessings and Bear hugs!

Rosaria Williams said...

Thanks, everyone.
As of today, Hubby is showing no additional symptoms of trauma. We'll continue to be vigilant.
Some of you may know that we lost our 31 year old son two years ago due to a head injury.

Please, pass this information on. Don't let your children go to sleep after a fall; treat all head injuries as potential internal bleeding trauma. Concussions have major repercussions.

Barb said...

Very scary but I think you did the right think, had you left him what if he had fallen or lost consciousness?

My sister was in a car accident with a concussion-scary and scary temporary effects.

Hilary said...

Oh my.. I'm glad it wasn't overly serious. I'm so sorry you had such an unpleasant end to a lovely day. It's been a few days since you posted. How is he doing?

RNSANE said...

Very good information. I think, all too often, we tend to ignore medical attention, assuming a mishap is of no great importance. As we get older, it is vital that we don't ignore or health in this manner.