Make sure your helmet goes to the hospital with you!!

Thanks to all for the well wishes here and to Alan Coleman and John Haas for staying with me and coordinating things last Saturday.

The ER doc , PA and others ask at least five times where my helmet was and could someone get it.
They wanted to see the INSIDE! The doc said he could care less about the out side. Mine got into the squad and fell out (twice) at the track side medical facility.
The inside side is perfect and the outside has a couple drop type scrapes. The helmet was purchased at the Watkins Glen race.
So if you ever have a friend or fellow racer go to the hospital make sure his helmet goes to. The staff can tell a lot from looking at it.
They will call your Emergency Contact even if you ask them not to.
They will want to know about a Living will.
They will not ask your blood type, they take it.
1:1 ratio Stool softeners to vicoden/percocet/muscle relaxers(learned that one too late and had to give myself a colonic massage sitting on the crapper with my feet on a box) yeah I know.
Stay Hydrated to avoind some wicked cramps.
Sneezing can be the most painful thing ever.

Thanks again.

 

Gregg, I believe your story about the helmet but it still seems odd. I used to work in a Level 1 trauma center and I can't remember ever making a big deal out of seeing the motorcycle helmets. Either you need a head and/or face CT scan, or you don't. It's pretty easy to determine that by asking a few simple questions and doing a basic physical exam. Stated another way: I can't imagine NOT ordering a head CT (if indications exist) simply because the helmet looks OK. If the inside of a helmet does not look OK, then believe me, your face and head are not going to look OK either.

Yes and true about the blood type. If a hospital gave a patient type-specific blood based only what a patient tells them (or what is on the helmet or suit), it would be a massive medical malpractice lawsuit (and possible deadly mistake). ERs stock O-neg type blood for this very purpose. In fact, your blood type can be in the medical record from a previous visit and they will STILL recheck it. It's that serious.

 

Maybe the helmet thing is just the way they do things in Mansfield. When I had the pleasure of visiting them after crashing my bike at mid Ohio they were all about tearing my helmet apart to inspect it. I did face plant when I came off the bike though.

They refused to put my shoulder back in socket or give me pain pills for it until x-rays confirmed I didn't break anything else.

No fun.

 

Maybe they received a grant from a helmet manufacturer?

I once asked a doctor friend why he didn't have his blood type on his helmet. He said it's one of the silliest things he's ever seen since no physician is ever going to type a patient based on that.

 

Oh yeah this is true.

Helmet does not matter, better to get a CT scan to make sure everything is in the right place and not bleeding.

Yup sneezing, laughing and coughing become pretty much the most painful aspect if you cracked, separated, or broke and ribs...

Also dont get ribs fully taped, get a half tape (painful when it goes on) just on the affected area and get it tight.. this works wonders and helps cut healing time a lot!

 

Yes, silly. In fact it would be criminal. But hey, that "B+" on a helmet or race suit sure looks cool.

And the more I think about Mansfield ER's infatuation with helmets, the more silly that sounds too.

 

I hit the wall in the Kink at RA, Medical wanted my helmet that was left in the car.

 

It's probably more relevant to put your beer type on that helmet

 

So how did that practice get started? It's fairly wide spread. I probably would have put mine on years ago if I knew what it was.
Now I can see putting drug allergies on your helmet but anecdotal evidence in this thread so far would indicate that it's usually back in the car anyway.

LOL. I may just do that.

 

It was probably to see what your blood type was.

 

Best to go in looking like the Stig .....

 

Get Well Soon Greg! I wear my helmet at all times...even out of the car!

 

I remember seeing an old racing photo somewhere--don't recall the driver but the blood type was embroidered on the front of his driving suit.

Gary

 

My blood type is on my underware along with my name.

 

OMG this thread hit home today.

I was out biking with my wife when she must have lost control on some leaves or pine needles. She got a head lac requiring 7 staples, some amnesia and vertigo. Sure enough, the EMS took the helmet to the ER. It was a pretty good whack because the helmet was cracked in 3 places. It stayed perfectly put on her head so I give her huge snaps for wearing it properly.

She will be fine. Helmets can be replaced, people can't.