Kevin's Watch

Having recovered from a variety of relatively minor head injuries when I was younger I often wonder if my IQ has suffered somewhat because of it. For whatever reason I sometimes feel like there is a smart person in my brain that wants to get out but is being blocked by some unknown force. Like Homer Simpson and the crayon shoved up his nose.

I submit to you the following examples of my own brush with head trauma.

1. When I was about 3 I fell and cracked my head on the living room coffee table. Needed stitches on my forehead. Too young to be diagnosed with a concussion.

2. When I was about 8 I was running through the house and crashed headlong into the corner of the wall. Split my forehead wide open. Needed lots of stitches. Whenever I tell that story it tends to make people wince. I wonder why?

3. My "friend" David Owens was swinging a heavy lead sinker at the end of about 30 feet of fishing line around in a circle as fast has he could and hit me on the side of my head above my ear. I fell down and blacked out for a moment. I needed several stitches on that one.

4. Like a brain damaged teenager I jumped into the shallow end of an in ground swimming pool, head first with my arms at my sides. Crashed into the concrete bottom with velocity. Needed several stitches on the inside of my mouth behind my upper lip.

Thankfully no other incidents of head trauma to report.

An impressive array of injuries. I've been smacked in the head with various balls (hmm, maybe that's why I'm not all that keen on sports...). And reportedly, I fell out of my crib when I was a baby -- unclear whether I whacked my head, but I suppose it's possible.

The one (and only) time I ever went roller skating, I feel backwards and smacked my head on the concrete floor. I was unconscious for a few minutes. I was about 10 years old at that time.

A couple of years later, I was playing 3rd base during a softball game when a popfly was coming down behing the pitcher's mound. Our 6th grade teacher was all-time pitcher and didn't play any defense, so I went to try to catch it. My friend Roy was playing first base and was doing the same. We smacked faces at a dead run. I was unconscious again for several minutes. I didn't have a mark on me, but Roy had a black eye, broken nose and busted lip.

When I was 3 my mom got in a car accident. I wasn't wearing a seat belt; I fell forward into the dashboard hard enough to bend the ignition key.

Car accidents. First one I slammed my head in the windshield at 18. I looked like a neanderthal for weeks and weeks.

second one - I was passed out alone in the rear seat. Somehow, I have no idea how or where, we had an accident and I got a knot on my head.

Got jumped in the subway when I was 16 and slammed my head on the ground.


Got jumped at 30 in the subway and got kicked in the mouth. Lost two teeth.


Fell down a flight of stairs on 6/29/12. Knot on head and black eye.

I KNOW my IQ was effected. It improved.

Haha, that's what I always say too Lorin.

Lessee...

As a newborn, was dropped on the head on a tiled floor when the family dog attacked my mother as she was carrying me. Left her with a scar on her ankle for the rest of her life, and me with a flat spot over my occipital lobe on which I can easily balance a full glass if so inclined.

Aged 3, chasing my cousin with a stick, I fell down a flight of stone stairs...got a couple stitches in my chin.

Aged 5 or so, fell onto the corner of a coffee table, got a few stitches in my right eyebrow and a scar where my eyebrow doesn't grow anymore.

Aged 6 & 10, two bouts of Meningoencephalitis that apparently left me with some scarring on the right frontal lobe.

(Oh, I once caused a head injury by accidentally stabbing a friend in the head, but I don't think that counts. )

--A

Nearly broke my skull falling over backwards after slipping down a grassy slope. Head hit the concrete with an almighty wallop. I went to casualty the following day and was given the all clear, buy my head ached badly for days afterwards and no amount of asprin etc could clear it. As to subsequent effects on my intellect - to early to tell as I'm only in my late fifties and no-one under 65 even has an intellect.

It appears I am in good company. It's wonder any of us can type these posts.

Perhaps it knocked some sense into us.

Speaking of irreparable head trauma, aTOMiC and I have been here 10 years as of tomorrow, and DLB celebrates his 10 years the day after tomorrow. I'd like to offer my condolences to the rest of you, and look forward to the next ten years of madness.

10 more years on the Watch? 10 years from now we won't be interacting via web site we'll be making posts from an implant in our brains. Hopefully by then SRD will have begun the Last, Last Final Chronicles of Thomas Covenant actually featuring Thomas Covenant this time.

aTOMiC wrote:4. Like a brain damaged teenager I jumped into the shallow end of an in ground swimming pool, head first with my arms at my sides. Crashed into the concrete bottom with velocity. Needed several stitches on the inside of my mouth behind my upper lip.

I knew of someone who executed the same maneuver ... and that was the end of being able to walk. So: there but for the grace of god etc. etc.

No personal head trauma to contribute, unless we consider head banging.

Only if it's against walls.

--A

aTOMiC wrote:10 more years on the Watch? 10 years from now we won't be interacting via web site we'll be making posts from an implant in our brains. Hopefully by then SRD will have begun the Last, Last Final Chronicles of Thomas Covenant actually featuring Thomas Covenant this time.

Ouch!

[I refer aTOMic to my recent posts on the sticky 'Gilden Fire' thread as a potential ally in an already doomed venture]

My wife is a Service Coordinator for folks with TBI. You're all pretty lucky to be as high-functioning as you are.

I don't doubt it.

--A

Alas, the functioning is by no means always as high as it should be [even my cats have the brains never to get a hangover!]

I don't believe I've ever had one.

Well, localised amnesia can be a consequence...maybe you had one and just can't remember it?

--A

About five years ago, while I was getting in my car, I hit my head pretty hard on the door frame. I saw stars. Other than that, nothing has happened that would require stitches.