Your mom called, and wanted me to remind you to wear your helmet!

[Gcarve]

Replaced with a POC competition race helmet.
Now wearing a POC Cortex DH full face.
Pretty sold on POC.

I went on the POC website, didn't see the Cortex DH Full Face Helmet

Is it still available?

[www.oldsnowboards.com]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/POC-Cortex-D...item20bc3ae7dd

[Gcarve]

Thanks Bryan!! You are without a doubt the knowledge maestro of BOL


-George

[Pat Donnelly]

Cortex series is under "wheels" on their site http://www.pocsports.com/en/product/1220/cortex-flow

[skatha]

Snell has a ratings system for ski and snowboard helmets. I imagine if you buy from a major manufacturer, they are going to use those standards. My helmet's from Giro-as is my bike helmet. There'd be a huge liability on Giro's part if they used Snell standards for their bike helmets (they do) and not their winter sports helmets

[John E]

I really don't like reading these accounts of head injuries. I know some of these folks and how they ride and I don't see how I can avoid being in their position (aside from not boarding). Scares me.

I think the only way one helmet could protect your head better than another would be to be physically larger to spread the deceleration over a larger distance. If we wore helmets the size of beach balls, maybe these injuries could be lessened.

[johnasmo]

Looks like POC is no longer making it with a carbon fiber outer shell. The new "Cortex Flow" has a fiberglass shell, and I suppose with the added weight they are no longer marketing it as a snow helmet. The old Cortex DH was listed in both snow and MTB helmets, though designed as a MTB helmet.

http://www.google.com/products/catal...ed=0CGoQ8wIwAQ

Mine is the year before they added MIPS, which lets the inner shell rotate free of the outer shell on oblique impacts. Maybe you can still find a new-old-stock POC Cortex DH MIPS. That's a top of the line brain bucket.

There are only two sizes though, S/M and L/XL. I wear a L in Giro Nine.9 and the POC Comp, a 58 cm in Leedom Scream, and a Medium in Giro Remedy full face MTB. The POC L/XL just fits; perfect with no liner/balaclava but a little tight with any extra layers. If your head needs >58 cm in other helmets, the Cortex DH L/XL is probably going to be too tight. I already had the Giro Remedy (non-carbon) for downhill MTB, but found it bulky for snow use. Even in the carbon snow version, I think the Giro Remedy would feel bulkier than the POC DH, but that's a cheaper alternative with more size options.

[inkaholic]

Todd, sorry to hear of the injury and glad it wasn't worse. Take your time healing.

Ink

[csquared]

Thought I was done with this thread but I had complex crash at the SOS event yesterday and ended up with a broken upper arm (proximate humourous fracture) and a concussion. Lost 20 minutes or so in there so I am not entirely sure what the crash entailed but anecdotes indicate mid-air spin off some ice and fakey landing with heelside edge catch and downhill body slam. That's the end of the season for me but I am going to be in the market for a new helmet and POC is top of my list.

Hope you're recovering well tb. Once again, my sympathies...literally.

[Jack Michaud]

(I've already sent tb regards over email and fb)

Looks like POC is no longer making it with a carbon fiber outer shell.

Good. The stiffer the shell, the more energy transmitted to the padding/liner and your skull.

Thought I was done with this thread but I had complex crash at the SOS event yesterday and ended up with a broken upper arm (proximate humourous fracture) and a concussion. Lost 20 minutes or so in there so I am not entirely sure what the crash entailed but anecdotes indicate mid-air spin off some ice and fakey landing with heelside edge catch and downhill body slam. That's the end of the season for me but I am going to be in the market for a new helmet and POC is top of my list.

Dang, sorry to hear that Chris, was looking forward to seeing you at ECES.

Get well soon to all!

[lowrider]

Wasn't it enough you provided the venue. Now your doing the entertainment too ! Wine for minerals milk for calcium .

[www.oldsnowboards.com]

Thought I was done with this thread but I had complex crash at the SOS event yesterday and ended up with a broken upper arm (proximate humourous fracture) and a concussion. Lost 20 minutes or so in there so I am not entirely sure what the crash entailed but anecdotes indicate mid-air spin off some ice and fakey landing with heelside edge catch and downhill body slam. That's the end of the season for me but I am going to be in the market for a new helmet and POC is top of my list.

Hope you're recovering well tb. Once again, my sympathies...literally.

Sorry to hear about your accident, No surgery needed? Heal fast , take care. Bryan

Proximal Humerus Fracture

A proximal humerus fracture occurs when the ball, of the ball-and-socket shoulder joint, is broken. The fracture is actually at the top of the arm bone.

[csquared]

Nothing humourous about this injury. Embarrassing to get the terminology wrong but I had not had the courage to start searching it yet and i was doing the phonetic spelling thing.

Frankly, the concussion has been more worrisome. It's the mood changes I don't like. Can't be a good thing. Hey tb, how"s your head?

No ECES for this boy.

[~tb]

Hey tb, how"s your head?

Every day is better than the last, but I still have a LONG way to go.

Still don't remember the 20 hours before the accident or 10 thereafter.
All of January is cloudy, but getting clearer
Still no idea what happened. Might snowshoe up tomorrow to where it happened to see if I can recall anything.
Still wake up every morning not knowing what day it is
Having difficulty commuting things to memory even today.
Post concussion headaches are a $&@!
Can't concentrate on anything without getting a headache.
Mood swings are present and very real.

Good stuff though, took my 3 year old out on the bunny hill today. It was good for both of us.

Thanks for all the kind words of encouragement.

[Titan]

Glad your on the mend.Hopefully it's a short-stay.

[csquared]

...is one of the medical terms for it. Don't be flattered Todd, they haven't named a syndrome after you. It's 'traumatic brain injury'.

Let go of the incident. I know why it matters to you cause I've been through it but in the bigger scheme it just doesn't matter.

Its the gentle things that are helpful: children, mellow music, a favourite book. Take it slowly. Watch yourself reacting and keep yourself in check.

[two_ravens]

~tb and csquared, very sorry to hear of your injuries. I've been through enough concussions to know how much fun you're not having. Hope you both heal well and quickly.

It's a bit late at this stage, but if you or anyone you know suffers another tbi be sure to ask your doctors about progesterone therapy - it appears to be the most promising treatment for tbi to come around in a long time. Just did a google search and it still seems to be in research stage, but you might get lucky and be able to get the treatment.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0219204407.htm

http://summaries.cochrane.org/CD0084...c-brain-injury

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXn-FhUzA0I

Progesterone creams would of course be much less effective than the IV progesterone tbi patients are receiving in the studies, but is readily available. The last time I smacked my head on the snow (lost about 5 min. memory and as usual had slurred speech and some aphasia afterward) I went home and in 2 days used 2 tubes of Natpro cream, which delivered 4000 mg USP progesterone topically (I've heard estimates that actual absorption rate is about 50%.) I had the fastest recovery from a blow to the head that I've had in years. I know self medicating isn't technically recommended, but progesterone is very safe and I really felt it made a huge difference for me. (Just be careful what's in the cream - lots of them have lots of other ingredients that you don't need. Natpro and Progestelle seem to be the most pure and potent products I can find.) So.... just a something that seems to have helped me.

Take your time healing. Pay attention to what helps you most, your injury is unique and what helped someone else may not be the best for you. You may need a lot of sleep, and rest periods throughout your day - if so, please respect that need (it's too easy to feel like you have to push yourself.)

Wishing you both speedy healing......

[www.oldsnowboards.com]

Brain damage

Previous studies have shown that progesterone supports the normal development of neurons in the brain, and that the hormone has a protective effect on damaged brain tissue. It has been observed in animal models that females have reduced susceptibility to traumatic brain injury and this protective effect has been hypothesized to be caused by increased circulating levels of estrogen and progesterone in females.[63] A number of additional animal studies have confirmed that progesterone has neuroprotective effects when administered shortly after traumatic brain injury.[64] Encouraging results have also been reported in human clinical trials.[65][66]

The mechanism of progesterone protective effects may be the reduction of inflammation that follows brain trauma


Progesterone may affect male behavior

[Puddy Tat]

My wife would argue that testosterone causes brain damage.

[www.oldsnowboards.com]

My wife would argue that testosterone causes brain damage.

Same difference

most progesterone in males is created during testicular production of testosterone

Being your wife you recognise that she is ALWAYS right, right?

[big mario]

Obsession/fixation is actually one of the symptoms of a concussion, I was fixated on my occipital lobe from my time in ski patrol, during my ambulance ride and while I was in the ER, and I was very proud of the fact that I could remember the name of the place where I smacked my noggin.
mario

[~tb]

Thought I would put a final post into my thread.

Things are progressing nicely. I got back out on the hill this past weekend with mixed results, but directionally favorable every day. Still have a long time until I might have a chance of being headache free. Wanted to share the following though (and it will only likely be valid for the next day or so), but the on hill photographer at Stratton actually got my first turn "back" on film, and has used it for the front page photo today!

Looking forward to the ECES as it looks like I will be able to do some limited riding.

www.stratton.com

[GeoffV]

Doesn't look like you are taking it easy TB, looking good.
Conditions look awesome, ECES here we come

[DenverSteve]

Thanks for the update TB. Take it easy and enjoy the ECES...