Finally Broke Down And Took The Plunge

[Alyssa]

After a long discussion with my doctor, I decided to break down and get a helmet. I couldn't afford one made specifically for medical purposes, so I got a hockey helmet and modified it so that it would fit my needs.

I went out to dinner with it on and was surprised at the number of nasty comments people whispered to themselves. I thought they'd be too distracted by my service dog to notice the helmet, but no such luck.

I'm a little gun shy about wearing it out among my friends. It's been a long running joke that I should get one.

I guess this was one of those pointless posts

Just wanted to let everyone know that I finally took the plunge.

[misstraci]

It's sad that some people are ignorant enough to do something like snicker or make comments in public like that. It's one thing if they said it to someone in the car on the way home from the restaurant or something. I'm happy for you that you got one! I hope it saves your pretty head from getting hurt and wear it out with your friends If it's the running joke, laugh at it with them!!!

[Lemons2lemonade]

Good for you! Who cares what other people think? Maybe you could write something funny on your helmet or like pots awareness or something?

[songcanary]

And there, but for the grace of God, go I. Those ignorant slobs are not worth the time it takes to think about them. Alyssa, I am so happy that you were able to go out and feel safe. It was quite an accomplishment! I am also wondering if there is a restaurant near you where people would be kinder. For instance, we have a wonderful health food market with a cafe and it is just full of peaceful, accepting folks that are pleasant to be around. Maybe you have something like that nearby? Just trying to think of how to make your transition a little easier because you really deserve the support for what you are doing. I love the idea of putting a message on your helmet--I would never have thought of that!

[anna]

I am not sure if this will be of any use! but my son does long boarding when he is up to it! He found these beanie type helmets made of non-Newtonian fluid, I found this article about them:

ABSTRACTS FOR: Heger, Ian

Title: A Novel Approach to Protective Helmet Design in Head Injury Prevention: The Use of Non-Newtonian Fluids

Final #: 1250

Category: Trauma/Critical Care

View Poster

Introduction: Protective helmets are designed to prevent catastrophic injuries cause by linear acceleration, such as skull fractures and intracranial bleeds. It is clear that they work for this purpose, as head injury mortalities have declined with their widespread distribution. It is becoming increasingly apparent that milder forms of brain injury have significant morbidity. As it appears that angular acceleration is a significantly contributing factor to these injuries, it would be appropriate to investigate whether designing helmets that mitigate these forces as well may further decrease injury. Our hypothesis is that by adding a non-newtonian fluid layer to a helmet, the fluid will become more solid and ultimately develop stress fractures which dissipates energy. In doing this, energy transmission to the head of the wearer is less and ultimately protects the wearer better.

Methods: The Split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) technique is a popular method to impart high rates of loads to extract their high strain rate constitutive properties. We utilized a polymer SHPB (PSHPB) to load a thin layer of ballistic gelatin, 30% corn starch, and colloidal silica under high rates of shear. The power-law constitutive model was be used for determining the viscosity of the fluids and determining their non-newtonian characteristics. The energy dissipated by the non-Newtonian fluids was also calculated.

Results: All three fluids exhibited shear-thickening behavior. Shear thickening characteristics ("n" values) for colloidal silica, corn starch, and ballistic gelatin were calculated as 1.3, 1.4, and 2.2 respectively. Energy dissipation for colloidal silica, corn starch, and ballistic gelatin was also calculated. The total energy was 1.5, 1, and 12 Joules and the maximum energy per unit area was 650, 450, and 10,000 Joules/m2, respectively.

Conclusions: The addition of non-newtonian fluids to protective helmet devices may offer protection against forces that are available in current helmet devices. This increased protection may offer better protection against mild traumatic brain injury, like concussions. Further experimentation with additional non-newtonian fluids, as well as incorporation of these fluids into helmets for simulated impact testing is desired.

My son has one of these:- http://www.boardshop.co.uk/product/IG343d3-nv411-nav.asp

They did do lots of colour,s for summer wear too.

[anna]

Oh wow I Just found these:-http://www.headbuddy.com.au/

[Katybug]

Alyssa,

What a shame there are still people in the world that are that mean. For that, I am sorry. But, for you, I am so proud! It was brave to choose to wear the helmet and choose to have a life instead of allowing POTS to confine you! I hope those people do not deter you from choosing happiness for yourself. And, friends worth having know when its not time for laughing and they'll also know when it's time to have a good belly chuckle with you. You may want to warn them ahead of time just so they aren't startled...in fairness, it will be a transition for them, too. But I hope you go for it!!

Hears to your courage!

Katie

[Alyssa]

Thanks everyone! I feel a lot better about it today. I don't wear it around my house, but do everywhere else I go. Good thing too, took a fall today right on the sidewalk, could've been bad without the helmet!

It's definitely an adjustment. I noticed that it's more people around my age that are saying rude things and snickering as I walk by. I noticed that I wasn't nearly as embarrassed today, I almost forgot that I even had it on.

[kayjay]

Alyssa, I do not wear a helmet and have broken my nose. I am not one to pass out but i did in the middle of the night at home. I got many rude comments with my black eyes and again when I had surgery to reconstruct my septum. I even got comments about my "nose job!". I don't know if this helps you but rude people will be rude about anything. If you can protect yourself from injury you can have people talk about your "hat" instead of a bruise or worse.

Some people are just rude but remember that if they were happy people they would not feel the need to be mean. Happy people are not mean. Really we should feel sorry for jerks.... after we smack them. lol! Good for you for taking care of yourself!

[anaphylaxing]

Good for you! Ignore other people! They don't get it. You are strong and brave and doing the right thing

[Alyssa]

You guys make me feel so much better!

It's definitely better than walking around with a black eye, or a busted forehead and have people stare at me for that.

I painted a dysautonomia awareness ribbon on both the front and back of it.

Any ideas about what else I can put on it? I was trying to come up with something clever to go on the back, maybe a good ice breaker or something to divert attention.

[MightyMouse]

Good for you Alyssa. I have to tell you, when I had to wear a hard brace for my neck for more than a year, people did stare. I only lost my composure once that year at Applebees of all places. An entire family of 4 (two teen sons and mom and dad) stared at me for what felt like forever. I finally got up walked to their table and said "what are you staring at?" All four burried their noses in their menus and didn't say a word or make eye contact, so I then said "Clearly your children learned how to be this rude from you two." I know, I know, not very buddha of me (I try to follow a path of kindness)--I clearly lost my noodle in that moment. I then went back to my table and finished my meal--with my neighboring table avoiding looking my way as if they'd catch fire if they did. I suppose staring at 'what's different' is human nature. We like our conformity. Enjoy your non-conformity knowing you are NOT alone.

Peace, Nina

[janiedelite]

Very well said, Nina. And kudos, Alyssa, for doing what's best for your body even though you feel awkward about it! I'm so proud of my dysautonomia friends!

[MomtoGiuliana]

Yes, good for you for taking care of yourself. I think it is truly bizarre that an adult would snicker or have any reaction at all. I can understand people noticing and perhaps being curious, b/c it is unusual obviously. You are under no obligation to explain yourself to anyone and you have a right to be safe.

I do like Nina's reaction personally. Sometimes people who are impolite, or don't know how to behave in public, do need to be confronted. It's for their own good, as well as for others they will treat this way in the future without an intervention!

[julieph85]

I've experienced a similar thing with my handicapped plaqard. I've had it for 5 years for my RA because it can be extremely painful to walk, however I rarely use it. One day I did and was coming out of a store. A woman was sitting in her car by the entrance waiting for someone. When she saw me get into my vehicle she actually had the nerve to stick her head out of her car window and yell across the road to me "you should be ashamed of yourself", followed by an explative that means female dog. Unlucky for her i'm not the type of person that lets people talk to me like that so I feel i adequately put her in her place. After I was done sharing with her my own explatives and equally judging her based off her own appearance only, I explained to her what RA was to rid her of her ignorance. She ended up apologizing some what but I think the most important message I left with her was not to judge someone by what they look like. Just because I'm blonde, young, and appear healthy on the outside does not mean i'm not sick inside. People's ignorance amazes me!!

[mwise]

Kudos to you, Alyssa! Unfortunately, there will always be persons that are ignorant of how a person is because it is human nature. The old saying to remind us all, "Don't judge a book by it's cover." It is sad that many don't live by the saying, but we can't let them get to us. Just enjoy being much safer out and about. How clever you are with the helmet . Hugs and congrats to you.

[Lemons2lemonade]

Gosh, this post really hits home with me. Before i got sick, i was going to school for my bachelor's in business and working 35 hours a week at a restaurant. I saw a lot of people come and go. And man let me tell you, people really don't have manners. I mean some people do, but it is painfully remarkable how many don't. Some people are just so ignorant! What i've realized though, is that the people who behave this way are usually uncomfortable with themselves--like they are the type of people who are miserable/stressed in their own lives and have no outlet so they take it out on others via rudeness( julie, that woman was probably jealous that she couldn't park there and had to wait). The other type are the people who are so self conscious that they judge others in the same manner they think everyone else is judging them . What was even more surprising to me was that the days i really got all dolled up and looked nice, my tips went down, and i was treated differently because people thought i was a floozie--when i wore just plain make up and a pony tail i made much more. Opposite of what you would think huh? Another great story is that i got a $300 dollar tip one time. There were people i worked with who thought that they deserved it more than i did and were more than willing to communicate this. (are you kidding me?!?!) Either way, i am really proud of you julie and nina for standing up for yourselves. It's not easy. And maybe next time, those people will think before they shoot off their mouths.