My First Concussion, by Chris McEnery

From MemoryArchive

Who: Chris McEnery
What: My First Concussion
When: 2004
Where: Florida

I have always enjoyed doing dangerous things. So one day in the year 2004 I decided that i would hold on to the back of an ATV while riding a skateboard. I asked my father to drive the ATV while i held on and after relentless harassment he obliged. We drove the ATV to the largest hill that i could find near my house and i grabbed onto the back of the vehicle. We cruised up and down the hill about for times averaging about 40 miles per hour before it finally happened. On about the fifth trip up the hill i let go of the ATV while it was shifting gears. When an ATV switches gears it accelerates very fast for about half of a second. So when i let go during the gear shift the back tire of the ATV caught the back tail of my skateboard. I was sent flying at about 40 mph like a a rock being shot from a catapult. I was flung from my board directly onto my head. When i stood up after the fall all the spinal fluid inside my skull (it keeps your brain from touching your skull) poured out of my nose. It looked as if i was urinating out of my nose. I thought i was dieing. I woke up in the hospital hours later with no recollection of anything and i was wearing clothes several sizes too small for my body. The doctor in the room told me that i had hemmoriging of my hypothalamus (one of the parts of your brain responsible for memory). I was also told that i had brain damage. I didn't care though, i was just happy to be alive.