comeback,

You need to remember that this was only your first 'diagnosed' concussion. If you have played hockey long and hard enough to make it to an elite level, your brain has taken quite a beating. The many body checks and dings have accumulated to quite a mass of sub-concussive impacts. There are some athletes who have had to stop playing but have never had a diagnosed concussion.

I bet you were into serious body checking before your reached 14. The brain is much more sensitive to impact at the younger ages because the myelin sheath is not fully developed to protect the axons and dendrites.

I spent a year on the sidelines as the soccer team manager keeping the stats. I switched to track and had two fabulous seasons. I was headed for my senior season with expectations to be the likely state champion in the 2 mile run. Then, I tore my medial meniscus during the first track meet. I held a stop watch as I watch the league championship. The lead runner was half a lap from the finish when my coach lean over and said, "Mark, you would have been finished by now." The next week, I watched the state champion finish 20 seconds slower than my best time from the preseason.

Yes, it is painful watching from the sidelines. I still have useful knees because I did not run on an injured knee. The doctor wanted to remove the meniscus so I could recover sooner. That was 1973. I took the conservative approach and rested the knee for the rest of the season. I finally needed that same meniscus trimmed in 2004.

Being able to live for another day or a lifetime is well worth the pain one experiences early on. It may take a decade to fully realize that but you have made a great start.

My best to you.