Nancy

I would just let him do what he needs to do. And then work through
it. You are doing what you can. ANd he is too.

And I think your both doing wonderfully.

Donna

Doctors with different opinions about head injury
 

I have been in a similar situation due to so-called mild traumatic brain injury.

My experience is that first you see a doctor who typically sees this sort of patient a few days after the injury has occurred. They will say that is will get better after a few days.

Then when it doesn't you move on to see a more specialist doctor, way a neurologist, who will typically see a patient with brain injuries, a few months after the patient was injured. They will say that it should get better after a few months.

Finally, you will see a rehabilitation specialist who will typically see patients only after perhaps a year or so. That specialist told me that it would get better in 1 to 3 years.

So, do they really know?

As far as I know, they don't do any systematic follow-up. So when a patient doesn't come back, they might assume that he or she has recovered. In reality they may merely have moved on to a different part of the health service when one part hasn't done them any good. If they typically see injuries a certain length of time after the patient was injured them may naturally assume that that time-span is the natural one for that particular type of injury and advise the patent accordingly.

I think that doctors can come to incorrect conclusions unless results are monitorred properly and you only get that type of information in scientific studies that are peer-reviewed.

Regarding who to believe: I think that to err on the side of caution would be good. This type of condition can go on for years and years and be a terrible influence on someone's life. It there is any doubt it isn't worth risking it. Take up a different sport. There are plenty of sports that have little risk of taking a blow to the head.

Forget the soccer
 

Hi,
I was a soccer player until I got PCS. I haven't played since, though I have been tempted. But, even though I would love to play soccer, that just can't compete with the risk of doing more damage. The headaches are so bad and the effect on your whole life is so bad that it just isn't worth the risk.

In my view Dr. "No clear" is definitely right. Err on the side of caution. You can still keep fit by working out at the gym in a way that does not cause any jolting of the head. Cross-trainers are good, I think.

Believe me I would rather play sports. I used to play a lot of contact sports, but it's the cross-trainer for me now. I would advise your daughter not to take any risks with her health until she has fully recovered.

Best of luck.

People with pcs need real rest
 

In my case it means, in my room with short bouts on the computer, maybe 2 hours a day compared to a previous 8 or so. As time has gone on I've been able to do a little more reading, but mostly it's been a lot of meditation to get me into a relaxed state. And I'm not someone who was big on meditation. Sleeping. Lying quiet in the dark. Maybe 6 hours of television a week? some texting and a few phone calls a week. NO work. No listening to regular music.

So as I'm reading about the youth here with the PCS - it sounds like many are still going to school. This is a condition that effects our physical being, emotional being and cognitive being. All of them need rest. Serious Rest. The more you rest, the better you will be in the long run.

It's difficult cause each concussion manifests differently and because it is messing with your head, you aren't really sure what is going on.

REST, RELAXATION - No alcohol or caffeine. No work - no play.
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