May God go with you, child.

Hello and welcome. I feel I might know how you feel. My son (now almost
18) suffered his third concussion two years ago playing his beloved football.
He suffered pcs for almost a year. Now his neurospych tests have come
back normal.

He has been advised by his neuro and neurophych that he not return
to football. He just started going to see his team play last week. Its
been unbelievably hard. This is something he has worked his whole
short life for.

It must be so hard to sit on the bench when you want to help your team.
Well, you have to get better and then you can help your team. Tell
your coach, parents, everyone. They need to know.

Im wishing you the strength to do what you need to do.

How did he get his concussion? What were some of the symptoms he had during his PCS? Has he recovered from them? Is he on any medication right now? How did his neuro-psych come back normal? Is he still having problems? Sorry for all the questions I was just wondering cause I dont want this to be my outcome of not playing again.

Soccer...this was his THIRD concussion. Frankly, they didnt treat the
first two seriously enough and I wonder if we would have gotten to number
three.

His symptoms were memory loss, memory problems, headaches.

Yes, he has recovered but having had 3, the chance of future concussions
being more serious is increased. Also, the chance of recovery decreases.

He took no medication for this. His last neuropsych test was back to normal.
He really has no problems or symptoms anymore and his coach, myself, and
his docs would like to keep it that way.

I encourage you talk to to your adult and your coach. They really need to
know.

Well I went back to the doctor and I cant play anymore. I guess I saw it coming I just hoped it wouldnt happen. I go to see a neuro psych in two weeks what are some things I could maybe expect there?

Someone will come along and know more about that-but I just wanted to say Congratulations for facing up to what you needed to do-because that is the part we can control when challenging things happen to us.

We can choose to get the best help possible.

I wish you quick healing and the best possible outcome!

You can tell your parents that we are impressed with your maturity!
Hugs from Grandma Sue.

Hi Soccer,

I know how hard today was for you - but it's an outcome that promises to make all the tomorrows of the rest of your life a lot better.

As for the neuro-psych, it's painless, but exhausting.

You'll meet with your neuro-psychologist and do a series of tests (verbal, written, motor skills) that are designed to see how your brain is actually functioning.

In advance of your appointment, he/she will want all of your medical records, educational transcripts and letters from employers and friends to try and get a clear picture of pre-morbid you that can serve as a baseline and determine which tests would be most appropriate.

You will also have a long pre-interview where the neuro-psychologist will ask you questions about yourself, your injury, etc... They like also to talk to a close family member or friend to help get a more complete picture. (For example, I had no idea that I constantly repeated myself until my husband said it and all my friends mentioned it in their letters.)

The testing is usually done over the course of one long day. However, they can break it up if that proves too tiring for you.

Most of the time you will get your results in about two weeks. The neuro-psychologist will call you and a family member (if you want) in for a long discussion about your results and make any treatment suggestions. You will also get a written report.

I understand that you might feel apprehensive about getting neuro-psych feedback. However, it's not as bad as you might imagine. Frankly, it's not that you don't know something is wrong. During the testing, you may find, as I did, that there are tasks you can't do at all. And, of course, you've seen your MRI and live with your deficits every day. So, in short, while the specifics and extent might surprise you, the news that you have a brain injury isn't news at all.

In a funny way, listening to my neuro-psych was a relief. Finally someone understood how I was thinking and feeling and behaving and could explain to me exactly why I was thinking, feeling and behaving that way. Before that, I thought I was going nuts.

The neuro-psych also helped target my cognitive therapy and got me access to some of the support services I obviously needed.

Another person who's been there? Done That? It's truly scary at first? But, try webbing up 'neuro psych evaluations and just find out what they entail.

I mean, after all Christopher Reeve had a VERY VERY bad head/spine injury...I was at that site when he got hurt, and he survived a far WORSE injury and kept going? Acting and producing and directing... soo your life is NOT at an end because you can't actually play? Now is a time when you can cheer support and help your teammates go and do it without you? But also because you helped! I bet they'll acknowledge that in the end. [Believe me, that fall, not knowing at the time, what it was, was a really scary thing to learn about and then follow up on in terms of reports!] It amazes me what each of us can truly DO when faced with such hurt and injury. We simply overcome? We have to!?

In a way, it's really hard for you to now HAVE to change channels, so to speak, in the middle of a show? BUT you have your life and your own brain and health to consider. You have to/MUST put your own well being first NOW! You are just going to have to find different ways to make your life goals, and they might be far different from anything you thought they might have been in that soon to be old 'before', we live in the now and your now is gonna be different. How you do it all is up to you.

It's a lot to take in? But at any age, it is. I promise you, tho, that you can heal lots, and with caution about your body and how you use it? You are likely to achieve far more than you ever thought you could in that 'before'!
My heart is with you for whatever it's worth, and I see many others here care as well. Who knows? And, no one does yet, that you mite get back to a whole normal and soon!

Keep in touch, and if your folks are acting 'iffy'? Have them read all this! You are being truly brave in all of this, and if you gotta cry? IT IS OK! But, I've always found that was too tiring!...So I researched all of what was happening to me so I could understand it better! Still, now and then? I gotta cry for whatever reasons and it feels soo good just to do so.

We ARE far BETTER than what happens to us! 's - j

Im so glad you did!! Im wishing you the very best outcome.

Thanks everyone for the help and support. Since I will be out for a while I need to find something else to do. Since a lot of people have been through this before what were some of the things you did while you were out?