Multiply concussions, no symptoms
 

I would like to know what is best for my friend?

We both spar together twice every week, maybe three times depending on our other commitments. We spar hard, it isn't like light sparring, we are getting in their and pounding each other. In the pass 3 months, my friend has got 9 concussions, and they have been pretty dam hard. She has receive medical treatment straight after, but she has never had any of the following symptoms you get after a concussion and seems perfectly fine weeks after, like the concussion never happened. She tells everyone she doesn't feel it, and it doesn't hurt her, but I don't know if she puts up a brave front, cause it is very hard to read her, even when we spar.

We are both training to fight in the ring, but all I want to know is can some people have harder skulls then others, cause when I get hit it hurts and I have just about all the following normally symptoms.

She is also much younger then me, does that have anything to do with it. I am 29 and she is 19. Thanks

if she has REALLY had nine legitimate concussions as stated by a doctor then she should never spar again. Ever. Nine is a huge number. I'm sure others on the board will agree. I used to box amateur and we used protective head gear and 16 ounce gloves when sparring. Don't you guys use that stuff?

Symptoms or no lasting symptoms, she is risking her future in a serious way. The 9 concussions plus the hundreds of sub-concussive impacts will effect her future. How much, nobody knows. Statistics say the risk is high.

If her concussion symptoms last a week or two, they are serious concussions to be respected.

My advice is to go out and buy the best long term disability policy you each can afford.

Concussion
 

We do use protective gear, but we are coming up to a fight, so she doesn't want to wear it. But, I think she might have a very hard skull or something, cause she has knocked her head a few times at school hard, and not had any symptoms, she has run into glass windows and doors and cracked/broken the glass and she has been fine. She is a very tough person, even when she breaks bones, she doesn't feel it until one of us, her friends spots it. She also wears shorts and shirts in freezing weather while we are all standing around in long shirts and track pants. Is she just tough or is they something else that might be wrong. We are kinda worried. :confused:

Sounds like it could go very wrong very quick.

Ive only been diagnosed with 5 concussions. But, in high school and military I used to headbutt things for fun. Im sure Ive added on a lot of undiagnosed ones in there as well.

Things arent as pretty for me nowadays. Be careful, your friend doesnt want to go through what most of us here go through on a daily basis.


Forgot to add, I used to do amateur MMA a lot. The gym I went to made me give it up after my 4th diagnosed concussion a few years ago. It should be noted, from what Ive been told just from my pcp, is anything over 3, you should just stop that sport.

It sounds like she has a high tolerance for pain and discomfort. This can make concussion symptoms more tolerable. This may be the result of previous brain trauma. The 9 concussions is still the critical issue. She is risking her life and future.

I don't think you will get any support for her continued fighting here. Most of us are living with the misery of Post Concussion Syndrome.

The concussive trauma is from the brain bouncing against the inside of the skull, so it really doesn't matter if there is protective gear in use of not, nor does the "hardness" of her skull matter.

As others have stated, with 9 concussions what is best for your friend would be for her to find a different sport.


http://www.webmd.com/brain/tc/trauma...ssion-overview

How do you SPOT the broken bones? How many has she broken? Something is amiss if she doesn't feel broken bones. I Broke rib and cheek bone boxing and it HURT, but no one could SPOT it.

LOL. I find it funny how you'd put that frown face next to "Multiple concussions, no symptoms". :D Your friend should consider herself very lucky and start being extremely cautious immediately. A strong concussive hit can only happen once and the symptoms can drag on forever. I got hit 5.5 weeks ago (never had a concussion before) and I thought I'd be long out of it by now. From what I've had the pleasure of learning on the Internet about concussions during my ensuing bed holiday (during the later part of which I seriously considered killing myself, and I'm normally a very positive person), multiple concussions and even sub-concussive hits add up, and with each hit it takes much less for the next hit to take you out.

Don't let her risk her long-term health. Seriously.

We normally spot broken bones because we have 5 friends in our group that are ambulance officers, 3 are ambulance officers and the other two are in training, so they are shown signs on the human body and movement if someone has broken something, plus they know what to do in all situations.

I don't know she just doesn't feel it, she has been like that ever since she was 4 years old when I met her.
We are just a little worried, I did think at first she had congenital analgesia, but she can feel people when you touch her and everything, so that's not the case.

Thanks for all your answers, I will definitely inform our trainers about her recent and previous concussions, and will tell her to try and find another sport, that doesn't involve any head injuries.

Many thanks all of you, you have been a great help. Thank you