The Hidden Epidemic
 

Hey all,
Has anyone seen movie/documentary "The Hidden Epidemic"?
It's about PCS.
Your thoughts...
Peace
Grady Lady

I haven't seen the film but just listened to the interview of Bill Brown, the director, by Dennis Miller. Bill Brown's son suffered two concussions playing water polo. He struggled at school and became suicidal.

Hopefully, this film will make it to the parents of young athletes.

It is a good start.

Mark
My thoughts exactly. Our school district has a suicidal prevention committee and they also just started a football team. I was thinking about sending the link to our school psychologist.

I also have a friend whose college son suffered a concussion while skiing, broke the helmet, went to emergency room and was sent home. But started suffering the usual PSC symptoms and while at school started self medicating with alcohol and drugs. He ended up in a rehab facility. But prior to the accident it was never a problem.

I was wondering if possibly there was a connection.
Again any thoughts...

Peace
Grady Lady

Hi Grady Lady

I'm going to try to track this down. I'd like to see it. It would be so helpful if more people out there understood. I think about kids playing soccer, anyone I see riding a bike without a helmet, kids on scooters without helmets. I want to pull them all aside and warn them... I had a helmet on and still here I am. I can't imagine the disaster it would have been had I not been wearing my helmet.

thanks for mentiioning the documentary. I'll feedback my impressions once i find it.

Hi Marilee,

My first concussion was when I was 12, falling off my bike trying to pop a wheelie without a helmet because they weren't invented yet (1966) I was unconscious for a half an hour before the ambulance arrived. My friend frantically was running from house to house trying to get help.

My second concussion was at the age of 14, on the ski slopes, again without a helmet, unconscious for 15 minutes.

The third concussion (16) happened on the basketball court during gym class, slammed my head on the floor, unconscious for about 3 minutes.

ALL were sport related.

I have had 3 more since then in my adult life and 2 car accidents with whip lash (no concussion there but definitely was jarred)

These prior multiple concussions have lead me to experience PSC with my last concussion on 3/1/10. I am so longer working, driving and living a very quiet life at home.

I often have wondered if I were wearing a helmet during the first two concussions, how my life would be different today. And yet you said you were wearing a helmet. Ah this just make sense, Marilee.


Being on this forum and reading about the children who have been injured while playing sports, their parents who come searching for help and how much their lives have changed like ours - all I can say is I feel very committed to understanding this more.

I so look forward to hearing your thoughts....

Peace
Grady Lady

Dear Grady Lady,

What a story you have, thank you so much for sharing it with me. You sound at peace with things which is inspiring and helpful for me at the begining of this journey.

My first concussion was at the age of 10 on a bike as well. Also before helmets. I wasn’t doing anything as cool as popping a wheelie though. :wink:

It was just after Mount St. Helens blew up – got some volcano ash in my eyes and wiped out. went down sideways and Hit my head on the curb. Mom was running frantically house to house trying to get help like your friend did.

Since then no head injuries until 4 months ago. I’m so thankful for that helmet. When I bought it I always knew I’d wear it but never in a million did I think I’d actually need it.

Now I’m on a leave of absence from work, no driving, and living a quiet life at home as well. This is a 180 for me. I was out there living the go, go, go lifestyle for all my life focused most of all on work. When I got injured all I could think about was getting back to work. Now I’ve realized there are much bigger and more important things to think about. Like my recovery!

Before the accident I couldn’t imagine finding contentment in spending all this time by myself. I’m thankful for the growing and changing I’ve done.

I can’t imagine all that you’ve been through. When living this quiet life at home there is so much time to think. I don’t want anymore concussions.

There is so little understanding out there of how dangerous this can be for kids. I was just told yesterday about a boy who is 17 already has 9 concussions from lacrosse and football.

I’m finding myself wanting to better understand all of this as well. If I was 20 years younger I would go back to school to learn about our brains and how they function.

I’ll post again when I track down the film. Maybe its on you tube.

Peace to you as well,
Marilee

Grady Lady and Marilee,

I was also first injured from a bike accident. It was 1965 in Goffstown, NH. Fortunately, the others went running/riding home to where my dad was visiting his cousin about 100 yards away. He picked me up like a rag doll and rushed me off to the hospital.

When I came to 30 minutes later, they had to put me out again so they could clean out my wounds. I landed on my forehead and face. I had slipped in the sand while racing down a hill on my 2nd cousin's girls bike. I had road rash all over my face and the backs of my hands and wrists.

I still have scar tissue that shows on my forehead 45 years later. Since then, I have only had very minor concussions or subconcussive impacts (13 that I can remember). The downs then slow recoveries have been my life ever since then.

Grady, I may have a job for you. Does NH have any form of concussion in youth prevention program for the schools? You are close enough to Concord to maybe testify before the legislature to get concussion some attention. Your experience is far better than any Emergency Room doctors' will ever be.

All the other teachers with PCS possibly have the same opportunity to impact school districts and state Ed Departments. The amount of school funding that gets diverted to IEP's as a direct result of concussions can be a big motivating factor. Also, better understanding of PCS for parents who need IEP's for their PCS children can help reign in some of the costs.

Marilee,

You can find all you ever would want to know about how the brain functions and how concussion effects the brain from online resources. As you do google searches for brain injury, mTBI, concussion, etc., you will find that the learning curve can be quite steep. Read up on the symptoms that effect you the worst and over time, you will be able to grasp the rest of the information about the brain.

I have over 500 links bookmarked. Gordon Johnson of www.tbilaw.com has some very good information. Brain injury attorneys tend to have a broader understanding of brain injury than most doctors.

Give back Orlando (www.givebackorlando.org I think) has some very good information too.

If anybody wants, I can post up a long list of my bookmarks.

btw, I just got home from our Brain Injury Support group Christmas dinner. There is a lady in the group who was T-boned as a 16 year old just a week after getting her driver's license. She talks very slowly. As I listened to her, it dawned on me that I was experiencing what my mother went through as she visited me in the hospital after my bad concussion in 1965. I had slow and slurred speech for most of a week. I did not know it until decades later when my mother told me.

Those around us are likely very confused by what they observe.

Well, enough for tonight.

My best to you all.

Mark, it would be great to see your bookmark list, I'm probably not the only one who wants it. You have provided many of us with such great support and information, I am so thankful to you and the rest of this group!!

second that
 

Hi there - i agree it would be just terrific to have your bookmarks. and I second Epona's gratitude to you and the rest of this group...

Yes Mark, I would definetly appreciate & find the links useful myself. Thank You in advance!

--Toni