Athlete with 14 Concussions
 

Just to tell you guys a little bit about my problem and where it all began. I'm 19 year old playing in an amateur football league trying to go D1. Ive been playing hockey and football since I was in 4th grade. Never really had any problems with my head or anything. My freshman year of football is when I had my first (of my knowledge) real concussion. I hit a kid and went blank, woke up 2 periods later standing on the side line and had no clue what had happened and nobody had tended to me or anything, just sat me out because I wasn't acting right. Then from then on I can name about 9 other incidents where after hitting somebody my bell is rung and I have a huge headache. And about 5 other ones where I have seen discoloration and cross eyed after a hit. Needless to say I've had a lot. But I don't want to give up sports.. I don't know if these are symptoms but I sometimes loose train of thought a lot more than I used to, will read a completely dif word than whats on the page, sometimes have a hard time talking, and sometimes I get depressed and moody for no reason. Please help me if its not concussions then what is it?!

Goodness!
 

Hello and welcome to NeuroTalk.

Goodness, you're only 19 and have had a lot of concussions. You probably have multiple concussion syndrome.

Here is a link about that. http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/92189-overview

Your symptoms are telling you something. Your injured brain is trying to heal and your sports are not going to be condusive to healing.

You only get one brain. I hope you will rethink your involvement in the contact sports you enjoy.

Read the vitamin sticky at the top and start with that and good nutrition for some brain healing.

All for now

Poetrymom

schippel94,

Welcome to NeuroTalk. I am sorry to hear that you have not had anybody to take a serious interest in the health of your brain. I bet you have suffered more than 20 to 25 concussions. Your dingers that did not cause symptoms that lasted beyond a minute or so still count as concussions. Then you need to add the impact of hundreds or thousands of sub-concussive impacts. These can be as damaging as a full concussion.

All of your symptoms are classic post concussion /multiple impact syndrome. You can expect them to continue and to get worse.

If you intend on continuing in contact sports, I am going to be VERY BLUNT. I have two serious recommendations for you to consider.
First, Look into the Sports Legacy Institute www.sportslegacy.org It is the research organization that hockey and football players have their brains sent to after they commit suicide. Some of the brains they have studied have been from non-suicide deaths. They find brains with severe atrophy to the point of looking like Swiss Cheese.
Second, Get a vasectomy so you do not father children who will never get to know their father.

I say this because you have a HUGE choice to make. Do you want to have a future or do you want to enjoy a few more seasons of play ? With your current condition, a responsible athletic trainer or team doctor will see your symptoms and nix any opportunity to play. If not, the next concussion will likely be properly assessed and your playing will be ended.

If you decide you want to move forward to try to live a full life by ending your concussion risk, there are plenty of people here who can help you understand how to help your brain heal and how to live with and work-around your current cognitive dysfunctions.

There are others here who can tell you about their short term ( a year or two) struggles with Post Concussion Syndrome. There are a few of us who can tell you about living a life with Post Concussion Syndrome. I have lived with PCS since my teens. I ended all contact sports when I was 16. I still have suffered 10 more concussions from just trying to live an active life and job. I did not take any risks.

My kids have lost out due to my personality struggles. My wife has lived with my struggles for 33 plus years. As she read your post from over my shoulder, she shuddered.

You still have a good life to look forward to. It will be your choice of how much you have to look forward to.

We are here for you.

Thank you guys for the advice. I'm just lost on what to do.. its a hard decision when you grow up and all you know is sports. Hard to give up because you have some problems like that you know.