Ok, so Saturday 3/5/11 I got a concussion. I play women's pro football and at practice (I was told) I went in for a tackle and I hit helmets with another player. My body then kind of collaped into hers, and my body rolled off hers and because I had no control over my body I fell backwards and bangged the back of my helmet on the feild. They say it hit so hard that it bounced. One of the coaches said I was out and not moving for about 7 seconds.

The part of the event that I just explained is only today somewhat coming back to me. Anyway, I was helped off the field. I had a hell of a headache and everything seemed foggy. I sat down for abot 5 min and decided to go back in. The coached looked at me and said if i was not ok don't play. So I say back down within less then 10 min I started to feel sick to my stomach and just out of it. I got in my car to drive home but ended up turnning around and having somebody come get me. After a few hour of rest or I drove about 25 min home.

By the time I got home I felt horrible. I ended up in the ER CT scan was normal and the dr. comfirmed what the trainer said I had a concussion. So now I am dealing with off and on headaches that last from any where to 5 min to hours, tiredness, sunlight hurts my eyes, and I feel like vomiting when riding in a car. MY memory is still jacked and I have trouble finding words sometimes and people say my though process is slowed down.

The ER dr said sit out 1 week, then I went to a follow up appointment and this dr gave me some type of test and said to sit out 2 weeks and see how I feel. I am guessing all the things I am dealing with are the norm. I am just so frusrated. Hell, it has taking me forever just to write this.

Does anybody have any advice for me. I am not feeling much better since Sat. at all and it is now Wed. I am 29 and very healthy. So, I am wondering if I will be good to go in two weeks. What can I do to speed this thing alone? Sorry so long. And I may be going out of town next week can I drink if I feel better? I don'y drink much but I will be with old college friends. And can I take sleeping pills? My sleep is really off.

I am feeling so bad that I have not left the house much and have not driven my car either.

Xoe,

Sorry to hear of your concussion. Sounds like you had a substantial hit, then a followup with the ground.

You coach was dead wrong in letting you decide to go back in. Glad you decided to wait it out longer til you felt nauseated.

First, about your team, you are playing with danger. You need to direct your team to get the NFL concussion protocol and SUGGEST that they follow it or risk a deadly injury.

They can also check out the Athletic Training Department at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. They have by far the best understanding of concussion of the field. They studied college football and found that the average player suffers 600 to 900 subconcussive impact during ONE season. Lineman, backs, and linebackers suffer the most. Sub-concussive impacts are almost worse that severe concussions. The biggest problem is the player never reports the sub-concussive impact nor do they take any time away from the field.

This was not your first head impact. It may have been the first where you got sick or lost consciousness. It should be your last. Take it as your wake-up call.

You should not return to play this season. A wait of at least 6 weeks of symptom free time should be the minimum.

There is nothing you can do to speed up your recovery. If you have access, check out the Amen Clinic of Dr Daniel Amen. There are a few across the country. I know he has helped some people to understand the severity of their injury.

The fact that you are healthy helps since your body can focus on your brain. Your age is starting to be a disadvantage. The brain loses most of its resiliency by 25 years old. By 40, the prior damage starts to get problematic.

You need to stay away from alcohol except for one single serving per day. You should also limit your caffeine to one cup of coffee or the equivalent per day. Increase or start a regimen of vitamins focusing on anti-oxidants, B's, Omega 3's, etc. Read some prior posts and you will find more info about PCS nutrition.

If an activity makes you mentally tired, don't do it. Your brain only heals when it has long durations of stress free time allowing you to have reduced symptoms. Every time you cause your symptoms to return or increase, you just took a step backward.

If you try to exercise, stop at the first sign of a return of symptoms. The next time, cut you exercise short before you have reached the previous stopping point.

Get plenty of rest. You body will tell you the truth about your need for rest. Don't ignore it. Try to find an environment where you can sleep, such as soft lights, soothing music, soothing fabrics, etc. You want your brain to be unable to notice anything uncomfortable or stimulating.

Consider your recovery as the first step towards your goal of having a full life, not focused on getting back into the game. Women tend to have a more difficult time with recovery. The low progesterone part of a monthly cycle has some influence on this struggle. The low progesterone stage of the monthly cycle leaves the brain very vulnerable to injury.

A concussion is not a single time event. It is a process. This process can last from two weeks to six weeks or even more. There is a cascade of damage and change in the brain as it tries to resolve the chemical imbalances and toxins released by damaged tissue.

So, as I said, rest, relax, and try to understand what is happening in your brain.

We are here to respond to your concerns.


My best to you.

Hi,

Sorry to hear of your experience. Can only second what Mark says above. You are best off not trying to do anything to speed up getting over it, as it will only make things worse. This is something that has to take its own time. Wish you all the best.

Thank- you both for your response. As I read trough the post on this site all I can do is hope and pray that things will clear up for me in the next week or so. I also hope and pray that the people that have been dealing with PCS get well. These pass few days have been rough and I could not imagine having to deal with all this stuff for a long time.

Mark, thank you for all the great advice. As much as I want to play again I know that it's not the smartest thing to do. I also gave thought to what you said about this not being my first head blow. I remember a fee weeks ago tackling somebody and hitting my head on the ground. I got a bad headache for about 10 min. After It went away I went back in. I do play MLB so I was always going full force into sombody.

I have also started to have sunlight sensitivity. I just went outside and even with sunglasses on the light hurts my eyes and brings on a pain in my head. I would also like to know have any of you felt like a presure behind your eyes? And why am I developing new symptoms almost a week after. I was thinking that things would be clearing up.

Like, I said thank you for the response. I hope you all are doing ok, and if not I hope things get better soon for you.

I developed symptoms more and more over the first month!! SOrry to say that but the light sensitivity came on after about 2 weeks...but got better (that's the only thing that is resolved).

My symptoms came on gradually over a period of about 8 weeks or so. I read somewhere (??) that some of the axons (the connections in your brain) are stretched and torn. The stretched ones eventually die off which. as I understood it, means that the communication links get broken. But I also read that the brain will "re-wire" itself by creating new pathways. This is where rest and patience comes in.

Early on, my light sensitivity was constant, but it has improved and now just comes and goes.

I'm glad you're taking Mark's advice and not playing again. Although I didn't play anywhere near your level, I loved playing soccer. It was my passion and I really struggled with having to let it go. Now that I'm 16 months into this PCS stuff, it's an easy decision - another knock to the head and who knows how bad it might be.

Take care,
Tammy

I had no clue that the development of symptoms could come on after some time. I got the number to a neurologist and I may go see them if things have not cleared up a little by next week. I can't say I have taken Marks's advice about not playing. I was saying I know playing is not the smartest thing to do. I'm kind of thinking about seeing if the neuro guy/gal will clear me to play after a few weeks and then this being my very last year playing.

This is crazy. You should absolutely take Mark's advice and not put the rest of your life into danger just to try to play out the rest of the season, when you are thinking of retiring anyway.

There are people on this site (including me) who have had these symptoms for years and would do anything to get rid of them. You don't want to give up on recovery while there is a chance that you may escape and make a good recovery.

You should not play again until you are completely free of symptoms and have been free of them for some time. Doing anything else is sheer madness.

Also, you might want to consider that if you become permanently disabled by playing on, which is a possibility, you might be in a difficult position regarding insurance. I am assuming that as you are playing professionally, there must be some sort of insurance in place to cover those who become disabled through their injuries. If you play on when you know that you are injured and therefore at risk, will you invalidate the insurance? You may want to think about that.

Sorry to be harsh, but you need to think about the possible consequences before putting the rest of your life at risk.

But, it's your life.

Concussed Scientist

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread140214.html

Look at this link...it will give you some ideas for what to do at the beginning.

If you are thinking of playing again while you are still suffering, look around this forum. You will find story after story of people who thought they were fine and went back for a second hit, or people who never got the chance to recover from hit #1 before hit #2 came and knocked them down for years and years...I am fairly new to this I only have 2 years of constant headaches, fighting depression, fighting to smile and make people think I am OK when I feel like I would rather chop off all my limbs than deal with some of the stuff I deal with daily. I am 21 years old but I can't participate in sports or even work out hard at the gym or I will feel sick for months. I haven't hit my head in a year, but still I am having trouble looking at this computer screen because it is so bright.

Do you really want to be sick for the rest of your life simply for one or two more games? If you go in you will probably be hit or jostled enough that you will re-concuss. Sometimes the 2nd concussion can kill you, and it might be lucky if it does because otherwise you have another 30 years of pain and sickness to deal with.

I feel strange as a 21 year old telling a 29 year old not to go play sports, but believe me when I tell you it isn't worth it...the 20's are supposed to be the best years of your life with lots of fun and crazy stunts...not for me, I got my concussions before I turned 20 and I don't see healing any time in the near future. You don't want your 30's to be like my 20's will be.

Like Concussed Scientist said, sorry for being so forceful, but for us we see hope for you and we want to save you from the pain...

I hope you make the right choice and I hope you heal quickly,
Margarite

If you are thinking of playing again while you are still suffering, look around this forum. You will find story after story of people who thought they were fine and went back for a second hit, or people who never got the chance to recover from hit #1 before hit #2 came and knocked them down for years and years...I am fairly new to this I only have 2 years of constant headaches, fighting depression, fighting to smile and make people think I am OK when I feel like I would rather chop off all my limbs than deal with some of the stuff I deal with daily. I am 21 years old but I can't participate in sports or even work out hard at the gym or I will feel sick for months. I haven't hit my head in a year, but still I am having trouble looking at this computer screen because it is so bright.

Do you really want to be sick for the rest of your life simply for one or two more games? If you go in you will probably be hit or jostled enough that you will re-concuss. Sometimes the 2nd concussion can kill you, and it might be lucky if it does because otherwise you have another 30 years of pain and sickness to deal with.

I feel strange as a 21 year old telling a 29 year old not to go play sports, but believe me when I tell you it isn't worth it...the 20's are supposed to be the
best years of your life with lots of fun and crazy stunts...not for me, I got my concussions before I turned 20 and I don't see healing any time in the near future. You don't want your 30's to be like my 20's will be.

Like Concussed Scientist said, sorry for being so forceful, but for us we see hope for you and we want to save you from the pain...

I hope you make the right choice and I hope you heal quickly,

Margarite[/QUOTE]

Wow, thank you for your reply. I had planned on playing only after I had no symptoms. There was pretty much no doubt that I would play again. Now after 15 days dealing with the after-effects I am for sure rethinking it. I love playing but I may have to wait until next year or mid-season. I have an appointment with the netoulogist next week so I will see what they think.