Hello everyone

In January I sustained my first concussion in a horrible snowboarding accident. I was indeed wearing a helmet. After a grueling 6 months I was finally starting to get better. However the night of July 4th I was running down my friends staircase and hit my head on the low overhang. I sustained my second concussion. I started school in August, I am now a freshman in college. After about a week of school my headaches finally went away. I felt great and completely symptom free for about 3 weeks. However 2 days ago I was hit in the head with a basketball. It was a pretty hard pass. I told myself I wasn't going to worry about it and had plans to go out that night so I did. I woke up the next morning with a terrible headache/hangover. Since then I've a had a constant headache and just haven't felt myself and feel out of it. Did I do it again? The only symptoms I'm having are headaches and that drowsiness/having trouble thinking. I have no nausea or trouble sleeping. How can I prevent myself from getting a concussion from just life's little bumps?

Lance_,

Welcome to NeuroTalk.

It appears you have never recovered from your first concussion. Just when you were starting to get better, you re-injured.

If you truly want to have a lasting recovery, you need to have a boring freshman year of college. No contact sports, chemical recreation/alcohol, etc., no partying. The no partying is for three reasons. The chemical challenge to your brain is not good. The excessive sensory stimulation is stressful. And, the environment and people put you at risk of another impact.

I bet your slow recovery from January to July is due to a busy senior year in every aspect. College can be like senior year with excitement, activities, change of environment and responsibilities and the like.

You likely also suffered an upper neck injury that the basketball made worse. Subtle upper neck injuries can be a big cause of headaches. The head torquing could have aggravated that. The staircase header is also rough on the neck.

A hard basketball pass to the head is not one of life's little bumps. Those should be easily tolerated. Until you finish your recovery and strengthen your upper neck, you will be more susceptible to relapse.

You have some hard choices to make. Do you risk a miserable freshman year with PCS or do you have a quiet but comfortable freshman year as you let your brain and body heal?

My best to you.

Mark,

Thank you for your advice, I really appreciate it. So even though I felt 100% I really wasn't? Also do you believe there is a happy medium between letting myself recover and living a normal college life? I know these questions are difficult. This is very difficult for me because I want to live a normal life

The most important thing is to prevent having another concussion as they are accumulative. You may have to change your perception of what constitutes a normal life for a long period, it may seem a bit boring to do but boy you will appreciate it! So, I would take Marks advice to heart as it could be the difference to living a normal life in the near future or lingering debilitation which you do not want. Take it easy.

Lance,

You said you were finally 'starting' to recover. That was not a 100% point. PCS can appear to be over but put the brain under stress and it comes roaring back. It is very common for someone to 'feel' 100% but not be 100%. Plus, nobody ever recovers 100% from a concussion. The brain remains sensitive to a variety of stressors, as I mentioned above.

The simple fact that it took you 6 months to start to recover from you concussion last January suggests that it was a serious concussion and/or your brain does not recover from concussions easily. That strongly suggests that your new normal is a Post Concussion Syndrome normal.

The most common 'new normal' is a sensitivity to alcohol and other intoxicants. Whereas previously, getting intoxicated would mean a possible hangover then you are fine, now it usually means a new kind of PCS hangover that can last much longer and affect cognitive and memory performance for days after.

I would encourage you to read the Vitamins sticky at the top. Proper brain nutritional support can improve the brain's tolerance for stress.

We have had many here on NT who wanted to maintain a 'normal college experience.' They end up riding a wild and miserable PCS roller coaster. Some finally give in and start living a lower key life and experience an improvement in symptoms.

You run the risk of setting yourself up for prolonged symptoms. The happy medium is something less than a normal college experience.

It helps when using NT to post replies using the Post Reply button at the bottom left. It does not quote the entire previous post. It makes it easier to scroll through a thread.

Lance, the brain has an amazing ability to heal. Focus instead not on how your health is now, but how you can improve your health and grow as a person. That's the purpose of life anyways.

Mark's supplement regimen is a good place to start. Nutrients are amazing tools for recovery.