I never knew what a concussion was until I got my first one in a soccer game in 6th grade. I headed the ball in the air with another player, and fell back whipping my head off the ground. I remember feeling in a blur and sat out for about 5 minutes before returning into play. By the end of the game my head felt like someone was hitting it with a hammer and I I was on a merry go round ride.
My next concussion came in 8th grade from hitting my head off the gymnasium floor leaving me unconscious for 2 minutes and sent me to the hospital.
Nearing the end of my freshman year, I was in a water park accident that caused a concussion and forced me to end my 9th grade year early.
A few weeks after the accident (never being officially cleared by IMPACT test) I was playing soccer with some friends and got kicked in the head causing another concussion.
Over the summer until the start of my sophomore year I had internment headaches, got easily dizzy and overall didn't feel right. I didn't think it was from the concussion but when school started I found it hard to concentrate, my grades started slipping and the headaches just got worse.
Two months into the school year, I passed out at my house, hitting my head and was unconscious for almost a half an hour spending 3 days in the hospital under observation for seizure activity.
After the accident i had double/ blurry vision for several months,fainting spells, problems in school and severe migraines that seemed to never leave.
Doing vision and vestibular therapy for 5 months things started to improve until fooling around with some friends I got pushed back jarring my head causing many of my symptoms to come roaring back.
I was forced to end my sophomore year early bed bound for 5 months unable to watch tv, text or do anything that would stimulate my brain. It was horrible to say the least.
Playing basketball my junior year I got hit in the head causing another concussion.
A few months after that I got a knee to the head blacking out for several seconds. Not much force was needed to knock me out at this point. The summer leading to my senior year I had moderate improvements in my post concussion symptoms and was really looking forward to senior year and looking into college.
Just when everything started improving, things spiraled downward quickly,I got back to back concussions, 2 weeks apart. The latter of the two, a car accident that caused a neck injury and more concussion problems I've been in and out of the hospital trying to get the migraines under control, doing more vision and vestibular therapy and cognitive exercises to help with short term memory problems and concentration issues, sleeping problems and mood swings.
The one thing out of my experience I have learned is to never take anything for granted. You may think you are "invincible" you can play through any pain. But with concussions it is your brain, something you can't replace, you need to take care of it.
No game is worth years possibly a lifetime of problems. I can never play sports again, I still have many problems from my injuries and my college plans are on hold for now. but sometimes in life the road that everyone else is taking, isn't the road you are supposed to be on.
Take everyday one day at a time and never give up!
Isabella