Concussions: Alex's Story
Concussion #1
I got my first concussion playing dodgeball in gym during my sophomore year.
Exactly how it happened is still a little blurry. From what I remember — and from what friends told me later — I fell forward while I was diving away from a ball. For some reason, I didn't put my hands out in front of me the right way to catch my fall. I landed square on my face.
![Conmociones cerebrales: La historia de Alex](/content/dam/nemours/shared/images/slideshows/es/concussions-alexs-story/concussion-alex-image-1.jpg)
Concussions: Alex's Story
I play high school football, track, basketball, and lacrosse. I've had two concussions.
![Luego de la primera conmoción, el médico me dijo que no iba a poder correr en la carrera Penn Relays, que era en 10 días. Es la competencia más importante de atletismo en los Estados Unidos. Unas semanas antes no había podido creer que había sido aceptado. Y ahora, no podía correr.](/content/dam/nemours/shared/images/slideshows/es/concussions-alexs-story/concussion-alex-image-2.jpg)
Concussions: Alex's Story
After my first concussion, the doctor said I wouldn't be able to run at the Penn Relays 10 days later. It's the biggest track and field competition in the United States. A few weeks before, I couldn't believe I had qualified. Now, I couldn't run.
![Mi segunda conmoción cerebral fue en un partido como visitantes. Me desperté tirado de espaldas en el medio del campo de juego. Recuerdo que las luces me enceguecían. El entrenador estaba de rodillas junto a mí y me preguntaba: "¿Cómo te llamas?" y "¿Dónde estás?".](/content/dam/nemours/shared/images/slideshows/es/concussions-alexs-story/concussion-alex-image-3.jpg)
Concussions: Alex's Story
My second concussion was at an away game under the Friday night lights. I woke up on my back in the middle of the field. I remember that the lights were blindingly bright. The trainer was kneeling over me asking questions like, "What's your name?" and "Where are you?"
![Traté de convencer a mi entrenador de que me dejara volver al partido, pero me dijo que no.](/content/dam/nemours/shared/images/slideshows/es/concussions-alexs-story/concussion-alex-image-4.jpg)
Concussions: Alex's Story
I tried to talk my trainer into letting me back onto the field, but he said I was out of the game.
![Haber tenido una conmoción cambió la manera en la que encaro las lesiones en la cabeza. Antes de tener la conmoción, cuando me golpeaba, continuaba jugando mientras estaba lesionado porque sabía que tanto mis compañeros como mis entrenadores me necesitaban. Desde entonces, he aprendido que practicar deportes después de haber tenido una lesión en la cabeza no es algo que uno debe hacer.](/content/dam/nemours/shared/images/slideshows/es/concussions-alexs-story/concussion-alex-image-5.jpg)
Concussions: Alex's Story
Having a concussion changed the way I deal with head injuries. When I got hurt before the concussions, I'd play through injuries because I knew my teammates and coaches depended on me. I've since learned that playing through a head injury isn't a smart thing to do.
![Creo que los atletas de la escuela secundaria deberían saber cuáles son los síntomas de una conmoción y no tener miedo de decirle al entrenador cuando ocurre una lesión.](/content/dam/nemours/shared/images/slideshows/es/concussions-alexs-story/concussion-alex-image-6.jpg)
Concussions: Alex's Story
I think high school athletes should know the symptoms and not be afraid to tell the coach or a trainer when they happen.
![Los amigos y los miembros del equipo pueden ser de gran ayuda para identificar las conmociones. Después de mi primera conmoción, caminaba por los pasillos con dificultad. Un amigo me paró y me preguntó si estaba bien. Le dije: "Sí, estoy yendo a la pista de atletismo", pero él insistió en que viera a la enfermera de la escuela.](/content/dam/nemours/shared/images/slideshows/es/concussions-alexs-story/concussion-alex-image-7.jpg)
Concussions: Alex's Story
Friends and teammates can be a big help when it comes to identifying concussions. After my first concussion, I was walking kind of funny in the hall. A friend stopped and asked if I was alright. I said, "Yeah, I'm going to the track," but he insisted on taking me to the school nurse.
Apparently I was unconscious for a few seconds. When I got up, I was dizzy and a little wobbly on my feet. I had accidentally bitten my lip, but other than that, I wasn't in that much pain. My friend Mike put his arm around me to help me walk to the bathroom so I could see in a mirror what had happened. Just the bloody lip, so I didn't think too much of it. I sat on a locker room bench for a while, feeling a little out of it — dizzy and tired and a little confused.
I play high school football, track, basketball, and lacrosse. When I got hurt, I played through it because I knew my teammates and coaches depended on me. (I've since learned that playing through a head injury isn't a smart thing to do.)
So I didn't think too much of falling in gym class. It was at the end of the day, and I was getting ready to head over to the track for practice. I was walking kind of funny in the hallway when my friend Greg stopped and asked if I was alright. I said, "Yeah, I'm going to the track," but he wouldn't let me go and insisted on taking me to the school nurse.
I didn't end up running that day. Or for the next 2 weeks.
Concussion #2
The second concussion came during an away football game in my junior year, under the Friday night lights against one of the stronger teams in our league.
I was playing outside linebacker in the second quarter when I went in headfirst to tackle their running back.
When I woke up on my back in the middle of the field, I remember very clearly that the lights were blindingly bright. The trainer was kneeling over me asking me questions like, "What's your name?" "Where are you?", "What's today's date?", and "What's the score?"
I wasn't in a lot of pain, so again, I didn't worry too much about being injured. I tried to talk my trainer into letting me back onto the field, but he said I was out of the game.
The next morning, I woke up feeling 100% and I wasn't worried about having to go to the trainer's office on a Saturday morning to take the ImPACT computer test for concussions. I was surprised when the trainer told me I scored very poorly. He told me it's normal to feel symptom-free the next morning, but that I definitely had a concussion.
That next Friday, I sat on the bench for the first time — I had been a varsity starter since my sophomore year and had never missed a game.
The following week, my doctor recommended that I go to school for half days for the first 3 days of the week. I only missed a week of practice this time, compared with 2 weeks after my first concussion, but it was still hard to see someone else playing my position.
What I Know Now
Looking back, I don't think I could have done anything different to prevent the concussions. But I did learn all the symptoms and what you have to go through to heal from a concussion. I think it's a good idea for high school athletes to know the symptoms and not be afraid to tell the coach or a trainer when they happen.
Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice,
diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.
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