Having a concussion sucks no matter when you get it, but having one at the end of the semester is especially difficult. Every concussion is different but these are what I think of as the stages of having a concussion that most people go through.
1. The initial injury
You could have gotten hit in a sports game, or if you’re like me you just can’t walk normally and will trip over a shoe knocking yourself out, chipping three teeth, and giving yourself a black eye and another concussion.
2. Going to the ER or doctor to get checked out
They will ask you a million questions over and over and at some point you will get tired of all the questions and it will feel like you are repeating yourself so much. If it’s your first concussion all the questions asked can be annoying but by your third concussion you can run through all the questions in like a minute rather than thirty.
3. Getting all the tests done
The first time these tests seem very annoying and way too thorough for something that most of us think of as just "a simple concussion," but you will be thanking your doctors soon enough. Also by the time you’ve had enough concussions doing a neurological exam and being in the MRI machine are like second nature to you.
4. "Brain rest" = bored to death
Because concussions have no magic pill to cure them, the treatment is called “brain rest.” Which pretty much equals being in a dark room with no noise and sleeping. No phone, TV, or anything that is fun.
5. Going back to school, work and/or sports
This is when you most likely realize your brain is like mush and you cannot focus or function like you thought you could even after a long rest period.
6. Still having symptoms
It’s been a couple weeks or months and you realize that you still have those awesome concussion headaches, migraines, nausea, vomiting, general fogginess, or being generally overly emotional and irritable.
7. Learning to function with symptoms
It might be that you focus on one day at a time (as cheesy as that sounds) so you don’t get overly stressed, or learn how to manage your time so you can fit in those much-needed naps to get you through the day. But most of the time you don't learn how to deal with it and it's just a continual state of feeling like death.
8. Realizing one day you are concussion-free
Woohoo! One day you will wake up and get through the day without any symptoms; and the best part is that it will stick throughout the weeks and months to follow. Your concussion is just a fading memory and you can feel normal again.
