Thursday, January 10, 2008

Gradual onset, gradual recovery

Here is an example of a player who didn't even know he had a concussion for several days:
"I noticed when I got hit that I hit my head and I didn't feel bad the next day -- or the next three or four days..."

"I played two more and it slowly got worse and I felt before the game in Denver [Dec. 23] that something wasn't right."

After sitting out 6 games over 2-3 weeks, gradual return to exertion appears to be the key, with two days of symptom-free biking. However, it doesn't sound like this guy is quite ready:
"It's tough to explain to someone who hasn't had one [concussion]," he said. "It's been a different experience and at times tough days, but I feel better. I've had some good days and you wake up the next morning and feel not as good.

"But I feel optimistic. I still have some slight [headaches] but not as bad as I used to."