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March 19, 2005
Basketball & post-concussion syndrome
I have a new perspective on athletic injuries. I had severe head injuries in a January 24 car wreck, and for several weeks afterwards suffered from headaches, vomiting, and sleeplessness, from post-concussion syndrome. For some weeks more I had blurred vision. Even now, two months after the accident, I still have a diminished ability to concentrate: my reading speed is still off; my ability to sustain intellectual work is reduced; and my ability to hold multiple factors in mind simultaneously while solving complex problems is off the mark.
Post-concussion syndrome sucks. My response is to rest as much as possible and to prevent re-injury, which poses grave dangers for permanent injury. I am extremely careful when walking on ice (which one must still do in Earlville), and although I've been exercising for several weeks, I've been careful not to snowshoe or ski when the base is icy.
I'm also aware that the older the victim is, the harder it is to recover from post-concussion syndrome. But at any age, someone with this sort of injury is just crazy to risk re-injury. So it was hard to see the ESPN film of Jamie Carey going down in today's win over Oral Roberts. Even harder to see the film of her mother's concern. I understand Carey's love of basketball, and I appreciate young people's belief in their own immortality. But I wish Carey would weigh her life choices differently. Basketball, wonderful as it is—especially if you play it as well as Carey does—isn't worth the risk. There are many kinds of injury that arguably are worth the risk. Permanent brain injury isn't on the list.
Posted by senioritis at March 19, 2005 07:07 PM