TankTop
Pearl Clutcher
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Jun 28, 2014 1:52:46 GMT
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Post by TankTop on Aug 16, 2015 3:02:06 GMT
Dd got hit in the head with a volleyball at practice last night. This is a high school varsity team, so some pretty heavy hitters.
She immediately got a bloody nose. The coaches attended to her and ran some field checks, whatever those are, and said they thought she was fine. She stopped practicing and since I was in the parking lot they brought her out to me.
I emailed the schools athletic trainer and he told me to get her to a dark, quiet place. Her headache subsided and she seemed to be on the mend even though she was unable to remember what had happened.
This is morning she woke up and was loopy. We took her to the trainer at 8:00 am and he called it the drunk stage. He said it was common. Today she rested all day. Actually, since we wouldn't let her watch tv or use her phone she slept most of the day.
It is now 11:00 pm. She still can't remember what happened, doesn't remember things from last week, is speaking very slowly, is emotional, is crying a lot, and has some pretty strange thoughts. For instance, she cried for awhile this evening because she hadn't seen Paul Blart Mall Cop all day.
I have no idea where that came from. It is not like she is obsessed with the movie or anything.
So, is this normal? The trainer and our doctor friend said there is nothing that can be done but rest. They are telling me this is normal. How do I know when it is time to go the ER? Are we past that at this point?
Help!
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johnnysmom
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,684
Jun 25, 2014 21:16:33 GMT
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Post by johnnysmom on Aug 16, 2015 3:06:08 GMT
I'd take her to the ER. If you go and she's fine then ok, you've spent some money. But if you don't go and she's not ok........
If she was acting normal my answer would be different but more than 24hrs ans she's still acting strange? Take her in.
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Post by elaine on Aug 16, 2015 3:06:35 GMT
Go to the ER. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200.
She has a concussion. She needs to be seen and followed by a physician. Now. Your doctor friend is an idiot.
eta: and you can feel free to tell your friend I said that. I'll even give him/her my contact info in order to talk to him/her and ream her/him a new one. That person had no business practicing medicine.
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Post by padresfan619 on Aug 16, 2015 3:06:42 GMT
Take her in. Head injuries are not something to mess with. Would you rather take her in and have it not be a big deal or not take her in and have it be life altering? Don't mess around with head injuries.
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TankTop
Pearl Clutcher
Refupea #1,871
Posts: 4,831
Location: On the couch...
Jun 28, 2014 1:52:46 GMT
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Post by TankTop on Aug 16, 2015 3:20:03 GMT
Thank you for the affirmation. I am taking her.
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Post by lindywholoveskids on Aug 16, 2015 3:24:40 GMT
I would insist on tests to see if she might have any bleeding . And yes there is treatment.
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pridemom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,843
Jul 12, 2014 21:58:10 GMT
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Post by pridemom on Aug 16, 2015 3:31:29 GMT
My daughter has had two concussions from volleyball. This year she is manager of the team.
There isn't much that can be done. Athletic trainers are very knowledgable on concussions. When dd was having problems, the trainer worked with the doctor and saw dd every few days at school,
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Post by epeanymous on Aug 16, 2015 3:34:16 GMT
I'm glad you are taking her in. Let us know what happens.
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Post by elaine on Aug 16, 2015 3:38:23 GMT
Thank you for the affirmation. I am taking her. Thank you. Your daughter needs to be seen and professionally examined. Given what we now know about head injuries and brain trauma, I cannot believe that any medical professional who isn't being paid by a professional sports team in order to get their million dollar players back on the field would tell you that there is nothing to do but rest. Honestly, when this is over - your daughter's health takes precedence for now - I think you need to figure out whether you want to reclassify that person - they are either not a competent physician, or a friend, or maybe not either of those.
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Post by peanutterbutter on Aug 16, 2015 3:39:22 GMT
Definitely go. They can make sure it is indeed a concussion, and even though there is not much that can be dine, you van get guidelines for how long she should be on "brain rest", if it continues will she need restrictions or accommodations at school etc.
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Post by elaine on Aug 16, 2015 3:44:14 GMT
There needs to be some imaging. If the swelling is extreme, or if their is bleeding, shunting of other means of relieving the pressure may be indicated. Liam Neeson's wife, for example, might have survived her concussion with treatment. She was lucid and refused medical treatment at the time of the accident.
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Post by freecharlie on Aug 16, 2015 3:46:03 GMT
Did she have the impact testing before being allowed to start practicing? Our district has made it mandatory for all middle and high school athletes so that they have a baseline
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ComplicatedLady
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Posts: 3,083
Location: Valley of the Sun
Jul 26, 2014 21:02:07 GMT
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Post by ComplicatedLady on Aug 16, 2015 3:48:57 GMT
Please give us an update. I hope she's ok. Just out of curiosity, what kind of doctor is your friend?
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Post by Basket1lady on Aug 16, 2015 4:08:40 GMT
Sadly, a lot of doctors aren't up on the latest research on concussions. A lot of the protocol has changed in just the past few years.
But her confusion and emotions are a huge factor to be seen in the ER. They should do a CT to make sure there isn't any bleeding in the brain.
DS had a severe concussion last spring and was out of school for 6 weeks. For at least 2 of those weeks, he laid in bed in a dark room without any amusement at all. No light, books, music, screen time, nothing. He slept a lot, which really is what the brain needs to heal itself. Sometimes kids seem fine early on. DS fell skiing (on a beginners slope with a helmet on.) he didn't tell any of the chaperones on the trip and just complained of a headache that night. When he came home the next day, he was crabby but didn't have a headache. It wasn't until that next day, 48 hours later, that the real problems started. The school nurse called me and they had the principal waiting for me at the doors to escort me through the building, cutting through rooms to get to the nurse's office quicker. We went straight to the ER from there.
DS saw a concussion specialist who put him on a specific kind of pain killer (Tylenol and Advil did nothing for the headaches.). He also had DS taking a drug for Parkinson's, which has been shown to speed healing. Some doctors like it, others do not. And he told DS to take fish oil and eat plenty of protein. Depending on your insurance, you may be sent to the pediatrician for follow ups. The ped can help if your DD needs any modifications with school. For example, DS wore sunglasses for a few weeks after returning to school and was excused from class 5 minutes early to avoid the crowded hallways. He could also come and go from school at will without a note from me to release him early (nice since otherwise I'd have to go in and sign him out, which is a PITA at that school.). I did have to write a note for him when he returned to school.
DS is perfectly fine now. He went back to school 2 weeks before the AP tests and still got 3s and 4s. It took him staying after school Every. Day. For 5 weeks and he never did catch up in all of his classes. Most teachers exempted him from all assignments other than tests and quizzes. It wasn't a fun spring, but he's back to normal and headed off to college in a few weeks.
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pridemom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,843
Jul 12, 2014 21:58:10 GMT
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Post by pridemom on Aug 16, 2015 4:15:07 GMT
To add to BasketLady's post, give only Tylenol, not Ibuprofen. DD carried ear plugs with her to school. She wore them in noisy situations because noise made her head hurt.
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Post by Basket1lady on Aug 16, 2015 4:52:40 GMT
To add to BasketLady's post, give only Tylenol, not Ibuprofen. DD carried ear plugs with her to school. She wore them in noisy situations because noise made her head hurt. It's been a year and a half now, but I think that was only applicable the first week because of possible bleeding complications? I know DS took it that first night, before he knew he had the concussion. And he took it later on when he finally went back to school, per his Dr's advice.
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perumbula
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Jun 26, 2014 18:51:17 GMT
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Post by perumbula on Aug 16, 2015 4:53:04 GMT
My dd's concussion symptoms were never that bad. (she has only had mild concussions, thank heavens, but there have been enough of them that she has seen a neurologist.) I'm glad you took her to the ER and hope she recovers well. Concussion is nothing to mess around with. Make sure she understands the importance of babying herself as she recovers. For the next year or so it's going to be a lot easier to get a concussion. That's how my dd ended up with so many. She'd hit her head before her brain was fully recovered.
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pridemom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,843
Jul 12, 2014 21:58:10 GMT
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Post by pridemom on Aug 16, 2015 4:55:04 GMT
To add to BasketLady's post, give only Tylenol, not Ibuprofen. DD carried ear plugs with her to school. She wore them in noisy situations because noise made her head hurt. It's been a year and a half now, but I think that was only applicable the first week because of possible bleeding complications? I know DS took it that first night, before he knew he had the concussion. And he took it later on when he finally went back to school, per his Dr's advice. Dd was instructed to only use Tylenol for the headaches that persisted for number of weeks.
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anniebygaslight
Drama Llama
I'd love a cup of tea. #1966
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Location: Third Rock from the sun.
Jun 28, 2014 14:08:19 GMT
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Post by anniebygaslight on Aug 16, 2015 9:59:33 GMT
Take her to ER!
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Aug 16, 2015 10:57:28 GMT
I'm very glad to read that you are taking her to the ER.
Seriously, head trauma is never anything to take lightly. I am completely flabbergasted that any person with even a hint of medical training whatsoever would advise you that there is nothing to do about it, so to not go to a doctor immediately.
I hope your daughter heals quickly.
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Post by gritzi on Aug 16, 2015 11:30:19 GMT
Glad you decided to take her to ER. My DS was recently released after a 6-7week concussion recovery. His too was a sporting related injury that knocked him unconscious for several minutes.
If she has a concussion call today/tomorrow to see a concussion specialist. We saw a concussion sports specialist throughout my son's recovery. This Dr also recommended sports/vestibular therapy to help him also. He had therapy 2-3x a week for 3-4 weeks.
Brain/head injuries are nothing to discount. Wishing your daughter a restful, speedy recovery. If she has a concussion, no electronics, TV, reading,c omputers, phone activity, sports, etc. Keep stimulation of any kind to a low minimum.
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gramma
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,039
Location: Sacramento, Ca
Aug 29, 2014 3:09:48 GMT
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Post by gramma on Aug 16, 2015 14:21:30 GMT
TankTop - how is your daughter this morning?
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Post by grate on Aug 16, 2015 14:57:47 GMT
both my kids had concussions this past school year. DD1 had a freak accident at school and DD2 hit the ground hard during basketball. Both were seen by drs and both were out of all activities for 2 weeks. What you describing sounds like what they went through. Took about a week to feel normal again. Hope she is feeling better soon.
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JustTricia
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Posts: 2,842
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Jul 2, 2014 17:12:39 GMT
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Post by JustTricia on Aug 16, 2015 15:36:37 GMT
Even if there is nothing to be done other than brain rest, going to an actual doctor will have this concussion on her record so it can be tracked if she has subsequent concussions. Honestly, I think the athletic trainer is negligent and needs to have further training. He should have suggested a trip to the doctor if not immediately then definitely after she woke up loopy. Quite honestly I wonder if they're trying to hide it and how many other kids are playing under dangerous conditions.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 6, 2024 2:41:31 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2015 17:46:04 GMT
I think that hitting your head hard enough to knock you out and cause memory loss requires an immediate trip to the emergency room. I hope she's feeling better today.
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TankTop
Pearl Clutcher
Refupea #1,871
Posts: 4,831
Location: On the couch...
Jun 28, 2014 1:52:46 GMT
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Post by TankTop on Aug 16, 2015 17:52:17 GMT
Thank you all. She was checked out late last night. The ER listed it as a suspected concussion and said to treat it as such. She never lost consciousness, and what appeared to be pretty crazy symptoms to a momma were deemed normal and mild to the ER docs she saw.
As the day has progressed today she has slowly lost all symptoms except for a slight headache and being tired. They said to expect this for a few more days to a week. She will be reevaluated tomorrow by the schools trainer who works on conjunction with a sports med doctor from our local hospital. At that time they will redo her impact testing.
As of right now, she is on restricted activity.
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Post by 950nancy on Aug 16, 2015 17:58:54 GMT
My concern war her crying over Paul Blart Mall Cop. Only someone hit in the head very hard does that. I am glad they saw it as suspected and didn't feel the need to do further treatment. We are still dealing with a head injury from 2012.
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Post by snappinsami on Aug 16, 2015 18:23:09 GMT
I'm very glad you took her to get checked out. As others have said (and you seem to know), concussion is something that needs to be taken very seriously. My DD has had two, both from soccer. (Not from doing headers, but from being slammed in the side of the head with the ball.) The first one, in fall 2013, wasn't that bad. The hit happened on Saturday, she woke up Monday with a bad headache, and was back at school by the end of the week. But the one she got fall 2014 was much worse. I don't think the hit was worse, but the symptoms and recovery time were awful. The headache didn't show up until a few days later, but she missed over a month of school, and for that whole month kept saying it hurt just to think. It was awful to see her suffer like that.
Take the advice you got seriously, and make sure she gets the rest, darkness, and quiet that is recommended. If the symptoms don't seem to improve over the next week, make sure she's seen again. It may be necessary to get an MRI to make sure there isn't more damage than was originally suspected.
I hope she has a speedy recovery. As I said when DD was going through hers last year, concussion sucks.
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Post by Basket1lady on Aug 16, 2015 18:25:10 GMT
It's a myth that you have to lose consciousness to have a concussion. That's what our ER doc told us too, as DS didn't lose consciousness either. That's what I meant about so much changing in just the past few years. Luckily, we had had yearly concussion training for football every year, so we knew the signs. Although, ironically, the concussion was from the one day of skiing DS does a year, not the 9 months of football and conditioning.
When DS hit, he caught the edge of his snowboard and flipped up in the air, landing on the back side of his head. All 260 pounds of him. Those lateral hits are the worst kind because they rattle the brain the most. Evidently a lot of people came up to him to check if he was ok, but he just shook it off. That's part of the problem--athletes are trained to push through the pain and often there is little pain with a concussion in the beginning.
That's good that your school uses imPACT training. Her score tomorrow will be compared with her baseline test. DS scored normal after his concussion, but it was significantly lower than his normal score. It took a good month to normalize. Keep her quiet in a dim room with no screens. It's torture for a kid, but the more she rests her brain now, the quicker she will heal.
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Post by Basket1lady on Aug 16, 2015 18:30:48 GMT
I'm very glad you took her to get checked out. As others have said (and you seem to know), concussion is something that needs to be taken very seriously. My DD has had two, both from soccer. (Not from doing headers, but from being slammed in the side of the head with the ball.) The first one, in fall 2013, wasn't that bad. The hit happened on Saturday, she woke up Monday with a bad headache, and was back at school by the end of the week. But the one she got fall 2014 was much worse. I don't think the hit was worse, but the symptoms and recovery time were awful. The headache didn't show up until a few days later, but she missed over a month of school, and for that whole month kept saying it hurt just to think. It was awful to see her suffer like that. Take the advice you got seriously, and make sure she gets the rest, darkness, and quiet that is recommended. If the symptoms don't seem to improve over the next week, make sure she's seen again. It may be necessary to get an MRI to make sure there isn't more damage than was originally suspected. I hope she has a speedy recovery. As I said when DD was going through hers last year, concussion sucks. This is a good point. The risk from a second concussion is far greater. And the second concussion is often more symptomatic as the brain hasn't healed completely, even if symptoms have subsided. DS did play football his senior year, but only on a limited basis and was second string, vs starting. And they wouldn't put him in if certain players (from the other teams) were on the field. It was also 6 months between the concussion and the start of football camp in August. DS was disappointed, as he had been a starter for his sophomore and junior years. Your DD may be on the injured list for a while. And that's a good thing.
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