- Apr 11, 2011
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My CP recently had a mild concussion. Fortunately, she is doing much better. From this experience I have learned the importance of being aware of the signs of a concussion. I have also learned that it is common for CP's to try to down play and/or hide symptoms of their concussions because they are afraid of not being able to cheer/compete. @Jfear shared her story with me and I feel it is one that everyone should read; Parents, Coaches, and Athletes.
She received her concussion during practice, they were doing the running tumbling and she collided (mid tuck) with another girl, CP landed on her head and her feet hit the other girl in the face. I didn't see it happen but the people who did said she hit hard. It was at the end of practice. I always stay in my car while she practices (I am too old for crazy cheer mom drama) after practice she came out the car and started crying saying the pain in her head was something she has never felt before (She was diagnosed with migraines at the age of 4 so she is familiar with head pain). She was trying to tell me what happened and and I asked her if she needed to go to the ER and she said no she would be fine, (there was a comp that weekend) and she needed to be there for the team. She went to bed when we got home and I checked on her through the night to make sure she was coherent. The next morning she got up for school (Friday) and said she still had a really bad headache but would be fine. She has all advanced placement classes and expects a lot from herself regarding her grades. She had a quiz that day in psychics and would call me if she didn't feel well. (I learned later she was not ok but she didn't want me to know because they competed on Saturday) After school she went to her boyfriends and came home in the early evening and went to sleep. On Saturday she got ready for the comp and she didn't look too good, she seemed out of sorts, I asked if she was ok and she said she still had a little headache but was fine to compete. I really didn't question her because she is a very rational, mature (sometimes more than I am) 16 year old. When we got to the comp I spoke to her coach and she said she really hit hard but she refused any ice or anything when it happened, she asked Paige if she should take the tumbling out and Paige told her no. Paige did tell her that her head hurt but she was ok. Her coach said it was ok to leave right after they competed. When Paige came off the floor she was in tears because her head hurt so much. We left the comp and it was then I learned the day before she vomited several times during day at school and when she took the quiz she couldn't remember how to do the problems. She didn't want me to know because she didn't want to let her team down. I took her to the Urgent Care and they said she had a concussion and they couldn't do anything more and I would need to take her to a concussion specialist. It was the weekend so we had to wait until Monday.
Luckily, last year when she was a freshman, the school makes it mandatory for any athlete to take a baseline impact test. It gives them information on what they score with no concussion. When we went to the specialist on Monday, they had her take the impact test and they performed and exam and tested balance and strength and the doctor told me after looking at all the information and checking her out, she had a severe concussion. By this time, I feel like I should have been reported to DYFS because I didn't stop her from competing and she could have possibly have caused more damage by not addressing it when it first happened. The doctor said she needed to be on complete bedrest and couldn't attend school, no homework, no tv, cell phone, or computer and anything that required any type of thinking was off limits. He said the only good news was that she would have 10 days off during Christmas Break so hopefully by the end of the break she would be ok to return to school. Those few weeks, she followed his instructions and slept ALOT. Her first concern was school and her grades and getting better so she could be better for Spirit Cheer in Atlantic City. She was to see the doctor every Monday and go to therapy ever Tuesday and Thursday. The entire time she was home, she would have good days, bad days, and really bad days. We noticed her eyes were always diliated and she seemed in a fog, she went from being a independant, self confident, happy 16 year old, to a sad, dazed and confused girl. She would forget things 2 minutes after we talked and she really got depressed because she never had to rely on others and felt helpless. During the break we really thought she had gotten better and she looked forward to going back to school and cheer. When January came, the doctor said her balance was still off and he asked if she felt up to going into school, she could go to class but only listen to the lesson, no note taking or tests or quizzes. She tried to go back on Jan 5th and the nurse called to tell me she was in her office because her head hurt so bad. So I called the doctor and he excused her from school for the remainder of that week. She was very upset because when she was home she felt ok, she felt like she was being a baby because her head hurt so much whenever she tried to do anything. The next Monday at her appointment the doctor had discussed her going to school for only half of the day and see how that went. We also made the decision to let the gym know she couldn't compete with her team at Beast of the East. Once again, she was heartbroken but she understood in the condition she was in, there was no way she could help her team. We alternated her time at school, (one day morning next day afternoon) by the time we picked her up from school she was exhausted with a terrible headache. She would come home each day and take a nap for 2-4 hours. Last weekend, because she couldn't attend the comp, I gave her minute by minute updates about all of our teams competing and though she was sad not being there for support, she was so happy because the teams were doing well. To top everything off, her team won their division. On Monday, I wanted the doctors opinion on returning to cheer which is the information I posted earlier. I never in a million years would have expected this to be such a long process. It can take up to a year for her to heal and it breaks my heart that she has to give up what she loves most. But I have learned that it is not worth taking the risk of doing any more damage than she has already and when I told the gym they really were so understanding. The owner has known CP for years and if there was any way possible, she would be on that mat with her team. They said she is still a part of the team and will be all season, she is welcome to come to any comps and be with them. People talk about the importance of family all the time and CP is lucky we have such a supportive all star family that is there through the good and the bad.
I hope I didn't bore you too much but I feel like this experience has been a total reality check and hope if it happens to other families, they will know what to look for and maybe the kid who has been injured with a concussion for so long isn't just "milking" it. I will keep your daughter in my prayers and feel free to ask any questions
She received her concussion during practice, they were doing the running tumbling and she collided (mid tuck) with another girl, CP landed on her head and her feet hit the other girl in the face. I didn't see it happen but the people who did said she hit hard. It was at the end of practice. I always stay in my car while she practices (I am too old for crazy cheer mom drama) after practice she came out the car and started crying saying the pain in her head was something she has never felt before (She was diagnosed with migraines at the age of 4 so she is familiar with head pain). She was trying to tell me what happened and and I asked her if she needed to go to the ER and she said no she would be fine, (there was a comp that weekend) and she needed to be there for the team. She went to bed when we got home and I checked on her through the night to make sure she was coherent. The next morning she got up for school (Friday) and said she still had a really bad headache but would be fine. She has all advanced placement classes and expects a lot from herself regarding her grades. She had a quiz that day in psychics and would call me if she didn't feel well. (I learned later she was not ok but she didn't want me to know because they competed on Saturday) After school she went to her boyfriends and came home in the early evening and went to sleep. On Saturday she got ready for the comp and she didn't look too good, she seemed out of sorts, I asked if she was ok and she said she still had a little headache but was fine to compete. I really didn't question her because she is a very rational, mature (sometimes more than I am) 16 year old. When we got to the comp I spoke to her coach and she said she really hit hard but she refused any ice or anything when it happened, she asked Paige if she should take the tumbling out and Paige told her no. Paige did tell her that her head hurt but she was ok. Her coach said it was ok to leave right after they competed. When Paige came off the floor she was in tears because her head hurt so much. We left the comp and it was then I learned the day before she vomited several times during day at school and when she took the quiz she couldn't remember how to do the problems. She didn't want me to know because she didn't want to let her team down. I took her to the Urgent Care and they said she had a concussion and they couldn't do anything more and I would need to take her to a concussion specialist. It was the weekend so we had to wait until Monday.
Luckily, last year when she was a freshman, the school makes it mandatory for any athlete to take a baseline impact test. It gives them information on what they score with no concussion. When we went to the specialist on Monday, they had her take the impact test and they performed and exam and tested balance and strength and the doctor told me after looking at all the information and checking her out, she had a severe concussion. By this time, I feel like I should have been reported to DYFS because I didn't stop her from competing and she could have possibly have caused more damage by not addressing it when it first happened. The doctor said she needed to be on complete bedrest and couldn't attend school, no homework, no tv, cell phone, or computer and anything that required any type of thinking was off limits. He said the only good news was that she would have 10 days off during Christmas Break so hopefully by the end of the break she would be ok to return to school. Those few weeks, she followed his instructions and slept ALOT. Her first concern was school and her grades and getting better so she could be better for Spirit Cheer in Atlantic City. She was to see the doctor every Monday and go to therapy ever Tuesday and Thursday. The entire time she was home, she would have good days, bad days, and really bad days. We noticed her eyes were always diliated and she seemed in a fog, she went from being a independant, self confident, happy 16 year old, to a sad, dazed and confused girl. She would forget things 2 minutes after we talked and she really got depressed because she never had to rely on others and felt helpless. During the break we really thought she had gotten better and she looked forward to going back to school and cheer. When January came, the doctor said her balance was still off and he asked if she felt up to going into school, she could go to class but only listen to the lesson, no note taking or tests or quizzes. She tried to go back on Jan 5th and the nurse called to tell me she was in her office because her head hurt so bad. So I called the doctor and he excused her from school for the remainder of that week. She was very upset because when she was home she felt ok, she felt like she was being a baby because her head hurt so much whenever she tried to do anything. The next Monday at her appointment the doctor had discussed her going to school for only half of the day and see how that went. We also made the decision to let the gym know she couldn't compete with her team at Beast of the East. Once again, she was heartbroken but she understood in the condition she was in, there was no way she could help her team. We alternated her time at school, (one day morning next day afternoon) by the time we picked her up from school she was exhausted with a terrible headache. She would come home each day and take a nap for 2-4 hours. Last weekend, because she couldn't attend the comp, I gave her minute by minute updates about all of our teams competing and though she was sad not being there for support, she was so happy because the teams were doing well. To top everything off, her team won their division. On Monday, I wanted the doctors opinion on returning to cheer which is the information I posted earlier. I never in a million years would have expected this to be such a long process. It can take up to a year for her to heal and it breaks my heart that she has to give up what she loves most. But I have learned that it is not worth taking the risk of doing any more damage than she has already and when I told the gym they really were so understanding. The owner has known CP for years and if there was any way possible, she would be on that mat with her team. They said she is still a part of the team and will be all season, she is welcome to come to any comps and be with them. People talk about the importance of family all the time and CP is lucky we have such a supportive all star family that is there through the good and the bad.
I hope I didn't bore you too much but I feel like this experience has been a total reality check and hope if it happens to other families, they will know what to look for and maybe the kid who has been injured with a concussion for so long isn't just "milking" it. I will keep your daughter in my prayers and feel free to ask any questions
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