All-Star Experience With Concussions

[momsy]

CP was kicked in the head during tumbling and although she remembers being kicked, she doesn't remember anything between getting kicked and about 5 minutes afterward. I took her to the ER that night, and she was dx'd with a concussion (her CT scan was clear). This happened on Tuesday 11/3, and she missed school for the rest of the week due to a severe headache. Much like your daughter, she slept for almost 3 days straight with a few short periods of awake time. She started feeling much better over the weekend and resumed school and practice this past week. She still doesn't remember those 5ish minutes after being kicked, but all of her other symptoms are gone. The ER doctor told her she was "out" for a week and could return to practice as long as she felt better and all symptoms were gone, so that's what we did.

The doctors can't predict how long someone is going to take to recover. They can only estimate based on the severity of the symptoms and give recommendations as to when the athlete might possibly be able to return.

I hope she feels better very soon!

 

[Persephone]

The ER doctor told her she was "out" for a week and could return to practice as long as she felt better and all symptoms were gone, so that's what we did.

Using @momsy ´s post as my starting point... That´s what doctors usually say but in my experience they do not get the impact of the hit a cheerleader can get (like base/backspot get hit by a flyer coming down from a high basket toss)- they get the "got hit by an elbow" mostly because thats our language ... "I got kicked in the face" "I got hit by an elbow".
We usually do NOT say "she got hit on the head by another person her size/weight falling down from xy feet high" which would explain how heavy the impact could have been.
And tell cheerleaders "you can go back to practice if you feel better"? I think most of them are so used to suck up pain or uncomfortness and are anxious to not being part of something, not practice enough to sit out as long as they should.
Or being reasonable and sit out again, if they go back to normal practice and symptoms are coming back like headache, dizzyness, etc.

 

[MakeYourMark]

PLEASE go get an ImPACT test at a concussion specialist. Even though she doesnt have a baseline test this will be very useful if she ever gets another concussion. They can also monitor her at the concussion specialist. 7 month ago I received a sever concussion and am STILL not fully recovered and am visiting my specialist weekly. This concussion was also not my first major concussion though. Be aware that once you get one concussion you are MUCH more susceptible to another. In fact, the other day I got hit in the head and for a regular person they would have been like "ouch, but whatever" for me it sent a flood of concussion symptoms my way.

You're CP is young so consumption of alcohol and coffee should not be an issue.
One this that was always stressed (and still is) to me is a REGULAR SLEEP SCHEDULE. This helps the brain heal! It is important that she is going to bed and making up at the same time every day of the week.
Take a rest from reading and looking at electronics. Neither of these are good for the brain at this point. Honestly, sitting in a dark room is best. If she's not noise sensitive, listen to some music.

Return to activity should be gradual. Sometimes increasing the heart rate can make symptoms worse/come back. Its important to make things gradual. In cheerleading, tumbling should be the last thing she returns too. Thats a lot of brain banging! She'll be surprised how much her head may hurt from jumps as well.

Also just wanted to add that no one will be/ shouldnt be giving you a recovery time frame. EVERY concussion is different and heals differently. You just have to take it day by day and hope for the best

If you have any questions let me know! I've had my fair share of concussions. I also see a specialist weekly and can ask them anything for you :)

 

[acecheermom]

Sorry I was at a playoff game last night with my oldest daughter so I'm just coming back to this. We have been doing a lot of the things suggested here. (Edited to add: she did not attend the playoff game. She stayed home with her dad to sleep while I attended with my other daughter.)

She was in an extension in an assisted one man stunt. She fell forward hitting her forehead on the mat/floor. She does remember that however the coach says she told them she was fine and went back up in the stunt in the next run through and that she does not remember.

Yes that is her in my profile picture. That picture is only a year old so she's still very small for her age. But she sure thinks she is super fierce. LOL so I'm not at all surprised that she climbed right back up into another stunt.

We sent her back to school yesterday morning because ER dr said she could but we brought her home about 1 1/2 hour into it from the symptoms. She did complain that it was hard to concentrate and follow her teacher in her first period class. Since then she has been sleeping, in dark room, no tv, etc. She seems a little better this morning. Although she did say she started to get a headache while in the shower this morning. So she is now back in the quiet, dark, nothing on room.

One of the teachers at the school where I teach has a daughter who received concussion from soccer so I spoke with her about their experience last night as well. She gave me many of the same suggestions you guys have. Thanks!

We are just taking it hour by hour right now. She's asked 3 times already if she can go to the competition today. She knows she isn't performing, getting on stage, doing warmups, etc. But she wants to be there for just the few minutes to cheer her squad on. I guess we will watch her throughout the day to decide. I'm worried getting out, in a crowd, with noise, etc even for a few minutes will just be too much and set us back again.

We will look into finding a specialist in our area to see this coming week. Thanks.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions, protocols, and experiences. They are very helpful and were exactly what I was looking for.

 

[AScheer]

Sorry I was at a playoff game last night with my oldest daughter so I'm just coming back to this. We have been doing a lot of the things suggested here. (Edited to add: she did not attend the playoff game. She stayed home with her dad to sleep while I attended with my other daughter.)

She was in an extension in an assisted one man stunt. She fell forward hitting her forehead on the mat/floor. She does remember that however the coach says she told them she was fine and went back up in the stunt in the next run through and that she does not remember.

Yes that is her in my profile picture. That picture is only a year old so she's still very small for her age. But she sure thinks she is super fierce. LOL so I'm not at all surprised that she climbed right back up into another stunt.

We sent her back to school yesterday morning because ER dr said she could but we brought her home about 1 1/2 hour into it from the symptoms. She did complain that it was hard to concentrate and follow her teacher in her first period class. Since then she has been sleeping, in dark room, no tv, etc. She seems a little better this morning. Although she did say she started to get a headache while in the shower this morning. So she is now back in the quiet, dark, nothing on room.

One of the teachers at the school where I teach has a daughter who received concussion from soccer so I spoke with her about their experience last night as well. She gave me many of the same suggestions you guys have. Thanks!

We are just taking it hour by hour right now. She's asked 3 times already if she can go to the competition today. She knows she isn't performing, getting on stage, doing warmups, etc. But she wants to be there for just the few minutes to cheer her squad on. I guess we will watch her throughout the day to decide. I'm worried getting out, in a crowd, with noise, etc even for a few minutes will just be too much and set us back again.

We will look into finding a specialist in our area to see this coming week. Thanks.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions, protocols, and experiences. They are very helpful and were exactly what I was looking for.

What @Cheermom1969 posted is exactly what our state makes us follow for concussions. Every day is a step and if any symptoms occur, you start over at day one and repeat. Our administration has really been cracking down on concussions in the past few years. After personal experience with them, online course, and county wide training sessions with doctors from Vanderbilt, I have a little bit to add.

Most of the athletes I've had with concussions are clear to return anywhere from 2 weeks to a month. With all the info we now have, 1 week recovery isn't realistic. I have one athlete that took around 6 months. She was elbowed in the face by her flier, didn't tell anyone, continued to practice and made it worse. She also didn't see a specialist right away, and again made it worse. I HIGHLY recommend going to a specialist! Since your daughter did another stunt after, it could make her recovery take longer. Any brain movement right after the concussion only worsens it. The coach should of pulled her out right away and not let her try it again until she was checked out as precaution. I know that's not our normal reaction in cheer, we want them to get back up but it's something that we've had to really change our mindset about here.

As for the CT scan, those aren't good indicators for concussions. It will check for any bleeding or neck issues, but cannot help them determine if there is a concussion or how severe. That was something the doctors in our seminar harped on.

Prayers for a quick recovery!

 

[CheerBank]

Cp has a high school teammate who has been out now about 2 months. Got slammed in the nose by some body part of her flyer, and the intial concern was a broken nose, not a concussion. Poor kid has been out of school for weeks now as it is just too hard for her to concentrate and being in an overstimulating environment gives her terrible headaches. She has been getting home instruction so she stays on track. Mom said she will probably not let her return to cheer this season once she is cleared and I don't blame her.

 

[Official OWECheer]

So it sounds like getting a concussion is worse that breaking a bone. A bone heals and becomes much stronger in the process, whereas a concussed brain is at greater risk of a repeat concussion, even after it fully heals.

Plus, it's your BRAIN.

Would this be a good point at which to bring up the Cheercussion helmet?

 

[KPep]

So it sounds like getting a concussion is worse that breaking a bone. A bone heals and becomes much stronger in the process, whereas a concussed brain is at greater risk of a repeat concussion, even after it fully heals.

Plus, it's your BRAIN.

Would this be a good point at which to bring up the Cheercussion helmet?

We use it, and quite honestly, it's not enough. It's a little part of the work. It won't prevent a concussion if it is caused by a brutal head movement, for example.

 

[Official OWECheer]

We use it, and quite honestly, it's not enough. It's a little part of the work. It won't prevent a concussion if it is caused by a brutal head movement, for example.

I figure. But would you say that they have been of some benefit, and if so, how much?

 

[Keep_Believing]

I have been told it can give you a false sense of security.

 

[Official OWECheer]

I have been told it can give you a false sense of security.

As in, kids'll be more reckless because they think that the helmet will stop everything?

 

[Twinklestars]

We use it, and quite honestly, it's not enough. It's a little part of the work. It won't prevent a concussion if it is caused by a brutal head movement, for example.

If enormous, highly padded football helmets don't prevent concussions, there isn't much a cheerleader could wear to try to prevent them.

 

[Keep_Believing]

As in, kids'll be more reckless because they think that the helmet will stop everything?

The brain is still jolted around in the skull even when wearing a cheercussion helment. A bad scenario would be CP is recovering from a concussion and thinks I can go back early, I am safe, and protected now because I am wearing my cheercussion helment.

 

[Official OWECheer]

If enormous, highly padded football helmets don't prevent concussions, there isn't much a cheerleader could wear to try to prevent them.

Those helmets are made of plastic, not something a FB player should even be wearing. The helmets could be much better, but the current ones are making so much money for the FB apparel industry that there really isn't much of an incentive to change.

 

[Keep_Believing]

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