My finger was bruised and swollen after I jammed it into the ground playing Spikeball, a game where people hit a ball onto a circular net that stands a few inches from the ground. I swore I heard the finger crack. It looked crooked to me, though my mother disagreed. I went to the doctor\u2019s office, figuring I would get an x-ray and leave with a splint on my finger. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the waiting room, a nurse handed me the typical medical questionnaires. One of them had strange questions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPlease leave a check if you have recently experienced the following:\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDizziness \/ Lightheadedness?\u201d Check.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWeakness \/ Fatigue?\u201d Check.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHeadaches?\u201d Check.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019d gone in for my finger, but I was leaving a check next to most options. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The nurse took my papers and called me into a room and took my blood pressure. \u201cIs there any reason your blood pressure might be higher than normal right now?\u201d she asked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
There wasn\u2019t a reason for it to be high. I was only 20 years old and I\u2019d never had any health issues. I was in good shape, exercised a lot and ate right. I became concerned. Something might be wrong. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNot that I\u2019m aware of,\u201d I responded. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The nurse noted my blood pressure and left, saying \u201cthe doctor will be with you in just a moment.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As I waited for the doctor, I freaked out. Something must be wrong with me. I tried to refocus my attention on my finger. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The doctor came in and examined my finger, asking me about pain levels and what caused the injury. Then she took notes in my patient chart. My brain was focused on the questionnaire. The longer the appointment went on, the more confident I was that she wouldn\u2019t ask about it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYour finger is fine,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s a sprain and you\u2019ll recover quickly.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I thought this was the end of the visit, but then she looked through the intake paperwork I filled out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat is all this?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I hesitated. Then it dawned on me. Roughly three months earlier I sustained a concussion. I didn\u2019t think much of it at the time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nearly 2 million people are diagnosed with a concussion each year in the United States. I knew of people who suffered a concussion, rested for a week or so, and then returned to normal life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Except I hadn\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like a lot of people, my limited understanding about concussions and how to manage them came largely from what I heard on sports television and media. NFL players often sustain a concussion during a televised game and return to play the next game. Rest and recovery seemed to do the trick for them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is easy for a sports fan to see professional athletes and think that we\u2019re like them. After all, they are people too, even if they are generally stronger and faster than the rest of us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n