Author Spotlight
Maggie Kissick
*content warning: mentions of suicide
24-48 hours.
The doctors told junior Hunter Avery he needed to take the weekend to recover from his recent concussion. No school, no sports, no technology.
He got his concussion while lunging to take down his opponent during a wrestling match. Avery tumbled forward and slammed his forehead on the rubber wrestling mat. He continued to wrestle through the third round, but felt like he was going to throw up afterwards.
Instead of resting, he celebrated his birthday with his friends. He didn’t think twice about his injury. Surely he’d bounce back, he thought, just like he did every time he took a hit in a match.
And he did at first. His concussion symptoms were mild, and after missing the remainder of his wrestling season to fully complete the return-to-play protocol, he went back to his spring sport, pole vaulting, with no apparent issues. He felt lucky to have escaped the injury seemingly unscathed.
But three months after impact, Avery’s symptoms returned.
The fluorescent lights in the school that had never bothered him before are now like daggers in his eyes. He struggles to work on assignments for too long. Anything over 15 minutes results in nonsense answers on his English assignment.
And Avery isn’t alone in ignoring his concussion symptoms. According to East athletic trainer Dakota Orlando, students often don’t take concussions as seriously as they should — valuing a high school football game, wrestling match or volleyball tournament over their developing brain — which can increase their risk of long-term brain damage.
Concussions in sports have become an increasingly prominent concern in recent years, as awareness grows about the potential long-term health consequences of head injuries. The pressure to participate in sports and the commitment to overcoming pain can cause students to minimize the severity of a concussion, according to Orlando.
“The word concussion is overused to the point that people forget that a concussion is a brain injury,” Orlando said. “When you say, ‘Your athlete has a brain injury’ the parents and coaches take a step back and realize that this is a serious situation.”
Students often return to play before it’s safe, which can potentially exacerbate the injury and prolong recovery. Returning to play before a concussion is fully healed can worsen the injury and delay the recovery process. Recognizing the impact concussions can have is essential since they can result in harmful long-lasting effects, according to the Center for Disease Control.
Junior Emaline Handzel is all too familiar with the concussion recovery process. As a volleyball player, she’s sustained four concussions, which has taken a toll on her both physically and mentally. During games, she battles pounding headaches, and takes Ibuprofen beforehand to fight the pain.
Before her concussions, Handzel didn’t think twice about playing at a crowded convention center. Now, the loud noises and bright lights make her symptoms worse, so she’ll step out into the hallway between games to recover. Her doctors have warned her that she needs to take precautions to avoid further head injuries, so she’s now wearing a protective headband when she plays.
She’s been hit in the head a few other times, but doesn’t want to go to the doctor anymore because the symptoms usually “resolve themselves.” Still, her diagnosed concussions have led to vertigo at least once a week and pounding headaches three to four times a week, making it difficult for her to focus in school.
“I don’t know if [concussions] will affect me later in life, but when you have so many in such little time while you’re young, there’s prone to be some sort of damage,” Handzel said.
Pediatrician and East parent Dr. Lara Sullivan emphasizes the significance of providing concussions with adequate space and time for a proper recovery. While about 80% of concussions can resolve within two weeks, more severe concussions can take several months to fully heal, according to Beaumont Health.
Athletes are supposed to be symptom-free for 24 hours before easing back into sports. Rushing the recovery process to resume activities isn’t worth it, as it can lead to post-concussion syndrome, according to Sullivan. The initial symptoms — including headaches, dizziness and difficulty concentrating — can persist and eventually become chronic.
“Everybody only has one brain,” Sullivan said. “And I know that you think that football game is important. But when you have the possibility of living 75 to 80 years, you really want the best brain you can have.”
A split-second impact can have lasting consequences on the brain. As athletes continue to engage in sports despite suffering concussions, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy poses an additional risk to their long-term cognitive health. CTE is a degenerative brain disease that has been linked to repeated head injuries, including concussions, according to the Concussion Legacy Foundation.
While CTE may not be as prevalent in high school sports as it is in professional and college sports, it’s still important for coaches, parents and athletes to take head injuries seriously and take steps to prevent and properly manage concussions. It’s currently unknown how many concussions or head injuries it takes for an individual to develop CTE, according to Mayo Clinic.
After East alum Hannah Erker’s husband, Andrew Erker — a college football player — was diagnosed with CTE, she realized just how drastic the symptoms can be. Memory loss, confusion and aggression are common effects, according to the Concussion Legacy Foundation, all of which Andrew suffered from.
At 7 years old, Andrew started playing tackle football. He stuck with it until college at Kansas State University as a defensive back. He’d mention there were several games he didn’t remember after a hit to the head. If he forgot something, he’d joke, “I’ve been hit in the head too many times.”
It was about halfway through their relationship when Hannah noticed changes with Andrew. He’d forget Friday night plans they’d made weeks ago. Sometimes he had a shorter fuse — having road rage or getting in more arguments.
When Andrew committed suicide in 2017, his brain was then sent to labs at Boston University, where he was diagnosed with stage 3 out of 4 CTE nine months after his passing.
Hannah believes situations like Andrew’s are the reasons athletes should take head injuries more seriously.
“[Head injuries have] taken a lot of lives, unfortunately,” Hannah said. “And I feel like we’re finally starting to understand why this is happening. We need to listen to the research and pay attention and try to stop that from happening because no one, at any age, deserves that.”
Orlando advises athletes to be truthful regarding their concussion symptoms since neglecting them can prolong the healing process. She acknowledges that athletes often misrepresent their symptoms when returning to sports, but this may be due to their inability to evaluate themselves accurately.
Outside of athletics, lingering concussions symptoms can affect a student’s academic performance. In the classroom, concussion symptoms may translate into a variety of learning challenges. Avery used to be an attentive student, but now he has to lay his head down during notes because paying attention for too long gives him headaches
“[Teachers] feel like I’m making an excuse when I say, ‘Hey, my head hurts’ or ‘Can I get a little bit of an extension?’” Avery said. “[They know] I was fine earlier and now it seems like I’m bringing this back up just because I don’t want to do work.”
Avery’s residual symptoms have led to him falling behind in his classes. As he struggles through his homework, he can’t help but worry about his upcoming AP tests. Avery knows he can’t keep making excuses for himself, but it’s hard not to feel discouraged. He wants to succeed, but his brain won’t cooperate.
“I’m trying my best, but it seems like I’m not trying because I’m not getting work done,” Avery said. “But the more I do, the worse it hurts.”
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