Staying Positive and Taking One Day at a Time

While going through the stories I have collected there were a few common threads throughout. The first thing mentioned was to stay positive. Positive thinking makes the whole recovery a little easier. It doesn't mean that you have to be happy about your situation, but it does mean that you should try to focus on the small improvements that are being made from each day or from week to week. Some days you will probably get really upset and frustrated. This is okay as long as you accept that the situation is not what you would like it to be and realize its not going to help if you focus on all of the negative things. Positivity might be harder, but it will do more good in the long run.
Another thing was to take everything one day at a time. Someone wrote about how they returned to sports before they were better due to coach and team mate pressure. They ended up not preforming very well and therefore not getting very much playing time. This person also said that they contribute going back to their sport too early as a factor for why they continue to have problems related to their concussion. You have to be able to take enough time to ensure that you are fully recovered and ready to go back into the contact sport you play.
Most people will recover in 7-10 days and will be back to sports in a few weeks. About 15-20% of people will develop post concussive syndrome and have concussion symptoms that last longer than 10 days. It is important to take the time you need to recover before returning to high intensity activity. Something I learned as a student was that it is okay to ask for more time on assignments. When you are concussed you tend to have a hard time concentrating and I found it took twice as long to do my work. Communicating well with your teachers can help you get the accommodations that you need.

Intro and About the Project

Hi I am a student at Skyline High School and I am doing my Senior Project on concussions. I am focusing on the science of concussions, current research, and stories from people who have sustained concussions and their recovery process.
This blog is meant to be educational for people who know, love, or live with a person who has a concussion, or has recovered from one. It is also meant to help those who have a concussion currently and are feeling like they are all alone in the process. I have been there. I sustained a concussion in May of 2014 and I am still not fully recovered a whole year later. I am hoping that this blog will be a way for me to use some of the experiences I have had to help others get better, or at least feel supported while recovering.