Adventures at the McGill Sports Medicine Clinic

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           Getting injured is never fun, but it is a reality that every athlete must deal with at some point. Whether it’s a torn ACL, shin splints, a twisted ankle or a bruised baby toe, an injury can set you back in your sport by interfering with training and competition. As a soccer player and track athlete competing at a high level, I had my fair share of tendonitis, knee problems and shin splints to deal with. As aggravating as those problems were, when I visited the McGill sports medicine clinic last Thursday I found myself wishing that I was going to see a physiotherapist about IT band pain or a sore back. While these injuries are certainly debilitating and can majorly disrupt a training regime, at least they do not interfere with the rest of your life as profoundly as does a concussion.

                I hit my head for the fourth time in 6 months while playing soccer at the beginning of March. At the time, I was completely symptom-free and ready to go. I was still careful not to head the ball and did not play as aggressively as I normally would, but I felt almost completely normal in sports and at school. Somehow, I managed to knock heads with a girl on the opposing team: not hard, but apparently enough to shake up the brain once again. All of my symptoms returned and I found myself unable to get out of bed for two weeks.

               I decided that my best bet in this situation was a trip to the McGill Sports Medecine Clinic to see a concussion specialist. I was lucky enough to get an appointment with Dr. Delaney, a man who is widely recognize for his contributions to this field. The first step of the appointment was taking the “IMPACT” test, a series of reaction-time, memory and spatial awareness tasks designed to make sure that my brain still exists. After toiling over that for a while and getting a massive headache, I finally got to meet with Dr. Delaney to discuss the test results and get his opinion on the best route to take in terms of recovery.

               The good news is that I still have a brain!! And it appears to be working reasonably well for most cognitive functions. The bad news is that I am experiencing 21/22 concussion symptoms quite intensely on a regular basis. Dr. Delaney prescribed no physical activity of any kind for a month, no more than an hour at a time on the computer, avoiding loud environments, avoiding fluorescent lights, no alcohol and resting as much as possible. Basically, I need to completely drop the “university lifestyle” as most of us know it.

                As an athlete, being told that you cannot do your sport for an extended period of time is always devastating news. As a student, being told that you have to drastically change your lifestyle in order to recover from an injury is a tough pill to swallow. Missing out on fun social activities in favor of resting in a dark room can be quite depressing, to say the least. However, an important part of recovering from any injury is staying positive and focusing on what you can do rather than on what you can't do. I'm trying to take my own advice and stay as positive as possible in a difficult situation.

Looks like my hour of screen time is up!
See you next week!

- Martlet Girl