I played football from 3rd grade all the way through college as a lineman . Then I competed in Judo. I just retired from LE with a career nearly 30 years. I know I have had several concussions in football. And concussions in the line of duty ranging from wrecks to physical contact with suspects.
I am 54 yoa and know I have issues from these head injuries. Irregular bouts of depression would be one. Emotional swings another.
What would you suggest a person start with in speaking with a doctor to monitor brain injury?
My daughter is a radiology technologist and told my wife aka her mother that I have spots on my brain that are not good.
I’m asking for myself and for those who may not want to ask or not share their injuries.
Thanks
I've held back in responding to this thread so not to make any projection about Jason Hairston.
I'm a psychologist with a school district. I just got done with an assessment meet on a student that had a serious concussion barely over two years ago. The student had neuropsych assessment after the concussion with suspected diminished cognitive functioning and visual processing, along with some mood swings and personality changes (pretty normal and expected). Well now to today, with current assessment 2 years after the incident, the student tests out with cognition in the superior to very superior range, with visual processing in the average range and a relative weakness for the student; but definitely not a deficit.
I had also experienced a severe concussion 15 or so years ago, and also played defensive end in high school football (with John Elway if that means anything to anyone). It took me about 3 years to fully heal. 6 months after my concussion I was still experiencing short times of just mentally checking out. Meaning my body was there, but my mind, well it just turned off. My only explanation is that it was the body's/minds way of saying enough, it's time to rest. In short I was incapable of fully functioning at my profession for 3+ years. I did not return to my field for 5 years. I was fortunate that I had other skills, and I went to work for a general contractor friend of mine that was very understanding, and he allowed me to start with just working one day a week (all I could take at the time), and work up to full time.
When someone experiences such a serious injury, they simply start to question who they now are. I for one went to the gamut of emotions, and searching my soul for who I now was, as at the time, I was now unsure of who I was and what I could possible do. Since I had other physical injuries that came with my concussion, I had some significant physical limitations also. To but it simply, I was grieving the loss of who I was, the man I was... And I had no idea who I was anymore, at the time I had simply lost that much. My back-country adventures simply came to a stop, because I was not capable any longer, and I did know if I would ever get the ability back. Somewhere along that very slow arduous healing path, I decided to make the 5 hour drive to one of my hunting areas, because I thought I healed enough, and I was simply starving for the outdoors. Long story short is that zI did well going, but as soon as I turned around to go back to the truck, I could no longer lift my feet off the ground to walk. But, I could drag them, 2 to 3 steps at a time, rest for a minute and do it again... Long story short, I was out there all night, when I had told my wife to expect be back for a late dinner, and on the way back to the truck, I was stalked by a lion. There was nothing I could do, except turn toward it, and let the pain escaped my mouth as I slid my feel across the dirt, as fast as I could. It felt like I was heading straight for it's mouth, and a part of me wanted the cat to take me. But that was the last I saw of, my headlamp never lit those eyes up again that night. And, I finally did make it back to my truck.
My point with telling my experience (briefly) was to illustrate the emotional roller-coaster one goes through; but one's family is on a parallel roller-coaster. But to get to the medical end of this. Concussions, especially multiple concussions are know to be associated with (cause) plaque build-up in the brain similar to Alzheimer's and Dementia, but the build-up can be much more rapid. I suspect that in Jason's case, he was aware of his mental decline and on that rollercoaster of emotion. Despite my experience, I can only imagine what he and his family have gone through, and his family continues to go through, and likely will continue to.
However, we should keep in mind that the vast majority of people that experience a concussion, recover and live healthy lives. But through research and tracking, we also know that the brains healing process can last up to 3 years, with some evidence of continued healing (rises in cognitive function) beyond 3 years. The whole concept here has to do with neuroplasticity, and each case is very individual with some recovery being astonishing, considering the functional levels at onset.
As for netman, your first question should be, what are those spots? as they could be a lot of things. But that question should be to a Neurologist or a Radiologist, with the Neurologist capable of providing the most insight.