Concussions- when Brains Collide

In 1979, during a softball game, I was involved in a collision at home plate and received a concussion. A concussion is an injury to the brain that is caused by an impact to the head. My concussion came about as I slid headfirst into home plate, and the catcher's knee struck my temple. The concussion was mild, but I lost consciousness nonetheless and did not remember much of anything until after the game was over. Luckily, concussions are not life threatening, but mine could have been, as I told everyone that I was fine when I came to and I was sent back out to play third base.

But I was not fine, as evidenced by the fact that a few hard hit balls went right by my head without my even attempting to catch them! Immediately after the game, I kept asking my best friend if I had a job (which I did), and that if I didn't, I needed to get one. It was not until I got home that I began to recover my senses, and I could not remember anything from the time I started to slide into home plate until about an hour after the game. I was displaying classic concussion symptoms.

When your head is injured through impact with another object or surface, your brain can literally slide in your skull. A concussion occurs when your brain bangs against the interior of the hard skull, tearing blood vessels or becoming bruised, with nerve fibers possibly being damaged. A temporary loss of the normal brain function takes place during a concussion, often with the individual losing consciousness briefly, as I did. Most people make a complete recovery from a concussion, but the situation can be dangerous if the proper treatment is not given.