News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Wyatt Hernandez isn't sure exactly what happened to him at football practice on November 4, 2015. He doesn't remember that practice very well. He knows he took a shot to the head, maybe more than one.
His friends said he "kind of passed out" as they helped him pull off his jersey in the locker room.
That was just the beginning of what is now a four-and-a-half-month ordeal, dealing with the aftermath of concussion.
A concussion is a brain injury - and it's serious business. Youth sports programs and schools are just now becoming fully aware of the dangers, and acting to establish or refine protocols for preventing and dealing with concussion.
For Wyatt, his injury caused memory loss, headaches, slurred speech and a severe stutter - which is improving but still noticeable.
Even more than four months down the road to recovery, he's still feeling the effects.
"I have headaches sometimes," he told The Nugget. "I still struggle with my speech and my memory's not as good as it used to be. I have some problems reading and I have fatigue and some sleep issues."
However, he notes with some satisfaction, "I'm maintaining my good grades."
Wyatt has a 504 program in place at Sisters High School, where he is a freshman. A 504 program is an official means of accommodating a student's needs, in this case due to brain injury. In Wyatt's case, that means, among other things, providing audio books instead of texts for reading assignments. Accommodations can include modifications to testing protocols and workload.
Though it's been a long haul, Wyatt says, "I feel like I've gotten a lot better."
Getting better requires plenty of rest, avoiding excessive stimulation and easing back into a normal routine. Most people who experience concussion recover fully - given time and avoiding additional blows to the head.
That means that Wyatt has to take it very easy on the athletic front. He missed basketball season. He's in the process of getting cleared to play golf - but that's the extent of the activity his doctor is willing to sign off on.
Wyatt says he would like to play football again - but he won't.
Doctors haven't given him a timeline for full recovery.
"They haven't really given us an answer," he said. "It's hard to tell with concussion."
He said they're taking a wait-and-see approach regarding his speech. It is getting better, but if the stutter doesn't go away on its own, he will do speech therapy.
The 15-year-old youth is pretty upbeat about his condition at this point, although he acknowledged that he's had some tough moments.
"I kind of go up and down," he said. "The first bit after (the injury) was pretty hard."
Like many of his peers, he's just learning how serious a matter concussion can be.
"I knew about concussions, but I never knew they could get this bad," he said.
His advice to other young athletes? "Don't be afraid to speak up" if you think you have been hurt. "Don't be embarrassed."
Changing athletic culture to make coaches, parents and students more aware of concussion - and to encourage them to speak up as Wyatt urges - is a major push right now. Sisters High School hosted a retired neurologist for an extensive talk on concussion during a mandatory spring sports meeting last month, so that everyone is aware of the potential for injury, the symptoms, and the means of recovering to avoid potential lifelong effects.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
Reader Comments(0)