CONCUSSION
As we are all aware, one of the team members, Harry
Heard, suffered a concussion during a match before the holidays, and had to rest
for 4 weeks. When I ran to Harry on the ground, he was not in a good way, but
was conscious. I decided he was well enough to walk, with assistance, but should
definitely come off.
Those of you who saw the incident will remember that Harry was weaving all over
the place, and as it was my first experience of this type of injury, I can tell
you it was pretty scary.
When we were getting closer to the bench, Harry noticed that there were no other
players on the bench to replace him. Suddenly, he broke free and ran back
towards his position, saying that he was fine. I had had such a big fright, he
had had a bad knock to the head, and it seemed amazing that he had suddenly
recovered. I feel that it was his team spirit and courage that sent him back out
there; not wanting to let the team down.
Nevertheless, I spoke to Neal after the game, warning him that concussion can be
a sneaky thing; sometimes the onset of symptoms doesn't occur for hours, or even
a day or so after a head injury. I mentioned that if Harry was displaying odd
behavior, felt nausea or started vomiting, then he should see a doctor. As it
turned out, a short time later, Harry did start feeling unwell, and began to
vomit. When I spoke to Harry about it, he said it was as though his upset head
and brain was telling his stomach to be sick. Harry was taken to hospital and
underwent a number of tests, and was observed for some time. He missed a week of
school, and then a month of football and most activity.
Concussion is a very serious thing; it literally is an altered conscious state.
Other symptoms can include ringing in the ears, balance problems, visual
problems, slurred speech, emotional changes and of course, in severe cases, loss
of consciousness.
We are all extremely pleased that Harry has made a full recovery, and is
displaying his legendary courage in defence again. HOWEVER; the next time one of
the boys suffers a head injury, he will be coming off to the bench, no
arguments!!
PS Thanks to Harry for allowing me to tell his story.
Keep up the great work, boys,
Louise.
AMBULANCE PROTOCOL.
Not
that I was looking forward to it, but I'm now a little more familiar with the
first aid kit; as late in the 3rd quarter, the ball smacked straight into Liam
Sydow's nose, causing a bleed, and then Evan suffered an injured thumb,
requiring strapping. (I hope you are both feeling better now, boys)
I spoke during the week to a friend whose son plays for Fitzroy in the under
14s. He suffered a blow to the head and was taken to hospital in an ambulance.
It just shows that anything can happen, and it's best to be prepared, which
leads into this week's subject; what to do if an ambulance is required. Of
course we all hope our kids will get through their years of footy without ever
seeing an ambulance; however...
At each away game, I check where the best access for an ambulance would be, and
confirm the closest street names with a local. (the mums in the canteen!)
When calling the ambulance, it is important to be patient and clear with
instructions. The existence of hoax callers means that emergency services
operators will ask a series of questions. Details about the injury are very
important so that ambulance officers can be well prepared when they arrive on
the scene. It would be great to have a volunteer, if the situation ever arises,
to be the person to calmly deal with this duty.
A couple of parents would be required to guide the ambulance in, by standing
near the entrance to the ground, and directing the ambulance officers to the
injured player.
In the case of an injury requiring an ambulance, the game would be stopped. It
was awful to hear, during my training course, that sometimes this causes other
parents to be angry; that the game should go on, even when a child is badly
injured!
Sometimes, parents think they should drive their child to the hospital. The best
advice is; DON'T DO IT! What would you do in traffic if your child's condition
became worse in the car? How well do you think you could drive in these
circumstances?
The likelihood of this situation occurring is slim, and in no way do I want to
worry you, but I think it's a good idea to at least contemplate how to deal with
it just in case.
Let's hope our winning streak continues; well done team!
See you on the 17th June,
Louise.