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Curious. Any BBIers wondering about CTE in themselves?

Beezer : 2/6/2016 2:51 pm
I'm betting that like me, many of you played tons of sports when you were kids. Some played football at a very high level, and others into college. Most f us probably played some brand of contact sport, and I'd bet most of us can recall a collision (or many) where they saw that flash on impact.

I certainly did not play football at anything close to a high level, but I played from about the 7th grade to my senior year. I played O-line, D-line, linebacker and fullback. Lots and lots and lots of collisions.

Since CTE became a thing, and the conversation has increased, I've begun to wonder if even at the level I played, am I now seeing some even minor residuals as a 51-year-old dude just going about life?

We're all busy. Those of us with teen-aged kids are frantically so, chasing our kids' schedules, looking at colleges, and all that goes with this stage. Add marriage and work and everything else, and it's daunting at times.

My wife calls it "fuzzy brain" and we laugh about it (OK, a lot), but I sometimes wonder if it affects more people, and not just former NFL players. I'm beginning to wonder if others who played sports the way I did are also in the mix. Is it of epidemic proportion? Maybe the NFL is at the head of a really long spear.

Just curious if anyone in this forum has had the slightest thought to wonder ...
Yes...  
EricJ : 2/6/2016 2:57 pm : link
so many shots to the head. I used my head as a battering ram back in the day. I know that I have had a bit of short term memory loss. I am experiencing some other things that to me are much worse. I feel like I have this internal (mental) sabotage going on and it my be related to CTE.
I'm sure many posters here  
OBJXIII : 2/6/2016 3:00 pm : link
Have some sort of brain disorder or disease :)
Yes and no.  
robbieballs2003 : 2/6/2016 3:03 pm : link
I played for 13 years from middle school and up. I don't think I ever suffered a concussion but I did get my bell rung a few times. I have a hard fuckin' head though and used to headbutt people. It never really hurt but now I am finding out that it isn't just concussions which has me concerned.
I have all sorts of neck and spinal aches and pains,  
Beezer : 2/6/2016 3:10 pm : link
not to mention the knees and ankles. I'm not saying that I believe I'm suffering from CTE, but I start to wonder as the moments of forgetting words ... or walking into a room and just standing there trying to remember why I'm there ... are more frequent.

Mostly funny or at worst, low-level frustrating moments.

I'm thankful that I haven't had any of the depression or negative-thought types of symptoms.
RE: I have all sorts of neck and spinal aches and pains,  
EricJ : 2/6/2016 3:22 pm : link
In comment 12803289 Beezer said:
Quote:
not to mention the knees and ankles.


Oh, lets not start talking about all of the other injuries too. I used to get a x-mas card from my orthopedist.
Had my bell rung a few times, but one stood out in particular  
widmerseyebrow : 2/6/2016 3:26 pm : link
In football camp before my senior year. Probably got a concussion. In addition to having cobwebs, couldn't shake my head from side to side rapidly. Like physically unable to no matter how hard my mind tried. Played through it the whole week. Oddly enough the cobwebs went away after my first hit of every practice. Definitely not smart, lol.

Every time I forget something or my mood swings to angry I wonder if its just me getting older, genetics, or something worse.
Absolutely  
BlueHurricane : 2/6/2016 3:27 pm : link
I have a horrendous memory. Very sad.

Played from the time I was 5 until I was 20. Had several times where I wobbled back to the huddle only seeing about half way up and the rest being black. Good times
It may explain...  
Chris in Philly : 2/6/2016 3:31 pm : link
what fucking lunatics some of you are?
CiP  
dune69 : 2/6/2016 3:44 pm : link
at least we have an excuse. :)
Yup, definitely been on my mind  
mfsd : 2/6/2016 3:58 pm : link
Played from 7th grade through senior year in college, so for 10 years. 2 "official" concussions while playing RB in high school, and many more head shots in my day (played SS and FS in college). Played division 3, so certainly wasn't knocking heads with NFL type guys, but definitely delivered and received my share of hits

I've actually met with a doctor and a nutritional specialist who have some experience in these matters (cognitive therapy type stuff), they've essentially prescribed a very healthy lifestyle of good diet and exercise, including no alcohol or drugs of any kind.

I've never noticed any of the really obvious symptoms that are described by ex NFL players, but I'm prone to times when my mind almost feels like it's stuck in neutral for brief stretches. Thankfully, nothing that as yet has adversely affected me professionally, but it's a little scary to think what may come up later in life (I'm 41)

Like I'm sure many people who played in their youth, I'm very torn when thinking about football. On one hand, I loved every minute I ever spent on a football field, and many teammates remain my best friends in life. On the other, were I to have kids, I really couldn't say if I'd want them playing football or not.

Certainly Do  
Eli Wilson : 2/6/2016 4:04 pm : link
Played from 5th-12th.

Had many bell ringing incidents.

Since about 11th grade, if I go on any "violent" rides I get nauseous and dizzy and get a massive headache.
I never think about it.  
Clintqb17 : 2/6/2016 4:22 pm : link
I played quarterback from 5 years old through college. I never had a serious concussion so I guess that's why I don't think about it. I took a lot of hard hits throughout my career but I feel great now. My son, 8 years old is playing quarterback and I don't have a problem with him playing.
I would assume I do...  
outeiroj : 2/6/2016 4:29 pm : link
I grew up playing soccer in the Portuguese community and not only did I fall on my head during bicycle kicks but there were multiple occasions where after a header I was shaken up.

Fast forward to high school football I was an extremely violent linebacker. I knocked myself unconscious at least 3 times and continued to play in games after the use of smelling salts.

There are days where I definitely feel like I suffer from short term memory loss and it's starting to effect me at work. I'm 32 years old and honestly wonder how quickly I will start to deteriorate when I'm in my 40's
Rather than having his bell rung...  
manh george : 2/6/2016 4:30 pm : link
Chris was a bell ringer.



I had a roommate in college who was super-bright and became a physicist. He was a skinny kid who played football in high school as a wr/db, and his head was so beaten up that he went unconscious from head shots a couple of times playing rough touch in college. We didn't keep in touch, but I wonder about him.
not football but  
shabu : 2/6/2016 4:40 pm : link
I didn't play football but i played hockey until i was about 24.

I can say i know i had at least 3 concussions from that and a few from other activities.

I have not had any problems other than very frequent headaches throughout my life and I am 43 now... but who knows.
Yes - played a few years(7,9,11,12) - concussed.  
GiantsUA : 2/6/2016 6:17 pm : link
Story about how times have changed, my brother played college ball at URI. When he was in HS he was knocked out during the first half of a mid season game. Yep, you guessed it, second half he was back in there.
A close call mortar blast  
rebel yell : 2/6/2016 6:31 pm : link
in Iraq rang my bell worse than previous ski collisions, a motorcycle lay down and pond hockey dings as a kid. I had a pounding headache for days and sometimes I fly into unexplainable short but powerful rages. Yeah, definitely don't want a CAT scan.
rebel. Sorry.  
Beezer : 2/6/2016 6:45 pm : link
Thank you got serving our country.
No.  
Big Blue '56 : 2/6/2016 6:47 pm : link
.
I had many of the "white flash"type  
Rob in Rockaway : 2/6/2016 7:27 pm : link
while I was playing ball. The one that worries me more is I had a level 1 concussion from a Motorcycle accident. Totally out for 10 minutes and then could not give the Paramedics any info. Didn't know my name, where I lived, or that I had been involved in an accident.
RE: A close call mortar blast  
shabu : 2/6/2016 7:33 pm : link
In comment 12803481 rebel yell said:
Quote:
in Iraq rang my bell worse than previous ski collisions, a motorcycle lay down and pond hockey dings as a kid. I had a pounding headache for days and sometimes I fly into unexplainable short but powerful rages. Yeah, definitely don't want a CAT scan.


Sorry to hear rebel.. thank you for your service sir.
Good article on the similarities...  
manh george : 2/6/2016 8:57 pm : link
between sports-related brain trauma and war-related brain trauma. Obviously there are differences, because the former are repetitive injuries, whereas the latter may be a single event. But similarities, too.

Also notes that they are getting closer to diagnosing CTE in living patients.

Link - ( New Window )
When the short term memory loss thing happens to me  
FranknWeezer : 2/7/2016 9:06 am : link
I've always equated it with Aspartame. Never occurred to me it could've been related to bell ringers back in HS football.
I do wonder about CTE,  
Gregorio : 2/7/2016 9:06 am : link
didn't play football but had a concussion in a snowboarding accident. Memory issues and occasional headaches... is that normal aging or a symptom of CTE? I don't know.

With the linkage of CTE to football players, I am wondering, how many diagnoses of CTE would happen on non-football players? Is it common to show some signs of CTE as one ages? More needs to be learned about this.
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