As promised, we will continue to update Tony’s recovery from a concussion suffered in his team’s final game of the 2022-2023 CYO basketball season. We had an appointment on Thursday with a sports medicine doctor who specializes in concussions.

Dr. Eric Requa is a sports medicine doctor based out of Medford’s Virtua sports medicine office. It was refreshing to go to a doctor’s appointment and not feel rushed out of the office, have every single question answered in detail, and be shown compassion.

Dr. Requa put Tony through a litany of tests to get a better understanding of how his balance has been impacted by the concussion. He made Tony stand up, extend his arms in different ways, and close his eyes. Once Tony’s eyes were closed he became very unsteady, so much so that Dr. Requa twice had to grab him by the shoulders and ensure Tony that he would not fall.

Dr. Requa explained to us that Tony is struggling with light sensitivity, dizziness, and balance issues because of where he suffered the injury. When Tony collided with his teammate the backs of their heads hit each other. Light sensitivity and balance are handled by the area in the back of the brain. Dr. Requa also noted that the brain is fighting with itself following the collision, causing the headaches Tony has been suffering from since the Tuesday following the game.

As much as I’ve read about concussions over the past month-plus and written about them in my career, it never dawned on me that concussions are caused more so by the movement of the head and not the actual impact to the head. It is the way the neck snaps the head back and forth during the collision, which is why whiplash is such a serious injury in car accidents.

After these tests and a lengthy discussion between myself, Dr. Requa, and Tony, it was recommended that Tony undergo physical therapy for at least one month. Dr. Requa informed us that it would take at least one month of physical therapy for Tony to see an improvement with his balance and reduced dizziness. He also said that once these issues are resolved, Tony should finally see an improvement with his daily headaches.

At this time he said there is no need for any imaging tests (CT scans or MRIs), but has not ruled them out completely. Dr. Requa was thorough, informative, and made Tony feel at ease throughout the appointment. He joked with Tony and did his best to make it a stress-free visit. We see him again in the middle of April.

Tony’s first physical therapy appointment will be this coming Thursday. He will go through an initial evaluation with the physical therapist, do some exercises in the office, and be given a home-care plan for in between visits.

Dr. Requa recommended Tony not return to school for at least 11 days, so we decided he will not go back until after Easter break. Dr. Requa wants Tony to remain home in as quiet of an environment as possible, avoid reading (to start), avoid doing any homework or projects, and rest his mind.

Tony hasn’t used his devices (iPad/Switch) since before he suffered the concussion because he gave them up for Lent. He understands that once Lent is over he still won’t be using those devices for quite some time.

In order to keep busy and avoid as much boredom as possible he has been listening to podcasts about the Civil War, one of his favorite United States history subjects. He has kept the volume low so as not to disrupt his headache. He has been wearing ice masks intermittently, sleeping in the coldest room of the house, and avoiding sunlight and other bright lights at all costs.

When not listening to podcasts, Tony has been coloring, painting, and working on puzzles, all of which the doctors have said are good for stimulation in small amounts.

Concussions are serious injuries that should be treated with a lot of rest at the onset. Unfortunately, we sent Tony to school after he first suffered the injury, possibly delaying his ability to recover at a quicker rate than he has been to date. We have adjusted and he now understands that he needs to be as inactive as possible, even on nice days while sitting at home. Once his sensitivity to sunlight subsides he can eventually sit outside to get some fresh air, albeit with a hat and sunglasses on to be safe.

This was part two of a multi-part series detailing Tony’s recovery from a concussion. I am writing these stories in the hopes that other parents who have never experienced a concussion know what to expect should their child suffer such an injury. Previous stories about Tony’s concussion include the following:

• On the Road to Recovery: A Child’s Story of Fighting Concussion Symptoms
• Dealing With a Child’s Concussion