This is a sponsored post in partnership with The Motherhood on behalf of UPMC. I have been compensated by UPMC as part of this campaign.
It is every parent’s nightmare. What was supposed to have been a day of running errands with the boys back in August of 2016 ended up in an emergency ambulance ride to Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC.
It all started innocently enough. We were running errands and decided to grab some lunch in the cafe of one of the stores we were visiting. To this day, I am not even sure exactly how it happened, but my younger son (UPMC patient) tried to climb off the bench, got his feet tangled, and fell headfirst onto the concrete floor, hitting his forehead.
Of course, he cried for a little bit but then he calmed down. Looking back, he was almost too calm afterwards. I thought he was just shaken up which was why he wasn’t quite himself. We went on with our shopping at another stop. That’s when I noticed that he was having trouble staying awake and suddenly he threw up. I rushed him to the car with the purpose of taking him to the hospital. That’s when he lost consciousness and I had to call 911.
We were in the parking lot of the store when the paramedics and the fire department showed up. Even the paramedics were having trouble getting my son to regain consciousness and they were ready to call the helicopter. Thankfully, shortly after he woke up and started to cry. We still had to rush him to the hospital by ambulance, however.
We were transported to Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC and I am very glad we went there — particularly since the hospital has access to UPMC’s leading specialists in the evaluation, treatment, and research of concussions. My son didn’t throw up or lose consciousness again which meant that after a period of observation we were able to go home, thankfully.
I am so thankful to UPMC and their treatments when it comes to concussions. Concussions are complex injuries, and no two concussions are alike. Even the symptoms may vary from person to person. This is why UPMC has developed customized treatment programs.
It is important to know the signs and symptoms of a possible concussion so that you know to seek treatment. For me, I didn’t even realize that my son could have been experiencing a concussion until he started to lose consciousness. Thankfully, researchers at the UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program have identified six primary clinical profiles, or trajectories, that a concussion may take. It is important to familiarize yourself with these so that you know to seek treatment.
What is important is that concussions are treatable, and they don’t need to be feared when it isn’t warranted. In the right hands, concussions are a treatable injury and not something that causes you to retreat into a dark room. However, if a concussion isn’t treated properly and completely, having a history of concussion may make you vulnerable to reinjury.
There is no way to prevent a concussion, whether it be in playing sports or through a freak accident such as the one that my son experienced, which is why it is important to seek appropriate treatment when a concussion does occur.
To find out more about UPMC’s evidence-based rehabilitation therapies and multidisciplinary treatment plans, visit ReThinkConcussions.com.
