I had the distinct pleasure to slip at my previous job and hit my head on a heavy metal shelf. Seeing stars was not the only experience I had. I was at first disoriented and dizzy, which soon passed as I immediately resumed my position at work -I still had to complete the remaining hour of my shift.

   In the following days, I suffered from severe migraines and an extreme excess of sleep. I would sleep 15 hours during the night and 3 to 4 hours in between eating to decrease the pain of the headaches. I was “cocooned” as the medical world calls it.

   Cocoon Therapy is the modern prescription for moderate to severe concussions. Its development was spearheaded by many sports medicine doctors and neurologists who sought a holistic remedy for their concussed athletes. The majority of the repair to the brain is done during REM sleep, so the patient is required to stay enclosed in a darkened room with no visible or artificial light. The patient is restricted from any activity that may make neurons fire rapidly, including reading and writing, physical activity or exposure to bright screens such as a computer or telephone.

   I was indifferent to cocoon therapy at the beginning because I spent the majority of my time sleeping. For the initial three days, I was confined to my bedroom with the door shut and the blinds drawn. I was only allowed to leave to eat.

  After the first recovery period, I was able to slightly loosen therapy to include human contact; dinner with my family, for example (under dim lights of course) and listening to the TV (but not watching it). Contact with my family and friends who visited me seemed to make my symptoms decrease after an hour or two.

   Being concussed helped me understand the severity of damage that could have occurred had I not listened to the doctors. It was hard to tell at first what was wrong, but easier for my body to tell me that something was not quite right.

   In hitting the back of my head, I also damaged the part of my brain responsible for both long and short term memory, which was the largest obstacle I had to overcome in my recovery. I had difficulty remembering French, which I was studying at the time. AP Statistics was also a challenge for me when I came back to school because the math became increasingly more difficult and the formulas were even more difficult to remember.

  I am happy to know that my teachers and peers were supportive while I was out of school and also that they continued to help and support me as I transitioned back into school four weeks after my concussion.

   Every athlete and student should understand the warning signs of a concussion. Intense migraines and excessive sleep are only two of a myriad of symptoms.

   If you hit your head, be sure to have a cognitive test done by the school trainer or nurse.  Even the slightest concussion can cause issues with school or sports. Speak up and be sure to tell your coach or parents if you hit your head. This can not only decrease the symptoms of the concussion, but can also shorten the amount of time you are restricted from sports and how soon you can return to play.