As presented by retired football player George Visger at the Second Annual Independent Football Veterans Conference held April 20 -22 2012 in Las Vegas at the South Point Resort.
4. Traumatic Brain Injuries
âA Traumatic Brain Injury is like
throwing a rock in a pond. The ripple
effect as to the number of people
affected is huge.â
George Visger
1986
Workers Compensation Hearing
5. TBI â Traumatic Brain Injury
⢠Mild if loss of consciousness and/or
confusion and disorientation is less
than 30 minutes.
⢠âDonât worry, youâre only
mildlybrain damagedâ
⢠15% have symptoms > 1 year
⢠Post concussive syndrome
6. Symptoms Of TBI
Post Concussive Syndrome
⢠Fatigue ââ(â)
⢠Headachesââ(â)
⢠Visual disturbances â sensitivity to
lightââ(â)
⢠Memory lossââââ(âââââââââ)
⢠Poor attention/concentrationâââ(ââ)
⢠Sleep disturbancesâââ(âââââ)
⢠Irritability-emotional
disturbancesâ(âââââ)
⢠Seizuresââ
⢠Loss of motivationâ
7. Hydrocephalus Symptoms
⢠1981 â August
⢠Major headaches, projectile
vomitingpartial loss of visionandhearing
nightly
⢠Diagnosed as high blood pressure by
team doctor âdiuretics for 17 days
⢠September - Focal point paralysis of right
arm, diagnosed with brain hemorrhage
in locker room, emergency brain surgery
8.
9. Coma/Seizure/Brain Surgery History
⢠1981 â September. Hydrocephalus â first
brain surgery during Super Bowl season.
⢠1982 â May. Arrested 3Xs since first
surgery, all after drinking a few beers.
⢠1982 â May. Second & third brain
surgeries 10 hrs apart. Given last rites &
hospital bills. Gran mal seizures, coma
and placed on Dilantin.
⢠1982 â May. Tested for brain seizures
from alcohol. Major seizures after two
beers but functioning fine. Quit drinking.
10. Coma/Seizure/Brain Surgery History
⢠Battled creditors till 1986 for payment of
2nd& 3rd brain surgeries.
⢠1985 â Two additional knee surgeries
⢠1986 â Won Work Comp case & returned
to school to complete my biology degree.
⢠1986 â 1987 - Four brain surgeries, and
two gran mal seizuresin10 - month period
⢠1987 - 55 minute gran-mal seizure in
Organic Chemistry 2 days post brain
surgery # 6. Developed dyslexia.
11. Coma/Seizure/Brain Surgery History
(and other maladies)
⢠1990 â December. Headache Clinic for
headaches, lack of memory, increasing
irritability and short tempered.
⢠1990 â May. Completed Biology degree
⢠1991 â December- VP shunt surgery # 8
⢠1993 - December â Major headaches,
Headache clinic
12. Coma/Seizure/Brain Surgery History
(and other maladies)
⢠1995 - Major headaches neck pain. CT scan
.
⢠1998 â December. Gran mal seizure at
work. Began taking 150 mg
Phenobarbital/day. Shunt-o-gram. Radio
isotope shot into spinal cord instead of
shunt (nice shot Doc.)
⢠1998 â December 18. Shunt-o-gram radio
⢠1998 â December 21. Shunt-o-gram radio
isotope, examined for possible shunt
infection
⢠(What is the relationship of December?)
13. Coma/Seizure/Brain Surgery History
(and other maladies)
⢠2000 - Dr. Vijayan anger management issues
⢠2004 â Continuing on Phenobarb, memory
issues more noticeable.
⢠2005 â October. Right arm clumsy & numb,
top right foot numb. Arm numbness went
away but numbness in foot remains.
⢠2006 â April. Back pain, irritability and
anger management issues, numbness right
foot, memory problems.
14. Prescription/Supplement History
⢠1982 - 1993 Dilantin for seizures â short term memory loss
⢠1993 â 1998 Stopped taking Dilantin due to side effects
⢠1998 Major seizure. Placed on Depacote â esophageal ulcers
⢠2003 Phenobarbital - lethargic
⢠2006 Kepra âshort term memory issues (Lexapro for memory)
⢠2007 Zonegram â short term memory issues (Lexapro)
⢠2009 Lamictil â minimal side effects, Ambien for insomnia,
(Lexapro)
⢠2009 12 â 18 gm/day of Dr. Sears Omega 3 fish oils, and
SeaHealth Plus antioxidants. BeganHBOT treatments
⢠2010 Resperdal, Lexapro, Aricept and Namenda for memory,
Lamictil for seizures, Ambien for sleep. Disoriented, lost,
vomiting 4-5X/day, dizzy. Told to get my finances in order
⢠2011 Quit all drugs except Lamictil. Suddenly can think again.
15. Treatments/Test Results
⢠2008 â April 1. MRI of cervical spine. Degeneration of
discs at C-3, 4, 5 & 6
⢠2009 â July. Anger management issues, referred to
Amen Clinic (fought Workers Comp until October to be
seen)
⢠2009 â October. Began Dr. Sears Omega 3âs and
SeaHealth plus antioxidants to reduce inflammation
⢠2009 â October. Three-day neurological eval Dr. Amenâs.
Micro-cog memory test = 56, SPECT = major damage to a
number of areas, early stages of CTE, rated me 80%
disabled. Recommended Hyperbaric Oxygen treatments
and Omega 3s.
16. Treatments/Test Results
⢠2009 â October. Dr Amen #1 (3 day).
Microcog test= 57
⢠2009 â November. Began Hyperbaric Oxygen
Treatment (HBOT) 1 hr/day @ 1.5 atm
⢠2010 â July. Dr Amen # 2 after 40th HBOT.
Micro-cog test # 2 score 56 (no sleep).
⢠2011 â January. Dr Amen # 3 after 80 HBOTs.
Micro-cog test # 3 = 59
⢠2011 â Sept. Dr Amen # 4 after 90 HBOTs.
Micro-cog test # 4 = 64 (14% increase in memory)
17. Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment
(HBOT) Benefits
⢠Improves cellular metabolism
⢠Increases ATP production
⢠Reactivates mitochondria
⢠Stops apoptosis (programmed cell
death)
⢠Reactivates neurogenesis in neural
stem and progenitor cells.
⢠Validated by SPECT scan, performance
tests and behavior reports.
18. Hyperbaric Oxygen
Treatment Benefits
⢠Acute and chronic stages.
⢠Acute (1 to 6 hours post-incident),
ameliorates inflammatory response
and reprofusion.
⢠Prevents edema (swelling).
⢠Promotes new neuron growth
⢠Repairs damaged cells
19. HBOT Benefits
⢠Short-term 1 - 15 treatments
⢠Reawakens stunned cells â reduces free
radicals, reactivation of mitochondria
⢠Stops cell death (apoptosis) and long-term
atrophy
⢠Growth of new neurons (neurogenesis) and
dendritic sprouting
⢠IMPACT measures improve: short-term
memory, executive function, response time.
⢠SPECT shows apparent normalization of brain
function
20. HBOT Benefits
⢠Long-term, usually up to 80 treatments over a
period of 6 months.
⢠Stem cell mobilization up to 800%.
⢠Continued mitochondria repopulation, dendritic
sprouting and neuronal cell increase.
⢠Permanent improvement in brain activity
validated by functional imaging (SPECT scans)
⢠Permanent behavioral changes in memory,
executive and motor functions
21. Coping Mechanisms
⢠Notebooks â write down everything
⢠Post-Its
⢠Beeper on computer (2 wks, 1 wk,
5,4,3,2,1 day, 4,3,2,1 hr, 30,15,5
minutes prior to appointment)
⢠Beeper on my phone
⢠Donât be shy - let people know you have
a memory deficit.
22. Coping Mechanisms
⢠Bring spouse or other w/
questions.
⢠Draft questions day before Drs
appt.
⢠Dyslexia. Double, triple check your
work. Step away&clear your mind
for a few minutes/hrs before
checking again.
⢠Can be triggered by standard 60 Hz
electrical.
23. Coping Mechanisms
⢠Work Comp. CA allows filing even if not a CA
team.
⢠Vocational Rehab.
⢠Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatments (first time I
have improved in decades). Have your doctor
write a prescription.
⢠Omega 3 fish oils (DHA and EPA acids). Dr.
Barry Sears Omega 3s. Purified.
⢠Anti oxidants to reduce inflammation. Dr. Sears
SeaHealth Plus.
24. Coping Mechanisms
⢠Neuro-plasticity â can grow new
neurons = neurogenesis.
⢠If right handed, eat with left hand
⢠Kids memory games.
⢠Read
⢠Work your brain like your muscles.
25. George Visger
E-book
⢠OUT OF MY HEAD: My Life In and Out of
Football is available on Amazon Kindle
for $2.99 at this link:
http://amzn.to/znZuiL.
⢠Can order a plain PDF file of the e-book
by sending $2.99 via PayPal to
paypal@muchnick.net