An interesting episode of A Gifted Man on CBS from a couple of weeks ago, “In Case of Memory Loss”, deals with the subject of CTE, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, a sad progressive degenerative disease most common in professional contact sport athletes who sustain concussion or head injury after concussion or head injury.  The episode is about an NFL player who has no idea who he is, lost, confused, damaged.  Nothing shows up on the MRI, and the tech says, “Since when is a normal MRI mean bad news?”

One of the most scary things about CTE, like many head injuries, they do not appear on scans or MRIs.  The scariest thing about CTE is that it can appear months after repeated injury. . . .   or decades later.  You’re fine, you’re fine, you’re fine . . .  then you’re not fine.  And you will never again be fine.

Right now the only physical proof that one suffer(ed) from CTE is autopsy.  There is a  movement in the professional sport world where athletes are donating their brains to science.  Upon their death, many of those suspected to have CTE are turning over their brains in hopes that we will one day better understand it.

I would like to know what it will take to better respect and fear it.

American football players, hockey players, boxers and even professional wrestlers sustain head injuries and get right back out there and play, putting themselves at further risk.  With every head injury your risk for further injury increases.  But they do not care.  They can work with a head injury.  Hell, they would rather have their heads bashed than their knees blown.  Because they know they wouldn’t be able to work afterward, and their lifestyle for their families would disappear.   I much prefer having my brain in one piece than my knees to be honest.

Yes, they do take the one or two weeks off to prevent Second Impact Syndrome, which can be fatal.  This is where the first concussion has not healed before receiving a second, causing the brain to massively swell.  But the risk to one’s cognitive facilities do not magically end at two weeks.    They are at risk for life.

There has been much news lately about Pittsburgh Steeler Troy Polamalu who has sustained multiple head injuries during his career.  He and his wife have been told the severe long-term risks of his continued playing.  He was actually fined $10,000 last month after calling his wife on the sidelines during a game to assure her he was alright after taking another hit to the head.  Yeah, he’s alright . . .  for now.

I find it ironic that the Pittsburgh Steelers are having so much news lately of head injuries.  In ’09 there was lots of buzz about their star quarterback receiving his third concussion at that time.  Hines Ward suffered a concussion late in the season last year.  And this year fans hold their breath hoping Polamalu is ok. . .    The irony comes from and interview one of their own, LB James Harrison, did a year ago for Showtime.  One I have brought up before.    In this interview he states he’s okay with the idea of being a blubbering vegetable later in life, as long as he was able to work long enough and make enough money so his kids are ok.  WHAT?!!

“And though the league’s intention is to curb head injuries and the devastating consequences they can have, the potential trade-off of suffering a degenerative mental condition later in life is worth it to Harrison.

‘To be honest with you, I’m not too concerned with it,’ he said. ‘If that happens, you know, it’s gonna suck. But hopefully I’ll (have) made enough money and put in enough time that my kids don’t have to worry about it. And if I got to go through a little bit of hell so that they don’t have to, I’m fine with it.’ ”

SHAME ON HIM.  Shame on all of them . . .

You can read more here. 

All I can think is 1)  he is talking about and accepting a hell he does not understand,   and 2) his seemingly selfless mindset is entirely backwards.  A decade or two from now, I am sure his children would rather have their father, than money in the bank.  If the money is still in the bank.

What’s the big deal?  you ask . . .    CTE and the hell it brings.  That’s the big deal.  Dementia, Memory Loss, and not the where did I put my keys kind, depression, aggression, and the complete alteration of the person.  What is so sad is we spend billions of dollars trying to figure out cures for diseases like Alzheimer’s . . .   while diseases like CTE are PREVENTABLE.

Knowledge in the world of head injuries is growing dramatically.  So is awareness.  But acceptance as a real and formidable and dangerous life altering injury . . .we are far from it.   Back to the Steelers again, Roethlisberger has gone on record stating he believes a lot of players go to great lengths to hide their head injuries.  They don’t want to be taken out of the game.   Attitudes like that, and like Harrison’s, what does that teach the millions of kids that idolize these sports heroes?

A half million sports related head injuries are reported in US hospital emergency rooms annually.  70% of football related deaths are due to head injury.  Highschool football accounts for the majority of all football head injury related deaths.  This isn’t just concern for national football “heroes”. 

One of the scariest pieces of information I wish to share with you is about a 21 year old junior lineman at the University of Pennsylvania that committed suicide in 2010.  His name was Owen Thomas.  Owen was the youngest person to be found with CTE, and only the second non-professional.  Don;t thinking they’ve been doing much looking there . . .     The medical experts believe his suicide was directly related to the CTE.  The saddest part of this all is that Owen never missed any play time due to concussion.  Never any record of one.  They believe he played through concussions and potentially suffered thousands of sub-concussive impacts to the brain.  at 21.

You have never heard of Owen Thomas.  So he  might not be of any interest to you . . .    But you might know names like Lou Creekmur, Chris Henry, John Grinsley, Tom McHale and for my Chicago friends, Dave Duerson, all post mortem diagnosed with CTE.  For NHL fans you might recognize the names of Reggie Fleming or Bob Probert. 

One of the most famous deaths of recent years in the sports world, Chris Benoit, a WWE professional wrestler, who killed his wife and his son before committing suicide in 2007, was also diagnose with CTE upon autopsy.  I am sure his son was really glad his daddy had made a lot of money during his sports career, too!

My apologies for the bad attitude.  I might be a tad biased being thrust into the world of brain injury by no control of my own.  And I do admit the NFL is trying to change regulation to protect their players, tightening down on helmet to helmet contact.  But the players and the fans need to take it seriously, too.  The way I see it, this issue should be a game changer. Literally.

I give a lot of props to John Mackey’s wife who is still advocating for awareness and change inside the NFL.  John Mackey died after battling with dementia for ten years.  He died at 69.  They founded a program called the “88 plan” which provides help for former players with their nursing home or adult care bills.  For a lot of former players, when they need it the most . . .  the money’s gone.

But more needs to be done, not just for the guys that are now living through that terrible hell. . .   But for those that could be preventing it.  But I somehow have little faith in a $5 billion dollar industry, such as the NFL, making much change.

But you parents out there . . . your awareness, and your kids’ awareness on the subject could be life saving.  Teach them to respect their bodies, the importance of them being sound for their entire lives, teach them there is more to life than the game.  Teach them the courageous thing is not to get up and keep playing, to push on, but to live long.  You can make a difference in this young generation.  I don’t think any parent wants to have the next Owen Thomas in their future.

Peace, Health, and Wisdom be with you.