Dreams are meant to be broken, right?
In July I shared with you how happy I was to be back on the path to chasing my dream of playing in the CWHL. Less than a month later I found myself sidelined by a concussion I sustained in the first game of the CBHA Ball Hockey Nationals in Saskatoon.
It's been a bumpy ride ever since, especially with the realization that I would not be able to enter the CWHL Draft as originally planned. On top of the concussion, I've been dealing with a meniscus injury in my left knee and a ligament issue in my right foot (go big or go home, eh?).
For a brief while I considered giving up ice hockey all together this season, but my sanity couldn't take that much of a blow. At the end of September I joined the Whitby Wolves Senior A team of the OWHA for their inaugural season.
This is by far the worst concussion I have sustained in my playing career. While I did not blackout and I passed the cognitive and physical evaluations of the SCAT3, I showed 20 of 22 symptoms. Two and a half months later I still deal with about 10 of the symptoms from time-to-time, very mildly, and less than a handful of the symptoms more moderately.
Ever since the hit I've noticed I have a hard time falling, and staying, asleep at night. It's rare that I can get through a day without needing a nap, or at least needing to lie down for a little bit. In general, I just don't feel "myself" and have felt slowed down and in a fog.
Other events in my personal life recently could also have me feeling like this, so sometimes I have a hard time deciphering whether that is to blame or if it truly is post-concussion related.
Fast forward to the end of October and I've finally gone back to the gym for the first time in 15 (FIFTEEN!!!) weeks. While I don't feel 100%, I have been reassured that my knee and foot are stable and can handle (and would benefit from) strength training.
I appreciate the support I've gotten from my friends, family and social media followers through this time and for those that reached out to wish me luck in the CWHL Draft. If I can manage to go an entire year injury free, I may consider entering the draft next season.
Signing off,
Bouf
In July I shared with you how happy I was to be back on the path to chasing my dream of playing in the CWHL. Less than a month later I found myself sidelined by a concussion I sustained in the first game of the CBHA Ball Hockey Nationals in Saskatoon.
It's been a bumpy ride ever since, especially with the realization that I would not be able to enter the CWHL Draft as originally planned. On top of the concussion, I've been dealing with a meniscus injury in my left knee and a ligament issue in my right foot (go big or go home, eh?).
For a brief while I considered giving up ice hockey all together this season, but my sanity couldn't take that much of a blow. At the end of September I joined the Whitby Wolves Senior A team of the OWHA for their inaugural season.
This is by far the worst concussion I have sustained in my playing career. While I did not blackout and I passed the cognitive and physical evaluations of the SCAT3, I showed 20 of 22 symptoms. Two and a half months later I still deal with about 10 of the symptoms from time-to-time, very mildly, and less than a handful of the symptoms more moderately.
Ever since the hit I've noticed I have a hard time falling, and staying, asleep at night. It's rare that I can get through a day without needing a nap, or at least needing to lie down for a little bit. In general, I just don't feel "myself" and have felt slowed down and in a fog.
Other events in my personal life recently could also have me feeling like this, so sometimes I have a hard time deciphering whether that is to blame or if it truly is post-concussion related.
Fast forward to the end of October and I've finally gone back to the gym for the first time in 15 (FIFTEEN!!!) weeks. While I don't feel 100%, I have been reassured that my knee and foot are stable and can handle (and would benefit from) strength training.
I appreciate the support I've gotten from my friends, family and social media followers through this time and for those that reached out to wish me luck in the CWHL Draft. If I can manage to go an entire year injury free, I may consider entering the draft next season.
Signing off,
Bouf