Nothing could have helped me avoid a brain injury; but this process would help a lot of athletes avoid them, and avoid the kinds of struggles that come along with them.
There’s an unfortunate misconception out there that the brain has the miraculous ability to “rewire” itself and overcome even severe injuries. The truth, which I am living every day, is that the brain can compensate to a point, and no farther. You will experience permanent changes or even deficits, if two years’ experience is to be believed.
My brain injury was (I suppose?) relatively minor; rather than being hit by a car or being injured by an IED, my injury was given to me by abundantly skilled surgeons in the service of taking out a brain tumour. But it was a brain injury nonetheless, and two years on the effects have become a constant presence in my life. Fatigue, confusion, holding onto a thought, multitasking, difficulty making new memories or remembering to do things, difficulty thinking of the right word, difficulty remembering people’s names (such as co-workers I’ve known for years), and a decrease in my writing abilities are just some examples.
If my experience is permanent and universal, it tells me that brain injuries change a person forever. And that is a really big deal. In my opinion, there’s no activity in the world that would be worth performing where there is a significant risk of head injury.
Philip Broderick Willis 