The Concussion

As someone who once believed that all wrestling was fake, I was quick to learn just how real wrestling was when my training started. When I started training, I was just thrown into the ring. Everything the boys did, I was to do as well. If I didn't know how to do it, then I asked questions so I could be taught. One thing that I did struggle with were back bumps. Those I absolutely hated but back bumps are crucial in the wrestling world. I would go home from practice and throw some couch cushions on the floor and practice the bumping. No matter how much I practiced, I just could not seem to tuck my head/chin. Because of this, every single time I'd go to back bump, my head would hit the floor.

It was probably two weeks into my training when one of the veteran wrestlers took over practice for the day. One of the things we had to do that day was back bumping along the ropes. We would all line up along the rope and he'd count to three and we'd drop. After we'd drop, then we'd rotate to our right and listen for the "three" to drop again. On one of those back bumps, I knew I did something completely wrong because as soon as my head hit the ring, I had an instant headache and was dizzy as a motherfucker. Naturally, you'd think to speak up and sit out but I didn't. I kept going because I didn't want to look like a wimp. I knew I had to rest though but I was so intimidated by the wrestler that was leading practice that day that I just kept quiet.

I am easily intimidated by people but this time it was different. He reminded me of one of my exes that I had recently ended things with about a year earlier. When he had on his sunglasses when he'd come out to the ring, he was a spitting image of my ex. This ex and I didn't have the best relationship as he was constantly cheating, lying and was verbally abusive towards the end of it. He was always calling me a "slut", "bitch", "whore" and so many other expletives. We would be out at places and he'd be so damn rude to me that he'd make me cry and his friends just let it happen. I mean, they weren't my friends. They were his so, of course, they would have his back but still. So seeing this wrestler brought back all of those terrible memories and I just didn't want to get on this guy's bad side either. Still, that shouldn't have stopped me.

After practice, I had a show to go to in Lafayette, IN. Every single bump in the road or movement that my neck and head made hurt so bad. My head was throbbing the entire time but I just kept taking naproxen and tylenol to try and dull the pain but it just wasn't happening. Even the Fireball and Sprites I had at the show didn't help the pain. I was nauseous and just overall did not feel good. We knew then that a concussion was probably what I was experiencing. As someone who suffers migraines horribly, my neurologist is actually on speed dial so first thing Monday morning, I gave him a call and set up an appointment. I knew that I shouldn't practice while I waited for the appointment, but I still went and just avoided bumps and anything else that would shake my head too much.

At the appointment, I had to explain what back bumping was to my neurologist as he was a Chinese man and didn't really know what any of that was. After me explaining everything, he ordered a MRI on my brain and prescribed me some medication that helps with concussions. Surprisingly, it was one that I was already prescribed as a migraine preventative so I was already familiar with it. He ordered me to not practice until we got my MRI results. It was probably a break of a month and a half of not being able to practice and it was torture for me. I'd go to work and then head to the arena and watch everybody else practice while I had to sit out. It was awful.

The concussion wasn't the only injury that happened while I trained but it was just the beginning. It brought my neck issues that I didn't realize was truly as bad as it was to light.