CentraState - Healthy Directions

6 Summer 2014 Healthy Directions I n May 2011, during the week of final examinations in her junior year at Catholic University in Washington, DC, Kristen Connors was in a rollover car accident. As a result, she experienced a brief period of loss of consciousness at the scene. "I remember my car being hit on the driver's side and the next thing I remember was being pulled onto a CT scan table at a trauma center," Kristen recalls. While in the emergency room, as the doctor assessed her, Kristen felt very foggy and was unable to focus. "He kept saying different letters and numbers and a few minutes later would ask me to repeat them. I remember feeling very frustrated because I couldn't remember which letters or numbers he had told me earlier," she says. "It was evident that I had a concussion." After two days in the hospital, Kristen resumed her normal life, despite the hesitation of her parents. She was determined to complete her final exams, however, Kristen still found that she was in a fog and wasn't able to concentrate on her studies. She also experienced a severe, constant headache. "At this point it became obvious I would not be able to adequately prepare for my exams," she says. After arranging with her professors to defer her exams, Kristen returned to her family in Jackson to seek treatment at CentraState for her worsening symptoms. Upon completion of a thorough evaluation, it was determined that she needed cognitive therapy. "When Kristen came in for her evaluation, it was clear to me that she was a very intelligent and articulate young lady, but she also expressed some concerns Don't Take Concussions Lightly After recovering from a concussion, Kristen Connors now works as a nurse in the Emergency Department at CentraState.

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