In a message dated 12/17/2002 6:10:14 PM Mountain Standard Time, NJ-MEMORIES-D-request@rootsweb.com writes: > Does a post concussion syndrome mean you did have a concussion when > the ladder hit you and it went away but you still have the pain Time for Nurse Nancy to step in. First off, we have to define "concussion," which is any blow to the head hard enough to shake things up inside the skull. Remember, the brain has good protection in there -- most of us have pretty thick skulls, and there's cerebrospinal fluid in there, too, to cushion any blows. But the brain can and does get bounced around there a bit when the head gets smacked or stops short when it had been in rapid motion. Typically, a person who gets a concussion will get knocked out for at least a few seconds, although that isn't an absolute necessity. He might only "see stars." Anyhow, what happens is that some of the cells ("neurons") in the brain, or their connections to other neurons, get damaged. What we would often see in the emergency room with patients who had been concussed would be confusion and repetitive questioning ("How did I get here? Was I in an accident? Who was driving?" over and over). The thing is, it takes those neurons some little time to heal themselves and to re-establish their connections. During that period, headaches, drowsiness, nausea, irritability and feelings of being "not quite there" are common, and that's what's called "post-concussion syndrome." OK . . . that help, or does it confuse you more? Doris (Up2Nutrix@aol.com) "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. -- Luke 2:11