Saturday, March 19, 2011
Migraine is a neurological genetic disease thought to be caused by overactive neurons in our brains and genetics. Motherhood, by definition, is when a female has a child or acts as the mother of child she has not given birth to. Of course, we know there is much, much more than a definition invo...
I know how hard this choice is to make. All of our motherly instincts want to protect our sons at all costs even if it means putting them in a protective bubble and taking away something they love to do, that they are good at and have a lot of friends playing it with them. We are the only ones who can figure out if we are going to continue to ‘allow' them to play or where to draw that line for our sons knowing that every year they play they are getting bigger, older, stronger and better in their positions, but their heads are still vulnerable.
My younger son's story sounds similar to your son's story. For years he refused to play football even though he was asked every year; he preferred soccer and baseball. By the time he got into high school, he was playing football and lacrosse which he loved and there was no way to get him away from either sport. It didn't matter how much I worried about his health, he wanted to play. I didn't really have a choice. It made me feel better about him playing when I was able to go to every football game and as many lacrosse games that I could manage.
This fall will be my son's third year of college football. At this point, football is a means to his education and I really have no choice but to allow him to play and the ‘boys' are a lot bigger than they used to be. I know I don't have any choice any longer, but what makes it harder for me is that I can't make it to all of his games anymore either.
My son had a teammate during his first year on the team who was also in his position who got a serious concussion while on a faraway road trip. This concussion was bad enough that his teammate is not allowed to play ever again. So yes, the health dangers affect me because it hits the core of my worries, but then I have to trust in my son and his abilities.
Now, I listen to his games that I cannot attend and he will at least text me right after each of those games as soon as he can. This son was also lucky enough to inherit my Migraine gene which always concerns me. I don't think it's ever easy to allow them to grow up and to start to live their own lives.
Good luck with your decision and the safety of your son.
Thank you for totally understanding the situation. I can see how our stories are similar. I'm pretty sure the decision has been made for me - and he will be back on the field this fall.
It it difficult knowing that our children may be at risk for future health issues due to playing sports they love. This is where education and technology - and oh yes, ignorance come in to play!!
Thanks for reading,
Nancy