3 Londoners tell their concussion stories

Jared Zaifman

Occupation:City councillor

How it happened: "I was on vacation in Austin, Texas," he said. "One night I was coming home after dinner and got into the taxi a little too quickly. I just jumped into the car because it was raining, I was trying to avoid a puddle and smacked my head on the metal frame of the door."

First realization something was wrong: "Woke up the next morning feeling naseaus, unstable, I couldn't really get my balance," he said. "About three hours later I was trying to drive on the highway and I had to give the wheel up because I just couldn't stay awake anymore."

Recovery time:Five months off work, he still hasn't returned full-time.

Jared Zaifman

7 years ago

Duration 1:14

Jared Zaifman talks about how a concussion has affected his life.

Erin Schned

Occupation: Teacher

How it happened: "I was in a car accident," she said. "I was fully stopped at a set of lights and somebody rear-endedme."

First realization something was wrong: "The next day when I was driving into work. Every bump I went over I got a pretty severe pain in my head. I got to work and I had to have a colleague help me. I wasn't even functioning at work. Luckily I have colleagues and staff who identified it pretty quickly," she said. "I was off work from then."

Recovery time: Seven months off work, shestill experiences concussion symptoms two and a half years later.

Erin Schned

7 years ago

Duration 1:01

Erin Schned tells us how a concussion has affected her life.

Chris Mackie

Occupation:Medical officer of health, Middlesex-London Health Unit

How it happened: "My first concussion happened eight or nine years ago, I was playing sports," he said. "Ultimate Frisbee, I got taken out at the legs, came down on the back of my head." Mackie said his symptoms lasted a couple months after that, but didn't experience any problems until he got another bump on the head earlier this year. "Just this January I was playing squash," he said. "I took a dive and saw some stars after that, didn't make much of it."

First realization something was wrong:Mackie said he didn't know he had a concussion until he went to BolerMountain to ski later that evening. "For no good reason I ended up running inski boots, which was really jarring at the time and then that evening I was just completely deflated, justlike my first concussion."

Recovery time: Off for fivemonths, still only works part-time.

Chris Mackie

7 years ago

Duration 0:36

Chris Mackie talks about how his second concussion has affected his life.