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Wow, this really hits home because I have a friend who was, well, a USC linebacker and then a professional linebacker. Further, he's deeply conspiratorial and n

Wow, this really hits home because I have a friend who was, well, a USC linebacker and then a professional linebacker. Further, he's deeply conspiratorial and not in dialog with the medical system or much of mainstream anything. He's also quite forgetful in areas that are alarming for someone his age (early 30's). Anyone have ideas on how they would approach a friend or act as appropriate council to try to make sure he can continue to age appropriately? No one else in his immediate circle is really as health aware or conscious as I, so I feel like the onus falls particularly on me to try to be proactive if there are any steps that can be taken. Further, surprisingly to me, former football players are in little if any dialog with the teams they played on so I don't expect great advice to come from those organizations either.

bnjms 6y ago
Play on his conspiratorial side to convince him to engage the medical establishment. After all the NFL his info from the players. Unfortunately it’s an ugly idea. But it may work.
lotsofpulp 6y ago
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/chronic-traumatic-encephalopathy/symptoms-causes/syc-20370921 https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/chronic-traum... Seems like you can't do anything medically for your friend, but if he brought his condition to light, it would help the statistics and research, which could then help politically in preventing it from happening to other people.
- nikkwong 6y ago
  Yeah, it seems doubtful that there are any medical interventions that may help from what I have read. It just seems strange to do, well, nothing at all. It's a similarly hopeless situation to my parents who are worried about developing Alzheimer's. There's a lot of speculation on potential treatments, but nothing concrete. I'm typically proactive as possible around these types of issues, and it's sad to think that I will just have to let life run its course. I think I could even get any of these parties involved in experimental therapies, but, I yet to find one that has been hailed as potentially very promising.
  - Balgair 6y ago
    If you are interested in supporting medical studies, then I'd watch the clinical trials as they come out and consider volunteering: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/search/index https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/search/index The care you receive during a clinical trial is, of course, top notch. Speaking more anecdotally, I have a few close friends that also received a lot of brain injuries in their youth due to sports. Their progress, as you say, is spotty and individual. Personally, the ones that have made an effort to improve themselves mentally have been the most successful to any degree. When it comes to memory, saying that you just have a bad one will likely let it remain as such. Working on memory will help, if slowly or at all. Things like notepads, journaling, meeting notes, and a 'no excuses' attitude were key methods to friends that made progress. But, as you say, the brain is awfully murky and nature kinda has to take her course. Nothing is likely to stitch back together the neurons that were lost. However, the brain is awfully murky, and there seems to be nothing stopping it from rewiring the neurons that are left. Best of luck!
j4nt4b 6y ago
You should probably edit out the team names & age - I'm somewhat concerned for the privacy of your friend given how specific you're being.
- greedo 6y ago
  Probably Clay Matthews...

bnjms 6y ago

Play on his conspiratorial side to convince him to engage the medical establishment. After all the NFL his info from the players. Unfortunately it’s an ugly idea. But it may work.

lotsofpulp 6y ago

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/chronic-traumatic-encephalopathy/symptoms-causes/syc-20370921 https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/chronic-traum... Seems like you can't do anything medically for your friend, but if he brought his condition to light, it would help the statistics and research, which could then help politically in preventing it from happening to other people.

nikkwong 6y ago
Yeah, it seems doubtful that there are any medical interventions that may help from what I have read. It just seems strange to do, well, nothing at all. It's a similarly hopeless situation to my parents who are worried about developing Alzheimer's. There's a lot of speculation on potential treatments, but nothing concrete. I'm typically proactive as possible around these types of issues, and it's sad to think that I will just have to let life run its course. I think I could even get any of these parties involved in experimental therapies, but, I yet to find one that has been hailed as potentially very promising.
- Balgair 6y ago
  If you are interested in supporting medical studies, then I'd watch the clinical trials as they come out and consider volunteering: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/search/index https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/search/index The care you receive during a clinical trial is, of course, top notch. Speaking more anecdotally, I have a few close friends that also received a lot of brain injuries in their youth due to sports. Their progress, as you say, is spotty and individual. Personally, the ones that have made an effort to improve themselves mentally have been the most successful to any degree. When it comes to memory, saying that you just have a bad one will likely let it remain as such. Working on memory will help, if slowly or at all. Things like notepads, journaling, meeting notes, and a 'no excuses' attitude were key methods to friends that made progress. But, as you say, the brain is awfully murky and nature kinda has to take her course. Nothing is likely to stitch back together the neurons that were lost. However, the brain is awfully murky, and there seems to be nothing stopping it from rewiring the neurons that are left. Best of luck!

j4nt4b 6y ago

You should probably edit out the team names & age - I'm somewhat concerned for the privacy of your friend given how specific you're being.

greedo 6y ago
Probably Clay Matthews...