Young equestrian gets back in the saddle after head injury

Back in the Saddle

It was a November day like any other as 16-year-old Cassandra Good and her friend rode horses in the field near her family′s barn. Having trained for more than a decade in dressage, cross-country and show jumping, Cassandra rode the mare with the confidence of a skilled equestrian. But then something went wrong. Without warning, the horse lunged, hurling Cassandra to the ground.

“She bolted forward, jumped in the air and turned sideways and landed, and I flew off the side of her,” recalls Cassandra. “Something freaked her out.”

Cassandra landed on her back, hitting her head on the sandy ground. Her friend captured the skittish horse, and Cassandra, undaunted, climbed back in the saddle and resumed riding. It wasn’t until later, after she had settled the horse back in the barn and returned home, that Cassandra had a severe headache and felt exhausted.

The next day, as Cassandra navigated her busy morning schedule at school, she felt overwhelmed by the bustling environment.

“Everything was bothering me, the lights, the noises; everything was giving me a headache,” she recalls.

The teen called her dad who rushed her to Inova Emergency Room – Leesburg, a full-service Emergency Department staffed by board-certified emergency physicians and healthcare professionals who provide state-of-the-art emergency care 24 hours a day, seven days a week. After a thorough evaluation, Cassandra was diagnosed with a concussion: the jostling of the brain after a sudden impact.

“Our team is highly qualified to evaluate concussion,” says emergency physician Dennis Bernier, DO, MPH, FACEP, who treated Cassandra. “If a patient exhibits signs and symptoms of a concussion and they’ve been ruled out for serious head injury, then we have access to Inova Concussion Clinics where they will receive further guidance.”

Time to Heal

Cassandra was referred to the Concussion Clinic at Inova Loudoun Hospital dedicated to providing diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation for people of all ages who have experienced a mild traumatic brain injury. The multidisciplinary program, staffed by specialty trained medical providers, physical therapists, exercise physiologists, registered dietitians and cognitive specialists, guides and supports patients and their families through the healing process and offers community education for concussion prevention and recovery.

While a concussion usually heals on its own, getting the right help and allowing time for healing before returning to normal activities can have a tremendous impact on a patient’s outcome.

“We do a large amount of education on the recovery process and returning to school and play,” says Jen Baez, a nurse practitioner at the clinic who treated Cassandra. “We also follow patients’ care very carefully to make sure they are progressing with school and getting back to their normal life as soon as possible, but in a safe manner.”

Cassandra was evaluated by a physical therapist who tested her balance and her ocular motor skills. Then she was seen by Baez who performed a neurological exam and prepared her for her return to activities. She was prescribed high-protein snacks every few hours, hydration, a very strict sleep schedule and breaks during the day.

“I just love the education part of it. They explained everything really well so we knew what was going on,” says Jeff Good, Cassandra’s father, adding that because of her excellent follow-up care at Inova Concussion Clinic, “Cassandra definitely recovered faster than she would have otherwise.”

Within less than a month, she was cleared to return to riding.

“Cassandra did remarkably well,” says Baez. “She recovered in a three-to four-week period which is when 80 to 90 percent of kids get back to ‘normal.’ She did not need any outside referrals, and she did not have any long-term headaches, sleep issues or depression, which can be seen in a small percentage of patients afterwards.”

In Her Stride

Now, back in training, Cassandra enjoys riding her horse, Lucky. At first, she was a little nervous because she didn’t want to fall and hurt herself again, but she’s back in full swing.

“I don’t have any more symptoms or anything, and I’m doing what I was doing before,” says Cassandra. For a teen who is passionate about everything equestrian, she couldn’t have had a better outcome.

HEADS UP

For more information about concussion, including signs and symptoms, and Inova Loudoun Hospital’s Concussion Clinic, visit www.inova.org/concussion.

WHEN EMERGENCY STRIKES

For a list of Inova Loudoun Hospital Emergency Rooms and Urgent Care Centers, visit www.inova.org/ilhemergency.

Kids Welcome

The Inova Loudoun Hospital Children’s Emergency Room is a kid-friendly facility staffed by pediatric emergency physicians and emergency nurses certified in pediatric advanced life support and pediatric emergency medicine.

“The Children’s Emergency Room is a fantastic resource for the community,” says Dr. Bernier. “To have specific pediatric-trained physicians available to see patients, from newborn to 21 years old, with emergency complaints, is a true asset.”

The Children’s Emergency Room offers a kid-friendly atmosphere featuring an indoor playground, iPads, slushies, family videos, games, books and toys. Child Life specialists are available to help patients and their families feel more comfortable and to explain things on a child’s level.

“Child Life specialists are there to improve the patient experience, comfort the children and to be a liaison with the parents,” says Dr. Bernier.

1 Comment

  1. HorseWeb on March 23, 2021 at 1:00 pm

    Such stories are very inspiring! Very brave people. Endless respect for them.

Leave a Comment