I translated the interview, of course Mia29 if you want to add things, feel free
"Gabriella Papadakis, ice dancing world champion, victim of a fall on her head during practice in the end of August, suffers cerebral dysfunction that delay her season debut. Victim of a concussion, Guillaume Cizeron's partner said she started a work with a neurologist to "rehabilitate" her brain.
The pair should be starting their season the soonest in the TEB in Bordeaux.
Q: How do you feel ?
A: I feel better, a lot better, but I'm still quite weak. I'm tired quickly, and when I'm tired, my symptoms come back: loss of balance, memory and focusing problems.
Q: Did you immediatly realized the consequences of this fall?
A: After falling, I stepped out the ice, and half an hour later, I said "Fine, I'm a bit tired, but I can skate again." My coaches answered "You fell on your head, you go back home." During the day, I was really tired. I went out to buy food, and I realized I wasn't fine at all. It went worse with the days. It's only 3 days later that I said myself I had to go to the hospital.
Q: What was the diagnosis ?
A: Quite a few functions of my brain where damaged. I have to do a brain "rehabilitation". It's quite an uncouscious work. During the sessions, I have the feeling of doing nothing, of staying in front of a TV during an hour. In fact, it's extremely demanding, I get up hardly and I have to wait 20 minutes to be able to walk. I feel like a vegetable during hours later. It's very demanding, the brain works tremendously.
Q: What did you do the days following the fall ?
A: During two weeks and a half, I did absolutely nothing. Nothing! Really nothing! I didn't know it was actually possible to do nothing like this. I live alone, I was supposed not to read, not to watch any screen. I still tried to read a book, but I wasn't able at all. Sometimes I opened the computer, to spend time, but after 5 minutes, I felt like I had burnt my eyes. I slept, I took 3 hours baths, I moved from my table to the couch, from the couch to my bed, from the bed to the table. And that's it...
Q: And then you returned to training half-September.
A: One of my symptoms was anxiousness. The idea of skating scared me, I was sure I wouldn't be able to be back on ice. On the ice, it went way well than I expected. It removed the psychological aspect of the thing.
Q: Did your behaviour changed ?
A: I'm usually a calm person, and I became emotional. I cried for nothing, was easily irritated. For example, taking a phone, and earing noise in my ear was very irritating, I was insulting everybody ! I had a slight feeling of depression, but with no reason or fear. Strong emotions, but with no foundation. It was weird, I had never experienced this. It comes back when I'm tired. An extreme sadness feeling but with no reason.
Q: Are you worried for the big dates of the season (EC, WC)?
A:Of course, a part of me is scared that my symptoms stay longer, and that the delay in our preparation will be hard to catch back. But I stay positive, this year is not an Olympic one, and we have time. We were supposed to begin the season in the French Masters, but we decided it was better to take time to heal than force things. It's not easy to start in a Grand Prix (TEB). It's very complicated, but actually we have no choice."
I am very sorry to hear she hasn't been/is still not well. I hope she will be up to participating at TEB :thumbsup:
Romain Haguenauer gave some news about Gabriella ! http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2015/10/12/154133354
Romain Haguenauer gave some news about Gabriella ! http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2015/10/12/154133354
This all continues to sound very scary and serious to me. I genuinely hope she is not pushing it/overtraining and that she will be okay.
This all continues to sound very scary and serious to me. I genuinely hope she is not pushing it/overtraining and that she will be okay.
Yes, I am worried that, if she still is undergoing such difficult therapy, the GPs are too close and pressured an aim. However, one has to presume that they and their team have been advised well.