Brandon Schneider

Back in the Game Reflection for Dr. Shetty:

On the evening of July 12, 2021, I was in the emergency room of a hospital on Long Island with my dad at my bedside after days of increasingly excruciating abdominal pain. I asked to use the restroom, received permission, and was unhooked from the IV by the nurse. Moments later my life changed forever. My Apple Watch detected a hard fall, called 911, and sent an emergency notification to my emergency contacts after I failed to respond to the prompt on my watch. My dad, one of my emergency contacts, alerted the medical staff. I apparently went unconscious, falling to the ground where I slammed my head (on what or how many times I’ll never know).

My mental and physical state quickly deteriorated. I was sent for a series of CT scans revealing a skull fracture and multiple subdural and epidural hematoma that were increasing in size, quickly becoming life threatening. The doctors performed an emergency craniotomy and craniectomy within a few hours. I spent 7 days in the ICU, have absolutely zero memory of my fall or the first 5 days that followed, and only extremely vague memories of the 5 days after that. In my later conversations with many doctors and family it became increasingly clear that I may be living with deficits for the rest of my life or dead if I were not in the ER when I fell or if I was not in excellent physical condition from my running and other workouts. I am a 4x marathoner, 4x half marathoner, and running coach who ran 5-6 days per week before my injury.

Fast forward about 5 months to December 2021. Life was increasingly challenging. My headaches were persistent, pervasive, and each one more debilitating than the last. I started to feel like things were getting worse, not better. My short-term disability benefits were due to run out in a few weeks, I had a full-blown panic attack, and insurance stopped covering my PT sessions. Amidst the chaos of recovering from my brain surgery and injury, I was completing my masters degree in Sport Science with a concentration in exercise physiology. As a future Exercise Physiologist, I recognized the importance of working with one because my symptoms continued to limit my physical activity, so I took myself to HSS for a fitness assessment and to work with Jason Machowsky at the Tisch Sports Performance Center.

Upon arrival for my fitness assessment I walked to the locker room and saw a sign that read “Concussion Clinic”. I thought, “I think I still have a concussion, and no one’s told me there are concussion clinics.” Most of my doctors had taken a “wait and see” approach predicting years for a recovery. While waiting for my appointment to begin, I googled “HSS Concussion Clinic” and quickly became enthralled with the idea that there was more help for me. I read Dr. Shetty’s credentials and bio, flipped through patient stories, and quickly sent an email to the email address available on the clinic’s website. As quickly as I sent the email, I received a call from the clinic to send over my medical records for the team to evaluate my case.

On January 5th, 2022, I had my first appointment with Dr. Shetty, two days after my evaluation with Dr. Emami (the neuropsychologist on the Concussion Clinic team). I was amazed that everyone on the team knew me before I walked through the door because my case kicked off the team meeting that week. Dr. Emami and Dr. Shetty confirmed my suspicions. I was exhibiting symptoms of a concussion including but not limited to headaches, neck pain, lack of balance and coordination, irritability, anxiety, and depression. It was on that day that Dr. Shetty helped me understand the severity of my injury, prescribed a wholistic treatment plan, and told me, “You have three things going for you - you are young, you are motivated, and the brain is resilient.”

Dr. Shetty’s words, “young, motivated, and resilient” became one of my mantra’s as I navigated my active concussion recovery program including neck physical therapy, exertion therapy, vestibular therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, psychiatry, and acupuncture. My recovery also included a 10-day rest period (no screens, exercise, or reading, and 12-14 hours of sleep per day). After just 4 days for the first time in months, I began to realize there is a path to a life without a 6-month long constant headache.

Once I started to gradually resume daily activities, my headaches quickly came back but they were different. During this time, I admired Dr. Shetty’s ability to have real conversations where she acknowledged my symptoms and was persistent in the comprehensive treatment of them. She always had a plan for various therapies supported by a network of trusted providers. For example, following my graduation from the Concussion Clinic, the New York Headache Center offers me continued care as I manage residual post-traumatic headaches. Dr. Shetty helped me recognize the importance of prioritizing self-care in my recovery by developing a routine to take care of my headaches including acupuncture, massage therapy, vitamins, Botox injections, magnesium infusions, cognitive behavioral therapy, and exercise.

It is now June 2022, and I am Back in the Game. I have graduated the Concussion Clinic and Hofstra University with a masters degree in Sports Science. I have started to find joy in life again, attending social events with family and friends, and even joined a beach volleyball team for the first time this summer. I accepted a job at HSS Stamford where I will serve as a Mobility Specialist at the brand new How You Move Lab. I am so excited to give back to a place that has given me so much, and look forward to a career filled with growth, collaboration, and helping others. Most importantly, I am back to doing what I love most. Running, 3 days per week for now, as I plan to run the Chicago and NYC Marathons in the Fall, a dream deferred from 2021 as I recovered from my injury.

A simple thank you will never be enough to express my gratitude for Dr. Shetty, Dr. Emami, Jillian, Pablo, Pete, Lauren, Virgen, and Jack’s help in recovering from my concussion, regaining control of my life, and getting Back in the Game.