Need some advice

[Capt. Grumpy]

On Monday my son took a spill off of the monkey bars and ended up with a concussion. We are heading to WDW on Friday. He is 5 and would have been tall enough for some of the rides he has been looking forward to. He is really drained now and doesn't have much energy. Any suggestions to cheer him up and make his trip a little brighter?

[Jeri Lynn]

I recently had a concussion and I have to tell you it was a couple weeks before I felt 100%. I was tired and lacked energy for quite some time.

I'd let your little one rest as often as he can especially since the weather right now is on the pretty hot side.

I would check with his pediatrician about going on some of the rides with a concussion, I'm not sure what type of rides your son likes but I probably would not recommend the fast jerky rides, especially Dinosaur in the Animal Kingdom.

I hope he feels better soon!!

[MMouse6937]

First of all let me say I'm so sorry for his injury and hope a speedy recovery. Some :pixie: for him!

Secondly, I wonder if the doctor that saw him gave him any type of limitations on activity. I would suggest taking it as slow as he needs to and maybe renting a stroller/wheelchair to help him with fatigue. I would plan some fun sit down things for him to do like character meals and interactions where he doesn't have to do too much running around.

Poor thing, I am sure he will still have a lot of fun but he will want to be up and moving around and his body will be more tired.

Tell him to hang in there, Mickey will be seeing him soon! :mickey:

[CleveSJM]

Push lots of fluids if you can. A lot of people with concussions lose their appetite and get dehydrated, making them feel worse for longer. Spoil him with decaf soda and popsicles for awhile. And stay on top of the hydration at WSW. It really seems to help.

Also, keep to the schedule of anti-inflammatory medications (probably acetaminophen or ibuprofen) even if he feels pretty good. Staying on top of the pain is easier than fighting to get rid of it.

(Brother-in-law is a trainer for a local high school)

[Lizzie]

I agree with the above posts. Make sure you talk to his Doctor. Also I have seen 5 year old kids in strollers, maybe look into gettting one for him so he has a place to rest. The double strollers you can rent are big enough for taller kids.

[ToDisney]

Just a comment on the stroller;
we went in January with my niece and nephew 4 and 5yrs. My son had a broken ankle, he could walk with his air cast, but got tired easily. The little kids loved trading places and letting him ride in the stroller with them. OH, I forgot to mention he is 11 years old!
So don't worry at all go for the stroller!!!:mickey:
By the way lots of pixie dust to him:pixie:

Hope your trip turns out great and the weather cools off!:)

[mouseketeer mom]

He won't be the same for this trip and you should def. ask for restrictions/limitations from his MD, not a good time to guess if a ride is safe/ok for him right now. Can you put the trip off a week or two? I know you probably have everything in order for this trip, but you will have to watch him carefully and not push him too hard. Not always easy when in the world!

[BigRedDad]

I vaguely remember my concussion when I was 4 or 5 (not because of it). Children are far more resilient at coming back from this type of injury than adults. However, he is not going to be 100%. You have to realize his brain is still bruised and may be for a few weeks. A lot has to do with how severe the concussion is/was. Mine was extremely severe. I couldn't keep from passing out, vomiting and keeping balance for the two days I was in the hospital. After that, I was almost back to normal. I was playing football about a week or so after.

I highly recommend talking to the neurologist that saw him in the hospital and your pediatrician. Ultimately, it will be your son determining what he willing to try.