George Visger, 51, earned the ultimate prize in professional football: a Super Bowl championship with the San Francisco 49ers in 1982. The former offensive tackle also bagged an Orange Bowl victory while playing with the University of Colorado.
But now he is paying the ultimate price for all those years on the gridiron. After thousands of on-field hits to his head, hydrocephalus, and multiple brain surgeries, he is struggling with memory problems.
George came to the Amen Clinics as part of our brain-imaging study on retired NFL players. Here is what he had to say about his visit:
Dr. Amen,
After spending 2+ days at your clinic undergoing a complete evaluation, my wife Kristi and I would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the work you are doing in helping people get their lives back in order. I developed hydrocephalus, or water on the brain, during my second season with the SF 49ers during the 81 Super Bowl season, and underwent the first of my 9 emergency brain surgeries to date. For 28 years my life has been a battle with short term memory problems, anger management issues, grand mal seizures, and unexpected brain surgeries when ever my VP shunt goes out. Your evaluation and game plan is the first positive news I have received in 28 years that things can get better.
I look forward to my follow up scans in 6 months to follow how much progress we have made on repairing my damaged brain.
Keep up the good work, and I am available for any help I may offer.
Regards,
George Visger
George recently spoke to NPR about football, concussions, brain injuries, and his treatment plan here at the Amen Clinics.
You can listen to his fascinating story by clicking here.
Read the story here
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