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In 1998, the prime of my career, I was sidelined for roughly three months dealing with what was diagnosed as post-concussion syndrome. Its a part of my life I do not enjoy talking about because there wasnt much joy in the months before, or after, stepping out of the car.Because of my experiences, Im often asked to reflect on it when a similar injury arises in our sport.Such was the case most of Friday after the announcement that?Dale Earnhardt Jr.?would miss this weekends race at New Hampshire Speedway because of concussion-like symptoms.Im very sensitive to reacting to a driver in this position because I understand the toll this circumstance puts on someone. Its very difficult for a driver to acknowledge publicly that he is compromised, not feeling 100 percent.And its equally uncomfortable to surrender control of your future, not to mention surrendering your race car to another competitor.Knowing this, I will not venture down the path of what Dale should, or shouldnt, do -- or why, when or where he should or should not return to competition.Every scenario is different and I can only speak to mine, but every driver must be front and center on how they manage this type of injury.What I will share are a few things I learned from my experience that might help Dale in his recovery.(1) You must be your own advocate.Regardless of who you employ to help or guide you through this experience, the urge and temptation to compete will dominate you as your health improves.Its when you feel ready to return that you must pause, self-evaluate and weigh the risks against the potential reward.Be honest with those you are closest to, those among the team that are treating you, but most importantly: Do not cheat yourself.It took me a long time to recover from the residual effects of my three concurrent concussions in 1997. There were good days and bad days, but eventually the duration of good days became commonplace again. But it took a long, long time.My urgency to return ASAP in 1997 compounded my symptoms well past that season and into the next.The insecurity of watching someone compete in my car, with my team, consumed me to the point of making poor decisions. I survived that equation professionally because I was in my early 30s. I most definitely wouldnt have a decade later.Drivers are on a slippery slope when their age starts beginning with a 4. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is 41. At that point, drivers must choose their battles wisely, so to speak, because a poor decision could accelerate those final innings.(2) Time is your greatest cure.I participated in a plethora of tests and evaluations to the point of feeling vulnerable about ever reaching the perceived target of 100 percent.Head injuries are frustrating. You have no cast, youre administered no antibiotic. You are essentially asking your body to repair itself. But you wonder, is my body capable?The scary thing for me, one that I seldom share, is this: I was preoccupied with having lost a percentage of my skills from this injury-riddled period. I feared I would never be 100 percent again, and that fear created an avalanche of emotion, most of which I chose not to expose -- at least not intentionally.My doctor at the University of North Carolina explained to me that I shouldnt be dominated by the test results -- the percentages of left ear function to the right and the like -- because there was no baseline from where I started. None existed.So your 100 percent could be different from your teammates.From that, I understood I must be clear in what I believe qualified as, feeling better. I had to chart the course and discover eventually where the finish line was in the process. Most important: You are the only one who knows. You literally own this.While the doctor can look in your eyes, read your scans, evaluate the tests, you are the only person qualified to make the decision, Im ready to return.Fortunately NASCAR does have a comprehensive baseline test for drivers today, but its only one measure and should never qualify as the exclusive pass or fail criterion.(3) Your history with concussions matters most.This might be the most important part of the discussion.Your age and your history of concussions should matter most in determining your path forward.I learned through this process that the injuries to the brain are difficult to diagnose and heal.Head injuries can be complex! What seemed more certain were the enhanced risks associated with multiple concussions, particularly when they occur in a narrow time frame.The compounding effects of repeated concussions can, and more than likely did in my case, thwart the ability to recover quickly.What cannot get lost in all this is the trust you must have in your body.If you are having concussion-like symptoms and they are consistent with the experiences of an earlier diagnosis, you must comply with your body and ask for time to rest, time to recover, time to repair.I reached out to Dale immediately upon learning his decision. I applauded him. I admire his courage and always have.The hand he has been dealt this week requires more than courage; it requires enormous patience.It will require deep consideration not only of what professional goals remain ahead but perhaps more importantly his personal goals. He also must consider the views of those he is closest to.At Dale Earnhardt Jr.s age, there will be concern about how many years might he have left behind the wheel. In reality, the focus must be on how many quality years he will have left in life. Custom Anaheim Ducks Jerseys . The 28-year-old from Calgary matched his career best after missing just one shot in his two rounds of shooting in the mens 10-kilometre sprint competition. Smith finished in 23 minutes 15. Discount Custom Hockey Jerseys . -- Vincent Lecavalier got everything but the desired result in his return to Tampa Bay. http://www.customjerseyshockey.com/ .35 million, one-year contract that avoided salary arbitration. Plouffe batted .254 with 14 home runs and 52 RBIs in 477 at-bats last season, his second as a regular in the lineup. Custom Hockey Jerseys Outlet . The 26-year-old Ireland striker, who has four goals this season, has signed a three-and-a-half year contract with his new club. Cheap Custom Hockey Jerseys . Perez, 35, posted a 1-2 record with a 3.69 earned-run average in 19 relief appearances last season. His season ended Aug. 9 due to a torn ligament in his left elbow. Perez joins infielder Andy LaRoche and catcher Mike Nickeas with minor-league agreements for 2014 that include invitations to attend spring training.CHICAGO -- Travis Wood and the rest of the Chicago Cubs pitchers are starting to turn the ninth spot in the batting order into a productive part of the lineup. Wood hit a fourth-inning grand slam off Jake Peavy and allowed two runs in six innings to lead the way in an 8-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox at Wrigley Field on Thursday. "Our whole staff has been hitting," Wood said, after his grand slam gave Cubs pitchers 19 RBIs for May, a National League record for one month according to the team. "We take pride in our hitting, being able to help ourselves out, just being able to handle the bat. "That way were not just a dead out." Wood wasnt the only Cubs player hitting home runs against the White Sox on a day with the wind blowing out 24 mph. Nate Schierholtz and Luis Valbuena each hit their sixth home runs of the year in an 11-hit effort by the Cubs offence, keying a fourth straight win overall and third consecutive convincing victory over their crosstown rivals. However, it was Wood (5-3) who broke open the game with his fifth career home run and second this year in the fourth inning with the Cubs leading 2-1. "Woody can flat-out hit," Cubs manager Dale Sveum said. "He hits any fastball. Theyve (pitchers hitting) all been a big key to these wins. "Theyre not just getting a single and driving a run in. Theyre getting two-run doubles and home runs, and were able to put games away." Welington Castillo and Valbuena started the fourth inning with singles and Jake Peavy hit Darwin Barney before Woods grand slam on a 2-1 pitch. It was the first grand slam by a Cubs pitcher since Jason Marquis hit one Sept. 22, 2008, in New York against the Mets and first by a Cubs pitcher in Wrigley Field since Burt Hooton hit one Sept. 16, 1972, against the New York Mets. "I dont like it," Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo joking about Cubs pitchers driving in 19 runs in May. "Its embarrassing all of us (position players)." Rizzo added: "Its great. Its unbelievable." The last time any teams pitching staff had more than the Cubs total of 19 runs batted in for a month was 1940 when the Detroit Tigers had a month with 20. Peavy (6-3) allowed six earned runs and eight hits in foour innings.dddddddddddd He also gave up four straight hits in the second inning for two runs that put the Cubs ahead for good as they went on to clinch this years Crosstown Cup -- the first time theyve won the series since 2007. It was Peavys worst start since giving up six runs April 9 at Washington in 5 1-3 innings. "I think man for man everybody in here will tell you we got outplayed," Peavy said. "We didnt play with the intensity we need to play with. We didnt make plays. We didnt make pitches. We didnt get hits. "We played, just not good ball baseball." With two outs in the second, Valbuena doubled, Barney singled him home, Wood singled and David DeJesus singled in Barney for a 2-0 Cubs lead. Schierholtz homered leading off the fifth against reliever Nate Jones for a 7-1 lead and Valbuena hit a leadoff homer off Brian Omogrosso in the eighth. "We came out this series, we struck the ball well, played great defence and the pitching has been outstanding," Wood said. "We played just great all-around baseball." Paul Konerko drove in the first two White Sox runs, one with a third-inning, two-out single and the other on a double in the sixth after Alex Rios had doubled. Alejandro De Aza drove in the final run with a ninth-inning single. The White Sox came into the series at .500 (24-24) for the first time since April 8 after winning five of six games. "Anytime you have three games like this at any point its discouraging," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "You know, again, youve got to regroup and go. "Weve show that we can play a lot better than this and were going to have to prove it again." NOTES: The Cubs called up right-hander Zach Putnam from Triple-A Iowa and sent down right-hander Alex Burnett, a former Baltimore pitcher whom they signed off waivers Monday. Putnam had one inning of scoreless relief. ... A day after hitting three home runs in one game, Cubs catcher Dioner Navarro was back on the bench with starting catcher Welington Castillo in the lineup. ... The Cubs came into the game with the third-most errors in the NL (39) and the White Sox with the most in the AL (35), and both teams committed errors in the first inning. ' ' '