Complex Concussion Clinic Gets Christy Cogley 'Back on Track'

Christy Cogley

Christy Cogley knows what to expect with a concussion. She’s had 10 of them in her lifetime. 

Her past concussions were from sports injuries, car accidents, and other incidents. But the last one she sustained in June 2025 was different. Her memory of what happened is fuzzy. She believes she got out of bed to check on her dog. Christy only remembers feeling a painful hit to the back of her head then waking up on the floor. Over the next few hours, she felt nauseated and very sweaty. She went to the emergency department, where doctors confirmed a concussion. 

Unlike her past concussions, her symptoms lingered and worsened. Her headaches were more severe. She found herself stuttering, forgetting names and general information, and experiencing vision problems. A return trip to the emergency department showed nothing out of the ordinary. With no relief, Christy was beginning to feel despair. Completing everyday tasks was a challenge. 

Her primary care doctor recommended Shepherd Center’s Complex Concussion Clinic (CCC). In July 2025, she met with Russell Gore, M.D., the clinic’s medical director. She says that meeting changed everything. 

“Dr. Gore spent at least 45 minutes just listening and educating me about concussions” she says. “He saw me as a whole person, not just somebody with a concussion. He was so patient, so kind, and gave me science-based information. I left there feeling so much better.” 

Christy, who is the director of exam operations for a licensing association, spent the next few months in cognitive therapy to improve memory and daily task management, speech therapy to reduce stuttering and regain voice control, and physical therapy to regain her balance. She learned strategies to compensate for her symptoms. During her treatment, Dr. Gore also detected an unrelated vision problem and dysautonomia and referred her to specialists. 

“I felt like a weight was lifted off of me,” Christy says of her experience. “Everyone was so reassuring and compassionate. They never minimized what I was experiencing.” 

Christy says she has learned to give herself grace and honor the healing process and says she would advise others to do the same. Being a former collegiate and professional basketball player working harder was always her answer, but she now knows that “working harder doesn’t equal quicker healing. It sometimes prolongs it.” 

Now, almost a year later, Christy says she is “back on track.” Her headaches are less frequent, and her balance and vision have improved. She continues to visit the clinic to work with an occupational therapist and is forever grateful for her care at the CCC. 

“The Concussion Clinic is an amazing place,” Christy says. “The staff listens to you and shares their expertise with you. They are committed to everyone healing.” 

Written by Sara Baxter