No news is not always good news.
No example is as true to that statement than the case of jockey Nikita Beriman and the repercussions she has been forced to deal with following a race-fall at Ipswich on July 3.
Cleared originally on any significant injury, a case of delayed concussion only diagnosed days later has wreaked havoc with Beriman’s life with a variety of chronic symptoms taking away the ‘normal’ and replacing it with a traumatised existence which she bravely still has to try and manage every day as, nearly three months on, there is sadly no further news to report.
“I’m not good. That is the standard response now,” offered Beriman succinctly.
“There’s not much to update. I have to get an updated MRI on my brain … and then I have been referred to a neurologist in Spring Hill and I’ll go from there.
“The symptoms are the same … chronic headaches, fatigue. I have issues with noise and light. I’ve got nostalgia in my brain which makes which makes it feel like the nerve ends are on fire.
“I currently still do oxygen therapy and see my chiropractor and my doctor, and it seems like every other specialist.
“I won’t get to know anything about what happens next until I see the neurologist again.
“I’ll know more when I speak to the neurologist about the updated brain scan and find out how I’m travelling.
“I have my mum here to help me look after my child. I’d be lost without my friends and family because they have all been so supportive,” continued Beriman.
“I had a lot of support outside of just my friends and family as well. There have been a lot of people checking in on me making sure that I am ok. Some days are good, and some days are not. Some days I just don’t want to talk.
“God, I’d love to be riding, but, then again, I am just very fortunate that I have my horses here and I’m able to go out briefly to have a look at the horse and pat it out the back.
“I can’t ride yet … but one day … hopefully.”
