[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2025\/02\/floras-story\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2025\/02\/floras-story\/","headline":"Flora\u2019s Story: Danish College Student Finds Hope \u2014 and Help \u2014 at UPMC Sports Medicine","name":"Flora\u2019s Story: Danish College Student Finds Hope \u2014 and Help \u2014 at UPMC Sports Medicine","description":"A yearlong struggle with disabling concussion symptoms upended Danish college student Flora Schmelling\u2019s studies and her life. Flora made it her mission to come to Pittsburgh for treatment after a Google search led her to an inspiring story about a Swedish concert promoter who went to the UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program for care. A […]","datePublished":"2025-02-24","dateModified":"2025-08-07","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/sports-medicine-regions","name":"Sports Medicine","url":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/sports-medicine-regions","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/sports-medicine\/","parentOrganization":"UPMC"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UPMC HealthBeat","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/GettyImages-1424679385-e1740421014383.jpg","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/GettyImages-1424679385-e1740421014383.jpg","height":866,"width":2000},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2025\/02\/floras-story\/","about":["Concussion","Health Topics A-Z","Sports Medicine"],"wordCount":1046,"articleBody":"A yearlong struggle with disabling concussion symptoms upended Danish college student Flora Schmelling\u2019s studies and her life.Flora made it her mission to come to Pittsburgh for treatment after a Google search led her to an inspiring story about a Swedish concert promoter who went to the UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program for care.A Nasty Collision with a Glass DoorFlora was leaving a Copenhagen wine bar with friends in May 2023 when she yanked on a stuck door and it slammed into her forehead.\u201cIt really hurt, and I got a huge bump,\u201d says Flora, who was 23 years old at the time.It wasn\u2019t until returning home later that night that Flora began to feel symptoms, including nausea and vomiting. When she developed intense headaches, she went to the emergency department, where she was diagnosed with a mild concussion.\u201cI was told to take it easy,\u201d Flora says.But Flora’s anxiety grew as days stretched into weeks with worsening symptoms, including severe headaches, extreme fatigue, increased heart rate, hot flashes, burning skin sensations, jaw tension, leg cramps, and frequent urination.Flora was able to postpone her exams until August. However, in June, she couldn\u2019t avoid working a three-day design festival associated with her studies at the Danish School of Media and Journalism. She was surprised to see her symptoms improve each day.\u201cI saw a lot of people and did a lot of talking. It was good to be out again, and I was feeling so good,\u201d Flora says.But when packing things up on the last day, Flora accidentally hit her head on a lamp.\u201cIt was a small bump, but my symptoms came back, along with my anxiety,\u201d she says.Searching for AnswersUnable to return to her studies, Flora arranged a one-year sick leave from school.Desperate for answers, she scoured the internet for information on concussions and treatment. She saw multiple doctors and specialists, including her family doctor, a neurologist, and a chiropractor. And she tried numerous treatments, from physical therapy and yoga to acupuncture, massage, and craniosacral therapy.Meanwhile, Flora\u2019s symptoms escalated, and her anxiety spiraled. She had constant headaches, neck pain, tension, exhaustion, mood swings, and panic attacks. She moved home, and her world became smaller as she withdrew from friends and her social life.\u201cThe anxiety was overwhelming,” she says. “My symptoms seemed so abnormal for a concussion that, at one point, I was convinced I had a blood clot or intracranial bleeding. My doctor just said, \u2018You need to calm down.\u2019\u201cWith no answers, I got increasingly nervous,” she adds. “It filled my thoughts. My whole life was on hold. Everything got darker: my mind and my mood.\u201dAt one of her lowest points, Flora stumbled across UPMC during a Google search. She pored through information on the UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program website.Flora was relieved to finally read stories about patients with similar symptoms. She even tracked down one of them \u2014 Swedish concert promoter Daniel Johansson \u2014 who spent hours talking to her by phone.\u201cHe gave me my first real glimpse of hope,\u201d Flora says.Journey to RecoveryWith Daniel\u2019s encouragement, Flora contacted UPMC. She scheduled an appointment in May 2024 with Michael \u201cMicky\u201d Collins, PhD, the concussion program\u2019s clinical and executive director.\u201cDaniel gave me some tips, but he said the whole package was important,” she says. “I knew I had to go.”Before traveling to the United States, Flora began to follow some UPMC treatment strategies Daniel shared. She started working out at the gym, walking outside, and going out with friends.\u201cI felt better, but I wanted confirmation I was on the right track,\u201d Flora says.One year after her accident, Flora traveled to UPMC to meet with Dr. Collins. One of the first things she did was complete a questionnaire about her symptoms, including bladder issues and leg cramps.\u201cI instantly knew things would work out if they already knew about these signs,\u201d she says.Flora told Dr. Collins, \u201cI miss my school, I miss my school life, and I miss partying.”She later heard Dr. Collins tell his team: \u201cLet\u2019s get this girl back to partying.\u201d\u201cI felt understood,\u201d Flora says. \u201cHe knew I wanted my life back.\u201dThe Solution: Breaking Out of ‘Fight-or-Flight Mode’Dr. Collins told Flora she was experiencing major nervous system issues from her concussion. She had been protecting her brain and was stuck in “fight-or-flight mode.”\u201cYou need to break out of that. You need to get a job and go back to school,\u201d Dr. Collins told her. \u201cYou are on the right path. We will develop a program for you, and you will get better.\u201dFollowing Dr. Collins\u2019 instructions to \u201cget out and get moving,\u201d Flora immediately went on a three-hour shopping spree at local thrift stores in Pittsburgh. At her hotel, she watched a movie and read a book.\u201cAs soon as he gave me the go-ahead, I felt my anxiety release,\u201d she says.Dr. Collins adjusted Flora’s anxiety medicine, told her she didn\u2019t need to continue wearing special eyeglasses that one doctor prescribed, and advised her to stop doing eye exercises. The team gave her physical therapy and vestibular (balance) exercises to do, plus 30-minute daily walks and cardio workouts.\u201cThey urged me to go out and do all the things I hadn\u2019t dared to do, like returning to school and going to concerts and festivals,\u201d Flora says. \u201cI put my trust in UPMC and my treatment.\u201dThree months later, Flora was back in school, commuting by bike, going out with friends, and dating a new boyfriend.\u201cI\u2019m proud of you,\u201d Dr. Collins told Flora in her final virtual follow-up appointment. \u201cIf you have a setback, if you hit your head again, you have the tools you need. You know what to do.\u201d\u201cI\u2019m proud of myself, too,\u201d Flora says. \u201cUPMC gave me the tools and the confidence I needed. It\u2019s behind me now, and I feel certain I will stay healthy.\u201dTo Learn MoreFor nearly a quarter-century, UPMC has provided concussion services to\u00a0traveling patients\u00a0from throughout the United States and around the world.To learn more about the UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program, visit our website."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2025","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2025\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"02","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2025\/\/02\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Flora\u2019s Story: Danish College Student Finds Hope \u2014 and Help \u2014 at UPMC Sports Medicine","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2025\/02\/floras-story\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]