Mike Funk is confident the fog will eventually lift.
How long it will take is anybody's guess and while the stalwart Manitoba Moose defenceman is cognizant of the long-term rammifications of sustaining his third concussion in just under a year, Funk doesn't believe his current season is in jeopardy.
"Any time you get over three, it worries you a bit and it's in the back of your mind," Funk said earlier this week while roaming the Moose locker- room. "I'm not too terribly worried. I think my parents and family are a little more worried than I am. I'm just hoping I can get a full recovery from it and get back in the lineup as soon as possible.
"I'm not going to rush it or anything. But hopefully, things go well. We'll take it day-to-day. I don't feel as bad as I did with my second one (in 2008). I don't have quite as many of the symptoms."
A pair of concussions last season limited Funk's season with the Portland Pirates to only 13 games.
He endured the first during Buffalo Sabres training camp in September, which put Funk on the sidelines for about two months.
The second took place in December during a game against the Lowell Devils.
"Things weren't going so well and they couldn't figure out why I was still getting headaches, so they decided to shut it down and eventually (the headaches) went away," said Funk, a 23-year-old from Abbotsford, B.C. who signed a one-year deal with the Vancouver Canucks during the off-season. "Basically, all it took was time and rest. Everybody is different with how long it takes (to heal)."
Funk suffered the latest blow on Saturday, when he was drilled by Texas Stars forward Luke Gazdik.
"For the first 20 to 30 minutes (after the hit), things were pretty foggy," said Funk. "I started to get my senses back and by the time I was at the hospital, I was fairly with it."
Moose head coach Scott Arniel re-iterated yesterday that Funk was still dealing with some symptoms and that he would be re-evaluated tomorrow after the mandatory seven-day window had passed.
HOOF PRINTS: When Anaheim Ducks forward Saku Koivu was a late scratch Wednesday night for a game against the New Jersey Devils because of a "lower-body" injury, Erik Christensen replaced him and played for the first time since Oct. 26. Christensen has cleared waivers and was looking for a team to be assigned to, but Koivu's injury will likely prevent him from joining the Moose anytime soon.
