[andyt]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/science/soldiers-discipline-helps-against-the-odds-recovery-from-brain-injury/article1977961/

Quote:

Dr. D’Arcy says Mr. Greene’s case is challenging conventional wisdom that there is only a narrow window for the brain to recover from a severe injury. Experts says patients make the most progress within the first few months after a severe traumatic brain injury. Many don’t get therapy in the years that follow, Dr. D’Arcy says.

Ms. Greene says she and her husband were told not to expect any improvement after two years – but he is making more incremental progress now than ever before.

Mr. Greene, 46, has applied his soldier’s discipline to his retraining mission. A competitive rower in the 1980s, he has the drive and intense focus of an elite athlete. With the help of his wife, he puts in 2½ or more hours of physical and occupational therapy every day. They’ve turned their garage into a gym...

Five years ago, Mr. Greene’s prognosis was grim. He spent the first year after his injury in critical care and nearly died from pneumonia and during an operation to rebuild his skull. One physician urged Ms. Greene to put her then-fiancé into a long-term care home, but she told herself that they didn’t know Trevor...

“After the fifth time, in the middle of the workout, my muscle memory came back,” Mr. Greene says. “It was like my body remembered how to walk. The sixth time it was automatic.”

[DrCaleb]

The article doesn't say, but I'll bet he got that injury when he was attending a parley with a village elder (unarmed), and some one in the village hit him in the head with an axe after he took his helmet off.

I hope that village still is passed by for aid and assistance.

[DrCaleb]

http://forums.army.ca/forums/index.php/ ... 107eq6omu0

[andyt]

It's an inspirational story, but how many people with head injuries are able to do this sort of intensive program - ie who do they have to help them with it. I wonder how this guy and his wife manage to support themselves financially?

[DrCaleb]

andyt wrote:

It's an inspirational story, but how many people with head injuries are able to do this sort of intensive program - ie who do they have to help them with it. I wonder how this guy and his wife manage to support themselves financially?

There's a lot of research on the 'elastic brain' andy. His story is indeed inspirational, and it's becoming more common too.

http://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/natureo ... gesitself/

And they probably get veterans benefits, plus CF disability pay.

[andyt]

DrCaleb wrote:

andyt wrote:

It's an inspirational story, but how many people with head injuries are able to do this sort of intensive program - ie who do they have to help them with it. I wonder how this guy and his wife manage to support themselves financially?

There's a lot of research on the 'elastic brain' andy. His story is indeed inspirational, and it's becoming more common too.

http://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/natureo ... gesitself/

And they probably get veterans benefits, plus CF disability pay.

Is that enough for a family to live on? My point is that this sort of rehabilitation should be available to everybody who's willing to apply themselves to it. And without the spouse having to give up their job.

[DrCaleb]

andyt wrote:

DrCaleb wrote:

andyt wrote:

It's an inspirational story, but how many people with head injuries are able to do this sort of intensive program - ie who do they have to help them with it. I wonder how this guy and his wife manage to support themselves financially?

There's a lot of research on the 'elastic brain' andy. His story is indeed inspirational, and it's becoming more common too.

http://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/natureo ... gesitself/

And they probably get veterans benefits, plus CF disability pay.

Is that enough for a family to live on? My point is that this sort of rehabilitation should be available to everybody who's willing to apply themselves to it. And without the spouse having to give up their job.

It used to be enough. I've known many families of 1 Father serving in the CF, a wife and 2 to 3 kids, all living comfortably on the 1 income.

And anyone who says Canadian Health care is homogeneous are deluding themselves. As the article points out, he spent many months at different centres for rehabilitation in different provinces. The Halvar Johnson centre is a great one, along with the Glenrose Rehabilitation Centre in Edmonton. It would be better if everyone had these services easily available - but let's face it, our population wouldn't be able to justify the cost having lots of these type of specialists everywhere. We just wouldn't need them often enough, so it's more cost effective to move the patient to where the specialists are for as long as needed, and to put more money into preventing these type of injuries to begin with.

[andyt]

DrCaleb wrote:

We just wouldn't need them often enough, so it's more cost effective to move the patient to where the specialists are for as long as needed, and to put more money into preventing these type of injuries to begin with.

I have no problem with that. Many patients probably wouldn't even attempt to do what this guy is doing - it must take a lot of drive. I just want it to be available to those who do want to try. Of course people would have to move - these facilities would only be available in a few large urban centers.

[Brenda]

One of my daughters friends (14) was hit by a car last November. She was flown to Spokane at first, and after about a month and a half they moved her to Vancouver. Spokane was a 3 hour drive from here, Vancouver is 800 km. Her mom has been with her the entire time, her dad comes over whenever he can afford it... Her brothers and sisters have been living with family ever since...

She has severe brain injury and is not able to do anything on her own. I hope she ever will be...