Big News for TBI Survivors!

We heard the news from Dotmed.com.

With the war underway, it’s no secret that brain injuries have been on the rise in recent years. In fact, 1.7 million American experience a TBI each year. This type of injury leaves survivors at a greater risk for post-traumatic stress disorder, dementia and depression. And, up until this week, there hasn’t really been adequate funding for research.

Well, this is all about to change. On August 29, the DoD and NIH teamed up to create a $10 million federal database. It will provide a central location for all TBI research which will, in effect, lead to more consistent studies. Scientists will now have access to an array of CT’s and MRI’s submitted by other researchers. The collaboration will make big improvements concerning the research of diagnosis and treatment of TBI’s.

This new database is HUGE for the quality of life for TBI survivors. We’re keeping our fingers crossed for the improvements to come!

This video provides more insight on what the NIH is all about…

Someone Has Been Eating Her Wheaties

The New York Post shares the story about this awesome tennis player.

Has anyone heard of Esther Verger? If you haven’t, she’s basically like the Michael Jordan of wheelchair tennis. Verger hasn’t lost a match since 2003. That’s right…. she’s won over 400 consecutive games.

Verger was paralyzed when she was 8 years old as a result of a hemorrhaging blood vessel around her spinal cord. She didn’t expect to be in a wheelchair any longer than her recovery time after surgery. However, she remains paralyzed 20 years later.

But, like so many of the inspirational people I blog about, she didn’t let her injury interfere with her love for sports. She actually used to play wheelchair basketball as well and was part of the Dutch team that won the European tournament in 1997.

However, she decided to focus solely on tennis. And, I’m willing to bet she’s happy with her decision. Throughout her career, she’s won 150 single titles and 3 gold Parlaympic medals. Her next match is at the U.S. open. We’ll definitely be watching to see if she can keep this winning streak going!

LeGrand is up for an Award!

You’ve probably heard of Eric LeGrand, the Rutgers football player who was paralyzed from the neck down during a game in 2011. The media has followed his recovery process throughout the past year. In fact, we blogged about him a few months agoand were hopeful the athlete would walk again.

Well, LeGrand is making progress and actually posted pictures of himself standing on his own not too long ago.  You know we were happy campers when we saw this! But that isn’t the only reason he’s been in the news lately.

LeGrand has been nominated for the America’s Choice Honor For Courage in Sports award, which is solely determined by the fans. The winner will be announced on a one hour airing on CBS at 5 p.m. on November 13. We’ll keep our fingers crossed!
 

Paralyzed and Injured Veterans Catch Some Waves

Patch.com talked to some veterans who spent the day surfing.

Yesterday was a special day for 20 war veterans. The Wounded Warrior Project held their annual Hit the Beach event where wounded veterans come together and surf for the day. Local surf shops donated supplies to allow these veterans to enjoy this great event.

It’s awesome to see survivors of catastrophic injuries who have served our nation enjoy an event like this. Brent Cote, who is paralyzed, explains surfing has made him realize that, despite his injury, he’s capable of more than he thought. Other vets explain events like these are like therapy and allow them to take their mind off of things.

Follow this link to see the vets havin’ some fun in the sun.

What kinds of activities relieve your stress?   

South Florida Makes Changes to Prevent Student Brain Injuries

The Miami Herald shares new guidelines for Florida interscholastic athletic programs.

It’s no secret brain injuries are common among athletes. From football to hockey, there is always a new story on an athlete who has experienced a brain injury, mild or severe. In fact, we blogged about Paul Kariya, who recently retired from the NHL because he doesn’t believe the league is taking the appropriate preventative measures. 

The media usually focuses on professional sports. For example, the NFL recently implemented new guidelines to prevent brain injuries from occurring on the field.  But, now more schools are taking action as well.

The Florida High School Athletics Association, which sets guidelines for high school athletics throughout the state, has set forth new preventative measures. Students who are suspected of having a concussion are no longer allowed back on the field without a doctor’s ok and are recovered to take a baseline cognitive test during preseason for monitoring purposes.

Let’s hope these new guidelines  decrease the number of brain injuries for student athletes!  

Cheack out this video about concussions in sports...

Boy has his leg reattached….backwards

MSNBC.com shares this amazing story!

Dugan Smith was diagnosed with bone cancer in 2008. Like many other patients with this disease, doctors suggested amputating the middle section of his right leg. Not really an unusual story. But, it’s what they did with the remainder of his leg that’s makes his story remarkable.

In order for Smith to keep the nerves in his foot intact, doctors reattached his leg backwards. The surgery is called rotationplasty and was the only option that would allow Smith to continue playing sports. After the reattachment, the parts of his leg switched roles. Here’s the breakdown of their new functions:

·         Calf is now the thigh

·         Ankle is now the knee

·         Knee and foot are now the shin bone (these attach to the prosthetic)

For Smith, the procedure was a no brainer. He has been cancer free for two years and is playing baseball for his school’s baseball team.

Check out his leg in action!

A doctor who thinks outside the box

When an adult has bone cancer, they are given the option of undergoing endoprosthesis surgery, which inserts a prosthetic under the skin and eliminates the need for an amputation.
However, for children, it’s a different story. Often times, surgeons refuse to perform the endoprosthesis surgery because the prosthetic will not grow with the limb. Instead, they choose to amputate the limb to reduce the risk of the cancer spreading to other parts of the body.

But, Dr. Letson of the Moffitt Cancer Center refuses to make amputation the first option. In fact, he has performed endoprosthesis surgery on  50 children over the past 18 years. His solution is to implant expandable chrome and titanium prosthetics. The device grows with the child through magnetic pulls. The prosthetic is stretched 1 centimeter on a monthly basis.
This probably seems like torture to most. But, his patient, Katie Karp, explains it is virtually painless. She says, at most, it feels like growing pains.

While this surgery has positively changed the lives of many of Letson’s patients, insurance companies are reluctant to endorse it. Letson explains they aren’t keen on touching stories but, instead, rely on hard numbers. Truth is, patients with endoprosthesis surgery have the same survival rate as those with an amputation. Naturally, the insurance companies usually opt to support amputations which are much less expansive.

However, Letson’s overriding goal is to think outside of the box and improve the quaility of life for children who survive bone cancer. So, he continues to change the mindset of insurance companies and warm others up to the idea of expandable prosthetics.

You’re probably thinking this sounds familiar. Well, that’s because we featured one of his patients in a past blog post. Take a look at her video!

 

You have to see this little guy!

Has anyone seen Gamera, the 12 year old African spur-thighed tortoise, in the news lately? Well, we’ve dubbed him the cutest turtle ever!  This little guy was dropped off at Washington State University’s veterinary teaching hospital to treat his burned leg. Take a look at the video below to see how they solved the issue!

TBI Survivor Trekking Across Canada

 UPI.com shares the story of a TBI survivor who didn’t give up.

After experiencing a stroke five years ago, David McGuire was left with a brain injury that caused short term memory loss. Doctors also told McGuire he would never walk again. So, what’s he doing now?

Running across Canada, of course.

But, McGuire didn’t always set his goals this high. After the stroke, the life changes were too much to handle and he went into a deep depression. It was only when he noticed others who were worse off than him that he decided to turn his life around.

Now in his sixth of ten Canadian provinces, McGuire is defying the odds. His trek across the country began April 1. He runs a 25 mile marathon a day, making his original diagnosis hard to believe. However, the scar on his head, where doctors had to remove and replace a piece of his skull to alleviate swelling, is constant reminder.