Category: Uncategorized

An Update On Trevor Greene’s Great Progress

[Alan here. I received a post updating my undergrad pal Trevor’s progress from Debbie and him this evening and figured I would post it as a whole new entry rather than adding to the string of the now 439 comments, best wishes, photos and fond memories from family and friends in response to the post I wrote when I heard the terrible news. So here you go…]

Hi everyone,

An update on Trevor’s progress is long overdue with much to write about.

On July 23rd, 2007, after over a year in Vancouver General Hospital, we joyfully left BC for the hope of rehabilitation at the Halvar Johnson Centre for Brain Injury in Ponoka, Alberta. We were advised by the doctors at VGH to put Trevor in a long-term care facility and “let him get on with his life”. I didn’t have to wonder too long what life would be like in a public long term care facility. I wasn’t about to let that happen. We flew out of BC via military flight early on a rainy “wet” coast morning. We were met at the airport by an honor guard from Trevor’s unit in Vancouver, the Seaforth Highlanders. Not surprisingly, this is Trevor’s first memory after the injury. He doesn’t remember any of his time at VGH, which is a blessing in spite of some of the wonderful people we came to know during our time there. I have many pictures and have filled him in on various events and people at that time. I also kept a daily journal for him to read which he has been going through of late. He is endeared by so many of the stories of the true spirit of friendship and generosity. Thank you to everyone who visited Trevor, sent cards, gifts and even prayers for him. He tells me he plans to respond to every one “in the fullness of time”.

When we arrived at the Rehab Centre in Alberta, we were told there was very little chance of recovery and that he would be offered medication trials only and wouldn’t participate in rehab. Fortunately, I had become very good at selective listening by this stage. I had read many stories of people overcoming the odds and I knew Trevor was capable of being one of those stories especially since modern research has found the brain to be “plastic” and able to reprogram itself if given proper cues. In my head I would think, “we’ll see”. Knowing Trevor’s spirit, I felt that he would respond and step up to the challenge rather than languish in this huge body for the rest of his life. I knew he would rather die than live in a wheelchair in a long-term care facility. If this was to happen, someone had to give him a chance to succeed. Thankfully, the Centennial Centre gave him that chance. He proved me right. He did succeed and surprised everyone. When we were admitted to the Centre, he had little to no purposeful movement. He is now able to do bench presses, leg presses and more functional activities like eating, shaving and brushing his teeth. His technique isn’t perfect and he requires a little help with each task but he gets better with each month that passes. When we entered the Centre he barely had a voice. He is now able to speak clearly and articulately and almost at his original level. On September 12, 2008 after 14 months in rehabilitation, we left the Centennial Centre and all our friends in Ponoka for our new home in Nanaimo, BC.

Rehab is far from over for Trevor. His goal is to walk. We’ve been told it’s not realistic by some but this just drives us even harder. We’ve encountered many obstacles over the past 2 ½ years and tackled them head on. Walking isn’t going to happen overnight but we believe it will happen in the fullness of time. In the meantime, we work with our new expert team, have fun and enjoy the journey. Rehabilitation is Trevor’s job. His hard work is paying off. He works out over 2 hours a day and is seeing progress and results weekly. He’s a proud man and isn’t content to have people helping him but he has accepted it as a means to an end. He is scheduled to get a universal gym in the new future for his workouts.

There are many people to thank throughout this journey. I’ll do my best although words cannot express how much these people have done for us in their own way. For those whose paths we haven’t crossed, you no doubt need to be thanked for keeping Trevor, Grace and I in your thoughts and prayers, thank you.

The first group to give a special thanks to is PPCLI ‘A’ Company (ROTO 0, Op Archer), specifically platoon commander Kevin Schamuhn, and section commander Sergeant Rob Dolson, for their quick thinking and rapid response reflexes that prevented the young fellow from taking what would have been a final death blow at Trevor. Your courage and expert training saved Trevor’s life. We are forever grateful for your actions on the afternoon of March 4, 2006. A large debt of gratitude is extended to Shawn Marshall, medic with A Company that day for your proficiency in stopping the bleeding and saving Trevor’s life with the skills your were bestowed. The entire group should be applauded for comforting Trevor and encouraging his soul to stay with us while awaiting the Blackhawk’s arrival for transport to Kandahar hospital.

Special thanks to Sergeant Gary Adams, medic onboard the US Blackhawk helicopter. Gary was instrumental in unblocking Trevor’s airway amongst other procedures on the flight to Kandahar Hospital. Gary flew to Vancouver from overseas on his time off to visit us. He was met with a night out with the rugby gang. I’m told he did survive the night. I did get to thank Gary personally that night but there are never enough thank you’s for helping to save a life!

I haven’t had a chance personally to meet Dr. Homer Tien, trauma surgeon at Toronto’s Sunnybrook Hospital, who stabilized Trevor in Kandahar Hospital for the flight to Landshtuhl, Germany. Thank you to Dr.Tien and his staff at the Kandahar Hospital.

An expert team of doctors met Trevor at the Landshtuhl Regional Medical Centre in Germany. Dr.’s Sorini and Johnson (and team) performed life-saving surgery which allowed Trevor’s brain to swell without causing additional damage. Both doctors no doubt saw many horrific injuries from the battlefield during their time in Germany. We were blessed that they were there when Trevor arrived. These doctors gave Trevor his life back and a future for our family. Heartfelt thanks to both of these exceptional surgeons. Also a big thank you to Dr.Catherine Gray for being a liason between the doctors and family in Landshtuhl. We appreciated meeting you every night for a briefing of the days events, in layman terms. We wish you all the best on the birth of your first child and look forward to seeing you next time you’re on the island. The care Trevor received in Germany from the doctors and nursing staff was second to none. We applaud these people for looking after our injured soldiers.

Although our time at VGH was fraught with numerous ups and downs, I appreciate the efforts of the nursing staff, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and respiratory therapists in all the four+ units Trevor was in. I also appreciate the work of Dr.Woodhurst, nuerosurgeon for the second bilateral cranioplasty which successfully repaired Trevor’s skull. An extra special thank you to Cynthia Wilson, physiotherapist for remaining committed to Trevor despite the lack of initiation, awareness and results. Trevor doesn’t remember much from VGH but he does remember your big smile and vibrant personality. You are a talented physiotherapist and a compassionate person. I have videos from when a thumbs up or 12 minutes of keeping his head up was a big day. You provided the building blocks for much greater things!

A warm hug to Ray McDonald of VGH spiritual services. Thank you for dropping by Trevor’s room with your guitar and furry friends. I miss laughing with you and hearing your stories and songs in person. You were a great source of comfort during those turbulent times.

Also a big thank you to Dr.’s Dhawan and Reebye, physiatrists for being “cautiously optimistic” about Trevor’s outcome. It was a pleasure knowing and working with both of these specialists in Vancouver.

This note would go on and on forever if I mentioned everyone’s gifts in detail but a big part of this journey has been various “healing hands”. These folks added their touch to Trevor’s mind, body and soul despite the critical eyes of hospital staff. The first was Adam, a gifted healer who worked his magic on Trevor during the critical first few months of his injury. I have no doubts this young man has very special powers. He was able to see early on the “spark” in Trevor brain. Numerous others have helped to bring this spark to life including our good friend Eve for the months of Reiki (and tea), John Blazevic and Janet Cook for the acupuncture, Andy Bryce for the EFT, Kelly Johnsonand Joy Larsen for the cranial sacral therapy and Anita Lawrence for the spiritual guidance. In Ponoka, we were fortunate to find Trish Bowie at the wellness Centre, Heather Lambert for craniosacral therapy and Jennifer Davidson for her magical massage therapy.

We are so grateful to Dr. Gray and his team of professionals at the Centennial Centre in Ponoka. We were fortunate to work with the best of the best at the Center including physiotherapist, Lori, occupational therapist, Kunle and speech therapist, Leah. Although we presented a huge challenge, these capable professionals rose to it in their respective fields. Thank you to Dr. Gray for his knowledge and expertise with the botox needle, I’m sure Trevor won’t have to worry about wrinkles in his upper body for a long, long time. Also a big thank you to Rebecca and Jamie, recreational therapists at the Centre. We had many, many laughs with you both and miss you incredibly.

A big thank you to Theresa Hacking and Greg Edmonds and the Military Casualty Support Foundation (MCSF) for your generous gift toward our wheelchair accessible van. The van has been an essential part of our lives. In Ponoka, the van gave Trevor the freedom to leave the Centre for weekends and outings with the family. Since we’ve been home, it’s been critical for appointments at the physiotherapist, an hour drive each way. This organization was created to fill the gaps not currently met through the Ministry of National Defense programs and services. Information on contributions to the MCSF can be found at www.mcsf.ca.

We are so incredibly grateful to Nick Twyman, Dave Neufeld, Valerie and Rob Gibbs, Deanna Vandeneykel and everyone who contributed to or assisted with the fundraisers. We have comfort knowing that we have a backup fund for Trevor’s ongoing rehabilitation or recreation needs. What we don’t spend on rehab we plan to pay it forward to those in need.

Lastly, a big thank you to the Department of National Defense with special thanks to our case managers Steve Stawiarski and Lisa Bardon and assisting officers Steve Basaraba, Colin Coutts, Mike Larose and Dave Gilmour for providing Trevor with the best any soldier could hope to receive. We also recognize the incredible work of Sandy Daughn, OT for her ideas and ability to make things happen. It’s been rewarding working with you all. Canadians should be proud of the way their country took care of its injured soldier. We received the best Christmas gift in 2007 from the military engineers who installed a lift in our house which allowed Trevor to come home for Christmas and weekends thereafter. A sincere thank you to the Seaforth Highlanders for your continued support throughout Trevor’s recovery. We appreciate the place you set for him at each mess dinner. We were honored to attend the inaugural family day at the regiment on Nov 8th this year and look forward to future events. Also a big thank you to the military people in Edmonton, specifically the CIMIC and OSI folks for your support. It really helped Trevor get through the rough phases. We were able to personally thank Ponoka Legionnaires Dave MacPherson and Hugh Greene for your visits also during our time in Alberta. Trevor and I were so blessed to have weekly visitors from all facets of our lives since the very start of this long “marathon of baby steps”. The visitors started immediately when we arrived home in BC and still continue today. We cherish how you keep our connection to our former lives. And thank you to everyone who posted comments on this blog. Trevor is blown away every time he reads it.

Most importantly, thank you to our families and friends who continue to supply us with unwavering support. There are too many of you to list here but you all know who you are. A special thank you to Regina for taking good care of us all over the past 3 years.

On Dec 13, 2008 at 7pm PST CTV will air a documentary on Trevor’s recovery by filmmaker Sue Rideout. The story follows Trevor after release from 13 months at Vancouver General Hospital until we moved back home to BC.

Trevor and I can be reached on facebook for anyone that doesn’t have our contact information.

Debbie, Trevor and Grace

None

Just Say No To A.J. Burnett

Up in the middle of the night, I caught Chris Carlin on WFAN 660 going off his rocker at 5:00 am over the idea that the Yankees and Red Sox going after A.J. Burnett. Why? Look to his stats:

  • He has never won even 13 games in his career. Other than last year.
  • He is a perpetual disabled list player.
  • He is his 2007 Jays season: “Burnett was the only pitcher to make all his starts through the first two months of the season. In that period, Burnett posted a 3.98 ERA, throwing 71.0 innings. Unfortunately, Burnett missed 48 games during two stints on the disabled list, finishing the season 10-8 with an ERA of 3.75.”
  • His stats as a Jays pitcher peak against the Yankees and the Sox meaning that if the Yanks take him his estimated ERA based on past performance should go up almost half a run.
  • Otherwise high ERA compared to wins.

I would add he sucks. That is entirely subjective, of course, but – by that I mean he is no iron man. Not the man to pass the ball to. The never-won-a-big-game pitcher. Not only does he suck, I think he is a suck, a sook and also sucky and perhaps sookey – all quite different characteristics. In a way, he is the utterly complete Jays player: skilled, not committed, looking past the job, a specialist in underachieving and, you know, sucktastic. Happy to be proven wrong. If he is a Sox and plays well like Julian Tavarez did once, I will eat my words.

But I hope the Sox are just winding up the Yankees and inflating the price that might be paid by pretending they are in the market. I wouldn’t mind a return of Derek Lowe, however. That would be interesting.

None

Jay’s Party Of One On Free Speech

Being the leftist libertarian that I am, I have a certain affinity for what Jay is writing about these days, like this one, on the theme on better regulation of the regulation of free speech – though we are not on the same page in any ways and I think he wanders in unnecessary and potentially unhelpful areas. And I wrote the following comment and, being uncaffeinated as yet, thought it worth saving as I suspect Jay’s comment function may be unintentionally set back at “Abyss Mode”:

I was going to make a point about the third [class of free speech protections – libel, copyright and incitement arguments]. You can’t say that it is not the role of the state when it reaches inciting hatred as that is at the extreme criminal law and at a lesser point still within mischief or breach of the peace. But all enforceable by the state though the court and police systems and not administrative tribunals. And libel is not about property, it is about reputation – though they are connected. Civil society has a layer of regulation that is about decency on a human to human level. Loss of that respect leads to many wrongs including potential loss of property values. But it is not limited to that. A poor and unknown person without wealth can be libeled if, through the status, dignity is denigrated. This becomes a useful tool in creating a civic identity and standards of speech and interrelation – not socialism but civic republicanism. Without that, there is only true moral relativism, that Satan spawn of Ayn Rand’s wacko ideas.

See, libertarians will never admit that they are the actual source of moral relativism, the loss of community standards of decency and acceptability that carries with it a myriad of complications. Well, I suppose that that is because libertarians will admit nothing, it being just a selfish day dream in the guise of a philosophy wrapped in the illusion of a political theory.

None

Friday Bullets For Your Mid-November

I am finally getting used to the clocks changing. I suppose I am getting used to the Obama victory and maybe even the Harper one, too. Maybe even getting used to not being half my age now that I think of it. Is autumn the season of acceptance? Do we rage or go quietly into these dark nights and mornings? Quietly I think. Placated by the promise of Christmas buffets to come. Visions of heaping plates with both ham and turkey with, yes please, gravy over both. Finding the brussles sprouts with bacon amongst the covered trays.

  • Sometimes I am amazed by the detail and effort given to high school sports coverage in small town America.
  • Speaking of the near and international, who knew about Galloo? You can now own it.
  • One thing I would buy if I could.
  • Remember when the choice was between green shift and the call to be square and prudent? Given the circumstances being foisted, I am not all that uncomfortable with square and prudent. You? But isn’t selling and leasing back a shell game?
  • Iggy. Let us consider Iggy. The Ig-meister. The Iggy-tron. Is there enough new or even known to make him compelling? He certainly wears the clever clogs but wasn’t the last guy a professor, too?
  • Now we know where the aliens who one day will destroy us live.
  • Jay has had enough. He has invented his own right-of-right party and I have to say I approve. The more splintering schizmists the better. Sure I wouldn’t vote for 66% of it but that is not the point. Conservatives have been duped out of the 1980s Preston Manning vision in the wilderness – even now by Preston Manning as far as I can tell – and they have every right to feel ripped off even if the drive to the right proposed will place them exactly back where Preston sat – nowhere’sville.
  • On a related note, isn’t it somewhat comforting that Chretien had the decency not to create a think tank in his name given how little Manning’s is actually being listened to by the new breed of moderat-o-conservatives?
  • Has Ian got a point?

I offered to make lunch for a meeting tomorrow that had been set for 18-20 but which is looking like 45 now. I am a church lady. I dream of failing to fill sandwich trays. I email myself webpages with sandwich making hints. Then I am going to see Dylan tomorrow night. A very odd day is in the works. I need to find ear plugs.

None

Group Project: Separation Of Church And State

Interesting question Ian poses: if a church in the US advocates for a certain political position, should it lose tax exempt status? What are the issues? Would it not be better for churches to stand on their own? Isn’t tax freedom a form of state support? As a somewhat recently reconfirmed church-goer in another country, I really only have observer status but it’s an interesting question.

None

Because Not Only Fruitnut Cakes Have Opinions…

Lots of weirdness in the air. The forces of fear. The forces for security. But there is also an undeniable hope afoot – if you are still able to recognize hope – with those who are about to vote for Barak Obama tomorrow as this column by Andrew Sullivan illustrates, especially in this concluding passage:

…there is something about his rise that is also supremely American, a reminder of why so many of us love this country so passionately and are filled with such grief at what has been done to it and in its name. I endorse Barack Obama because I will not give up on America, because I believe in America, and in her constitution and decency and character and strength.

Now, to watch McCain introduce the SNL Political Bash 2008. He needs more TV time. He has to be the best straight man politician going. Him and Steve Martin. That would be a good team. Good like the supporting the constitution good. If, you know, you live in a western democracy.

None

Isn’t It Time To Decriminalize Low Level “Smuggling”?

An interesting story in the Toronto Star about how Canadian border guards suspect the new Nexus fast-track ID card is a conduit for smuggling:

The cards, along with so-called Fast cards used by truckers, are issued by both American and Canadian authorities to travellers who are deemed low-risk after screening. But an internal evaluation by the Canada Border Services Agency found that front-line officers have seen too many card-carrying travellers cheating. As a result, they’ve lost faith in the system. “There is a common perception among BSOs (border services officers) that individuals in the trusted traveller programs are not low risk and that they are not more compliant than others,” says the study.

I cross the border a lot because I like to go beer and hoodie shopping, I like to weekend in upstate New York when there is enough money in the piggy bank and I like to go to Maine in the summer to see friends. That means we bring back stuff and we declare everything. But sometimes I have declared 12 beer and been asked to pay $3.57. On other occasions, we have brought back 500 buck worth of beer, a canoe, bags of LLB clothes or sacks of groceries and paid nothing because of the number of people in the car and that we stayed over 48 hours.

Why? There is nothing tied to my time in the US that makes an economic impact in Canada – unless we are a country that imposes tax on me to keep me from traveling. The 48 hour rule actually keeps me in the states longer. And I have a mobility right in the constitution. And I am a free person. Ought I not be able to travel as I wish and ought not border guards be freed up to fight terrorism and not count the number of 6-packs and ham sandwiches in mini-vans? Time to change.

This move might be a start but who the heck goes to duty free stores?

None