Hello everyone,
Chris has been making good progress through the week. Staying strong and eerily focused, sends a tingle up my back. I am still working hard at getting all the crap and red tape together to get him home in the near future. Really hope we can do this by summer and have all of it in place.
We are still waiting word or confirmation on the plan, which will bring Chris home to a place that will provide rehab and care equal to that of the Halvar Jonson Center, or an extension for the same at the Halvar Jonson Center. The Ministry of Health seems to be able to temporize very well and practises it to its utmost ability. The Health Minister himself has been very cozening in regards the accolades he receives in his dealing with issues that affect us all.
Looks as if the government and all the seemingly useless managers and directors of our medical system, do not feel he deserves a chance at life or that it is important that he be able to get home, the place he spent ten years away from gaining the knowledge he couldn’t get here so he could return and help this god-for-saken medical system.
Chris did not ask for this plight and those responsible for this happening as well as those who should be stepping up and helping at all costs (ICBC has been able to vitiate the insurance system just like the health ministry has to health care and our government to government services we all are entitled to), they seem to be able to walk away and not give it a second thought, funny these paper pushing puppets also are not able to complete a simple task at hand in a reasonable time frame.
When things get tough they hire a slimy lawyer from yesteryear to block all help? This still is grinding at me every day as they have nothing to gain by being so asinine, they gain some interest on money they owe, but at a cost of someone not having a chance at life.
Does this sound right to you, if not remember you bought insurance from these same people and you haven’t had the good fortune to deal with then yet.
To this day I have never received a request from any agency, government rep, or medical professional as to what our plans are for Chris and his rehab. The exception is the people and professionals at Halvar Jonson Center, they show this care and understanding on a daily basis, they share our worries daily and of course included in this group is the one doctor in BC, Dr. D, and the social worker who helped me with all the paper work to get Chris into HJC, they provided the aid and attention to the details when no one else would listen.
To these people I will be eternally grateful for the love, the understanding, the thoughtful gestures, the inspiring conversations and most of all the willingness to listen, thank you for the chances we have been given, although the fight is nowhere near ending they have been the vehicle and guidance to move forward. All of that combined with the never ending love and friendship I share with my son will drive me, to vivify not only his life but all those affected with brain injury and will continue to my last breath, with an inexorable attitude and determination.
The people I have met on this journey have inspired me and filled me with emotion.
Thinking on how fragile life is, and the unbearable, that is endured by not only Christopher and I, but by the families of the injured and the injured themselves as they struggle to make sense of all that has happened and hopefully never wonder if someone is carrying their hopes and their dreams forward as they try to heal.
The last thing anyone needs is more government interference and red tape if it is the one thing I accomplish through all of this, it will be to change the way the medical profession and health agencies and most of all, how our egregious Ministry of Health in its duplicity, refuses to acknowledge and deal with these victims in a caring and educated manner. Correcting this has become my job too, I refuse to look the other way, after delving into the fray of outdated and archaic health practises that are so top heavy with managers, of managers, of managers, of people who really do not have a clue what is going on around them.
Our society has accepted being lead down the path by doing what it is told by the so called professionals, we just didn’t know they are not as professional as we think at what they do, nor at how they do it. We the people need to make these so called professionals accountable for their decisions, actions and lack thereof as well as the outcomes that arise from such decisions.
Time has come to put a stop to it, to bring those who work with brain injury twenty steps into the future, by getting a more educated and open system that has health professionals with experience and not ego’s, as the job is, to heal and find solutions to the problem and not look over the shoulder as to who is finding it. The attention should always remain on the person and how to move forward with their care and solutions.
We so dearly need in British Columbia a Center similar in caring and understanding to that of which the Halvar Jonson Center emits and practises day in and day out. One that bridges the gap between acute care and the start of rehab, one that counsels and provides leadership in training families and friends as well as the health workers who would listen. Families are going to provide so much care in the future, care that the system cannot; it will remove a colossal burden on our already taxed system.
The government should be joining in with guns ablazing to provide help and get on board with educating families and professionals, as this initial investment in training and being human will pay dividends in the not too distant future, as well, it will give families and friends a purpose and ease of mind in the caring of those injured and in need of constant care.
Understanding this is not difficult it can be done by a ten year old; I know this for a fact, so why is it so hard to get the government and highly trained professionals on board and seeing past the end of their nose or elected life.
We have started a Society to look into research, programs and aid in helping those with Brain injury.
The Society is: Dr. Christopher Adam Bigelow Society for Brain Injury
We will be accepting donations to the society with the goal of opening a counselling and rehab center for those who cannot get help through regular channels.
Its main goal is education and training for those with Brain Injury and their family and friends.
Cheques should be made out to: Dr. Christopher Adam Bigelow Society for Brain Injury
Till next entry,
Kevin
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
End of March Update
Hello again,
Chris is doing great, his cold has passed and we are back to full blown exercise and he responds wonderfully to it. The pool was sorrowfully missed over the last week and half, but taking full advantage now. Table and standing time as well as bike time has increased when I am here. He really came out of the cold with flying colors looking healthier and stronger than before.
Sorry for the big breaks between updates, but there is not a whole lot to report. Still no word from the ministry, Fraser Health or anyone in BC Health system, the administration in Ponoka has been left high and dry without the courteousy of a call or updating them as to how things are progressing, kind of strange seeing as how they are the ones looking after his daily well being.
BC government with their fractious behaviour and lacklustre depth of concern must be in awe at the promises they have made, now that they know they do not have facilities like this at home. Trying to come close to imitate the level of expertise in Ponoka is probably making their heads spin, welcome to my world.
I must say that Health Minister Falcon has managed to vitiate this Province’s health system with no leadership or foresight. My inexorable zest for Chris’ well being will not be deterred by any of this fumbling or stalling. Will update as needed......
Till tomorrow,
Kevin
Chris is doing great, his cold has passed and we are back to full blown exercise and he responds wonderfully to it. The pool was sorrowfully missed over the last week and half, but taking full advantage now. Table and standing time as well as bike time has increased when I am here. He really came out of the cold with flying colors looking healthier and stronger than before.
Sorry for the big breaks between updates, but there is not a whole lot to report. Still no word from the ministry, Fraser Health or anyone in BC Health system, the administration in Ponoka has been left high and dry without the courteousy of a call or updating them as to how things are progressing, kind of strange seeing as how they are the ones looking after his daily well being.
BC government with their fractious behaviour and lacklustre depth of concern must be in awe at the promises they have made, now that they know they do not have facilities like this at home. Trying to come close to imitate the level of expertise in Ponoka is probably making their heads spin, welcome to my world.
I must say that Health Minister Falcon has managed to vitiate this Province’s health system with no leadership or foresight. My inexorable zest for Chris’ well being will not be deterred by any of this fumbling or stalling. Will update as needed......
Till tomorrow,
Kevin
Friday, March 19, 2010
Long week mid March
Hello,
Chris has had a cold for the last week and a half and was very tough on him. We have skipped the pool through this but have picked up more Physio and bike sessions with stretching to keep him mobile and moving and it has proven to be very good as he is responding well to all the extra work and is just dealing with the trailing effects of the cold.
Update has nothing new happening, no word yet, in fact HJC in Ponoka still has no formal info or request from the BC health ministry on an extension while Chris is there.
It is starting to look like the Health minister speaking up about something he has no idea about has placed his staff in a tight situation.
Putting down the great facility in Ponoka Alberta, by telling everyone we have places like that here in our hospitals while still shipping BC Patients there for treatment.
All the staff at Fraser Health and probably every citizen that has ever had to access Rehab services in this Province knows that no place like this exists in our Province.
It is not a case of not having enough smart and trained people in our Province it is a Health ministry that refuses to bring them together under one roof for a more productive and less stressful rehab experience by the injured.
With great rehab we save money in medical costs and hospital costs as well as lost work time the numbers are over whelming, but let’s follow our Health Minister who is so off the wall in his focus, who in his words “would bring in rich Americans to pay four times the cost for an operation” and that will solve all our problems??? What a clumsy, unintelligent comment to make with no plan or explanation. He will probably spend more money to figure out if what he said was true or will even work than it would take to reduce waiting times and access to programs that are needed now! Let’s quit fooling ourselves as long as we have puppets running social services and an idiot at the helm of our health care nothing is going to change.
The promise to bring Chris back to a mutually agreeable place with all the therapy he is getting in Ponoka is fading fast. The comments from the Health Minister was we have these places in BC and we will follow the recommendations given by Chris; doctors in Alberta and BC.
The Ministry of Health have had the letters and information for over four months now, continually threatening the cancellation of his therapy, we have had two teleconferences with umpteen professionals present (I use that term loosely) and still they are asking for more information and fence sitting.
While all the high priced help in Fraser Health realize how much it will cost and have now taken six weeks to look over all the info from the last Teleconference that was to produce an answer in a week? Still they have not made a decision, it is looking like the plan was to talk the talk promise whatever it took to keep things quiet over the Olympics and now that things have slowed down and all those we pay to work in this Province are back at work and not watching or rubbing shoulders at the events. A simple plan to sit with me and talk over what is needed would save tax payers a fortune but as we know it only matters that we spend our budgets and then bitch about what we don’t have. With all the doubled up management, social workers, a health ministry out of touch with reality and bosses who have bosses who have bosses to answer to, how the hell can a regular citizen of this Province and country get the help they need.
Less bullshit, less people with titles who really don’t understand their jobs let alone what people need. It is amazing that in a system that really is dysfunctional that we need that many dysfunctional workers to man it. There is so little spent and done on behalf of the sick and injured they should only need a couple of people with a NO stamp to emboss all letters of hope or help.
Get rid of the extra baggage, put people who understand health care in place to manage and work in it. In most cases it would seem that we hire by how much a person makes not by how much he knows, in our governments case that would mean the more we can pay you the more you will tow the line and do what we tell you. Screw the people, maybe when they manage ignore the needs of enough of us we will stand together and force the change.
Remember as we all age our bones will not heal as fast or as well, in the system we now have if you don’t get better quickly you to will end up in extended care in front of a TV, and if someone is not watching their every move your health will deteriorate and soon you will no longer be a problem to the system!!!
I have more to say on ICBC but another day, just keep in mind the insurance you think you have, will prove to be useless when you need it the most.
Enjoy paying the highest premiums in the country for something that does not work? You will be lucky if you can collect even 50% of what you think you can. Not to mention the medical help you may require.
Kevin
Chris has had a cold for the last week and a half and was very tough on him. We have skipped the pool through this but have picked up more Physio and bike sessions with stretching to keep him mobile and moving and it has proven to be very good as he is responding well to all the extra work and is just dealing with the trailing effects of the cold.
Update has nothing new happening, no word yet, in fact HJC in Ponoka still has no formal info or request from the BC health ministry on an extension while Chris is there.
It is starting to look like the Health minister speaking up about something he has no idea about has placed his staff in a tight situation.
Putting down the great facility in Ponoka Alberta, by telling everyone we have places like that here in our hospitals while still shipping BC Patients there for treatment.
All the staff at Fraser Health and probably every citizen that has ever had to access Rehab services in this Province knows that no place like this exists in our Province.
It is not a case of not having enough smart and trained people in our Province it is a Health ministry that refuses to bring them together under one roof for a more productive and less stressful rehab experience by the injured.
With great rehab we save money in medical costs and hospital costs as well as lost work time the numbers are over whelming, but let’s follow our Health Minister who is so off the wall in his focus, who in his words “would bring in rich Americans to pay four times the cost for an operation” and that will solve all our problems??? What a clumsy, unintelligent comment to make with no plan or explanation. He will probably spend more money to figure out if what he said was true or will even work than it would take to reduce waiting times and access to programs that are needed now! Let’s quit fooling ourselves as long as we have puppets running social services and an idiot at the helm of our health care nothing is going to change.
The promise to bring Chris back to a mutually agreeable place with all the therapy he is getting in Ponoka is fading fast. The comments from the Health Minister was we have these places in BC and we will follow the recommendations given by Chris; doctors in Alberta and BC.
The Ministry of Health have had the letters and information for over four months now, continually threatening the cancellation of his therapy, we have had two teleconferences with umpteen professionals present (I use that term loosely) and still they are asking for more information and fence sitting.
While all the high priced help in Fraser Health realize how much it will cost and have now taken six weeks to look over all the info from the last Teleconference that was to produce an answer in a week? Still they have not made a decision, it is looking like the plan was to talk the talk promise whatever it took to keep things quiet over the Olympics and now that things have slowed down and all those we pay to work in this Province are back at work and not watching or rubbing shoulders at the events. A simple plan to sit with me and talk over what is needed would save tax payers a fortune but as we know it only matters that we spend our budgets and then bitch about what we don’t have. With all the doubled up management, social workers, a health ministry out of touch with reality and bosses who have bosses who have bosses to answer to, how the hell can a regular citizen of this Province and country get the help they need.
Less bullshit, less people with titles who really don’t understand their jobs let alone what people need. It is amazing that in a system that really is dysfunctional that we need that many dysfunctional workers to man it. There is so little spent and done on behalf of the sick and injured they should only need a couple of people with a NO stamp to emboss all letters of hope or help.
Get rid of the extra baggage, put people who understand health care in place to manage and work in it. In most cases it would seem that we hire by how much a person makes not by how much he knows, in our governments case that would mean the more we can pay you the more you will tow the line and do what we tell you. Screw the people, maybe when they manage ignore the needs of enough of us we will stand together and force the change.
Remember as we all age our bones will not heal as fast or as well, in the system we now have if you don’t get better quickly you to will end up in extended care in front of a TV, and if someone is not watching their every move your health will deteriorate and soon you will no longer be a problem to the system!!!
I have more to say on ICBC but another day, just keep in mind the insurance you think you have, will prove to be useless when you need it the most.
Enjoy paying the highest premiums in the country for something that does not work? You will be lucky if you can collect even 50% of what you think you can. Not to mention the medical help you may require.
Kevin
Friday, March 12, 2010
Friday, 12th March
Hello,
Not much to tell as of today, still no word on Fraser Health's and the Health Ministry's commitment to changing things and making this rehab work at home hmmmmm!
We will wait and wait some more because that's all we can do at the moment.
Chris has caught a cold as of Sunday and had a pretty rough few days early in the week. X-ray shows nothing conclusive but he is on antibiotics just because all things pointed there. He is doing better this morning rough coughs and pretty wiped out, we have skipped the pool Thursday and Friday. We are doing standing and light movements and will do chest therapy this afternoon and each day until it clears up.
Wish we could be home and dealing with all this stuff.
Fingers crossed and moving forward we will update as things transpire,
Bye for now,
Kevin
Not much to tell as of today, still no word on Fraser Health's and the Health Ministry's commitment to changing things and making this rehab work at home hmmmmm!
We will wait and wait some more because that's all we can do at the moment.
Chris has caught a cold as of Sunday and had a pretty rough few days early in the week. X-ray shows nothing conclusive but he is on antibiotics just because all things pointed there. He is doing better this morning rough coughs and pretty wiped out, we have skipped the pool Thursday and Friday. We are doing standing and light movements and will do chest therapy this afternoon and each day until it clears up.
Wish we could be home and dealing with all this stuff.
Fingers crossed and moving forward we will update as things transpire,
Bye for now,
Kevin
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Uncle Robert and Aunt Helen's Visit
This posting is a copy of the note Chris' Aunt sent and asked if it could be posted.
So Here it is:
Mar 9 2010
Our weekend with Christopher…Rob & I went to Ponoka on Friday morning to spend the weekend with Chris. We didn’t arrive until late morning so we missed his pool session but hear it was a good one. We did arrive in time to witness him on the tilt table and going through a work out. I helped Kevin and the therapist assistant with his squats…it was amazing to witness. He was on the table at an angle and they let him slide down into a squat position and then Chris used his legs to push himself up into a stretched out position. I could not believe the strength he had and how he responded so readily to the verbal commands…it was awesome.
After his squats they gave him different tasks to do with verbal commands. When Rob and I were there before we had done a few things with Chris to get responses from him and he cooperated but it did take a bit of time for him to complete a request. Both Rob & I were amazed at how quickly he responded this time; it is such an improvement… I took some video of him on the table and will see if we can get it posted on the blog.
It was great to see Kevin work with Chris...he could do this for a profession and be better than a lot of trained therapists.
Kevin then put Chris on the bike to exercise his legs but I think he was worn out from the swim and squats because he did not work as hard as he normally does.
Kevin, Shelley, Kylan & Gwen left for home Friday evening and we went back to visit with Chris for the evening. He watched a bit of hockey (Rob brought the Junior games from last year – Can vs USA and Can vs Sweden). Chris was a bit tired but did show interest in the game when he was awake.
Saturday was a beautiful day…the sun was shining and when it warmed up a bit we took Chris outside for a walk in the sun. We spent a lazy day visiting, reading and snoozing (even me). Chris went for a rest around 3 and we went for a bite to eat. We came back later and put the game on for Chris – someone wanted to watch a movie in the main area so we watched the game in Chris’s room. We only had a short visit with Chris on Sunday morning as we had to head back to get ready for the workweek.
All in all it was a great visit and it was super to see 1st hand the improvements in Chris. Seeing them on the TV or videos is not the same overwhelming feeling as being there.
So Here it is:
Mar 9 2010
Our weekend with Christopher…Rob & I went to Ponoka on Friday morning to spend the weekend with Chris. We didn’t arrive until late morning so we missed his pool session but hear it was a good one. We did arrive in time to witness him on the tilt table and going through a work out. I helped Kevin and the therapist assistant with his squats…it was amazing to witness. He was on the table at an angle and they let him slide down into a squat position and then Chris used his legs to push himself up into a stretched out position. I could not believe the strength he had and how he responded so readily to the verbal commands…it was awesome.
After his squats they gave him different tasks to do with verbal commands. When Rob and I were there before we had done a few things with Chris to get responses from him and he cooperated but it did take a bit of time for him to complete a request. Both Rob & I were amazed at how quickly he responded this time; it is such an improvement… I took some video of him on the table and will see if we can get it posted on the blog.
It was great to see Kevin work with Chris...he could do this for a profession and be better than a lot of trained therapists.
Kevin then put Chris on the bike to exercise his legs but I think he was worn out from the swim and squats because he did not work as hard as he normally does.
Kevin, Shelley, Kylan & Gwen left for home Friday evening and we went back to visit with Chris for the evening. He watched a bit of hockey (Rob brought the Junior games from last year – Can vs USA and Can vs Sweden). Chris was a bit tired but did show interest in the game when he was awake.
Saturday was a beautiful day…the sun was shining and when it warmed up a bit we took Chris outside for a walk in the sun. We spent a lazy day visiting, reading and snoozing (even me). Chris went for a rest around 3 and we went for a bite to eat. We came back later and put the game on for Chris – someone wanted to watch a movie in the main area so we watched the game in Chris’s room. We only had a short visit with Chris on Sunday morning as we had to head back to get ready for the workweek.
All in all it was a great visit and it was super to see 1st hand the improvements in Chris. Seeing them on the TV or videos is not the same overwhelming feeling as being there.
Quick update
Hi Again,
Yes it has been awhile, although I think there was a problem with the blog late last week I could not post for the last couple of days.
First Chris is doing well and still moving forward with therapy, more specific things being addressed by OT and Physio to design some useable formats for the equipment they use, so we can do the same when we get home. Pool is still great and the weather has been surprisingly good warm days and cool nights.
Other things.... Still no word from the ministry or Fraser Health on what is going on???
It has been a month since our last meeting, I do not know what the holdup is but I can assure you there are probably twelve people trying make the decisions that only a couple should make.
I still con not believe they would not call with an update or to let us know what is going on, as we hang in there every day waiting for a word, gets to be a little much.
Still looking for that elusive house, after not being able to get ICBC to step up and help out.
Really makes you wonder why you have to pay one of the highest rates in the country for some of the worst coverage and arrogant people.
I will have more to say on this topic very shortly in fact it may be part of the next news story. Hopefully it will help to enlighten people on what they can start doing now to fight back and get what they are entitled to. We have to keep in mind that there are two different sides too ICBC or so it looks on paper.
They are the Part 7 no fault medical coverage that every person in the Province is entitled to if involved in a motor vehicle accident, even if it doesn’t happen in your province or country.
Then there is the tort side that involves lots of lawyers and experts it is they who really profit from someone’s pain and yes every now and then there is a good outcome. I am thinking more are on the bad side than good. So many people do not get proper information or counselling as to how to access this coverage, maybe the insurance company should be informing and educating people on this early on whenever there is a bodily injury, after all we pay for it.
Kevin
Yes it has been awhile, although I think there was a problem with the blog late last week I could not post for the last couple of days.
First Chris is doing well and still moving forward with therapy, more specific things being addressed by OT and Physio to design some useable formats for the equipment they use, so we can do the same when we get home. Pool is still great and the weather has been surprisingly good warm days and cool nights.
Other things.... Still no word from the ministry or Fraser Health on what is going on???
It has been a month since our last meeting, I do not know what the holdup is but I can assure you there are probably twelve people trying make the decisions that only a couple should make.
I still con not believe they would not call with an update or to let us know what is going on, as we hang in there every day waiting for a word, gets to be a little much.
Still looking for that elusive house, after not being able to get ICBC to step up and help out.
Really makes you wonder why you have to pay one of the highest rates in the country for some of the worst coverage and arrogant people.
I will have more to say on this topic very shortly in fact it may be part of the next news story. Hopefully it will help to enlighten people on what they can start doing now to fight back and get what they are entitled to. We have to keep in mind that there are two different sides too ICBC or so it looks on paper.
They are the Part 7 no fault medical coverage that every person in the Province is entitled to if involved in a motor vehicle accident, even if it doesn’t happen in your province or country.
Then there is the tort side that involves lots of lawyers and experts it is they who really profit from someone’s pain and yes every now and then there is a good outcome. I am thinking more are on the bad side than good. So many people do not get proper information or counselling as to how to access this coverage, maybe the insurance company should be informing and educating people on this early on whenever there is a bodily injury, after all we pay for it.
Kevin
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