A little reading material

Hello again,


A little reading material,

This site was forwarded to me with the comment “But who reads it?” I do appreciate the information it reinforces the fact that others are as concerned about the lack of resources and knowledge to deal with Brain Injury as I am, but feel the despair in the lack of acknowledgement of Brain Injury and what is needed. This report I believe was prepared around 2000-2002 and has little impact on the current way we deal with Brian Injury. It is a vicious circle as we try to identify and change, but spend valuable rehab dollars getting reports and studies to tell those, who are not listening or do not care, what they need to do to effect change. Time has come to fund the care givers and front line workers in Brain Injury so real change can happen!

It is a long read if you are up to it browse through see where your tax dollars are being spent but not providing any benefit!

http://www.health.gov.bc.ca/library/publications/year/2002/MHA_Brain_Injury_Guidelines.pdf 

Excerpts from the above:

For families and significant others, the effects are equally devastating. There is a struggle

to understand the full impact of the brain injury on the loved one, issues of grief, loss and intimacy, reorientation of roles and responsibilities within the family and the impact on one’s own coping skills and resourcefulness. The costs to society are enormous, not only for care, treatment and rehabilitation but also in lost productivity, the personal contribution to society and the generational impact on the community.

Persons with brain injury receive a range of services from acute care to institutional rehabilitation and community-based support services (who are they kidding). Acute care and hospital-based rehabilitation services for persons who have brain injuries are reasonably accessible in British Columbia (not in our province wonder where they investigated?). However, persons with brain injuries often (always) experience difficulties in obtaining the community services many of them subsequently require.

The estimates for traumatic brain injury (an injury to the brain resulting from a blunt instrument or other cause) range from 100/100,000 to 200/100,000. Using a rate of 150/100,000, this translates into about 6,000 traumatic brain injuries. Based on US statistics, about 20% of individuals will die as a result of a traumatic brain injury before reaching a hospital, which translates into a surviving 4,800 individuals with traumatic brain injuries in the province. Of these remaining 4,800 individuals, the following has been observed, based on US statistics:

• 3,840 will acquire a mild brain injury, requiring services in 10% to 18% of the cases (384 to 691);

• 480 will acquire a moderate brain injury and 7% (34) of these will die. Of the remaining 446, one-third (47) will have no disability and two-thirds (399) will have a disability; and,

• 480 will acquire a severe brain injury - 50% (240) will die. All the remaining 240 will have a disability.

Think of the odds if you are one of the 480 as Chris is, to survive and being able to start communicating when given the proper tools and assistance and support. This is where the government and Fraser Health wanted to shove him into care extended care home in front of a TV for the rest of his life. He is now showing us he is still the same Chris inside wanting to get out and tell his story, with his medical training I am surprised the fumbling and bungling has not killed him. This is exactly what is needed to change if you can fight through all the perils and percentages of death that we predict even though we are only guessing because we truly do not understand human capabilities and what we do not understand we make up or disregard.

My friends this is a lifetime fight not only for Chris and I but for all of you as you age or injuries happen in your life. We are all human and open to injury and having to deal with the system that does not work, but continues to spend all of our resources and most it with no accountability.

This leaves 1,023 to 1,330 people of all ages requiring rehabilitation every year as a result
of a traumatic brain injury. There is minimal data to determine exactly how many require services as a result of a non-traumatic brain injury. An estimate in Alberta places the number at 40% of the total number of individuals who receive a traumatic brain injury (409 to 532). Extrapolating this to the population in British Columbia, this brings the total to between 1,432 to 1,862 British Columbians requiring rehabilitation for Brain Injury services per year.

Chris is still striving to live, to be heard, to be understood and teaching us all what a fighter and believer he is through all of this despair and frightening experiences he has endured through the system.
Can you imagine having to go this alone, dealing with health authorities that tell you there is nothing they can do, and yet every step of this fight we have proven them wrong.
When will justice be served and those in postions of  abusing power and denying access be tossed and those with insight and knowledge be allowed to spread and bring badly needed change to this extremely underfunded area.

I would hope that all Chris’ dedication and commitment to medicine was not going to be lost after this terrible injury, I do now believe that Chris can make tremendous changes in the medical system from his first hand experience and fight.

We only have to think a few years ago at the vibrant, extremely smart, knowledgeable, and loving personality that was a part of our lives, none of that has changed, only we have, looking at him as though he is not the same or able to understand us.

Try giving him the time and love he showed all of us and he will still make you laugh, cry, and see another part of you that you don’t even know exists! Remember he is only a short drive away from any of us and is badly in need of all those familiar voices and friends he held so dear!!!!

Thank you again for your time and patients and most of all your understanding!

Kevin and Dr. Christopher Bigelow

Busy Summer

Hello all,

Not much to tell, therapy is going good not expanding as fast I would like, but the equipment we need we keep getting turned down for. Application after application we apply, it is as if someone on the government's end can't wait to say no.

The funny or not so funny part is that nowhere on the forms do they give you instructions or an explanation of why our applications are turned down, they do not give any contact information or numbers to call to inquire. We will keep striving and working hard to expand on what was already built with hard work and therapy Chris is getting stronger all the time and if need be we will have to raise more money privately for the equipment needed instead of waiting for months or years. It is quite apparent that the well being of an individual is not as important as keeping the budget and expenses to an unreasonable level.

How many of you have been left without? Or your family members or friends unable to get what they need to recover and heal, I'm sure it's in the thousands and thousands of people tossed aside without care or thought and yet our government justifies massive spending and huge projects but forget about the people that make up this place we value so much!

Updates will be more frequent as time permit thank you all for your patience and support.

Chris and Kevin

Going to a Wedding

Hello everyone,

Everything is still chugging along slowly but with direction. Got to get in a thank you for the staff at Connect for their care and understanding and caring as well as putting in the little bit extra help needed, you guys are fantastic!

Special thanks to JoAnne and her exceptional attention to detail.

Fraser Health I am sure are still spinning ways to get out, but after our last meeting they have been more helpful and obliging, at least one anyway!

Chris is doing great, equipment pieces and parts for everything are always in a state of almost here or almost fixed. I can hardly wait to get through the last of my work and back to taking care of it all my way, with the help of the extremely competent and caring therapists we have been brought together with. You do not have to settle for second or third best keep looking and talking there are lots of dedicated and bright therapists out there.

Chris is off to his cousin Bob’s wedding today, should be a great trip out and seeing all the family together. Times like this get me feeling down, then I am reminded of all that I have to be grateful for and making his dreams come as close as possible will always be the driving force behind what I do.

Will update how things went tomorrow got to go Chris is waiting!

Bye for now,

Kevin