"I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. 'Tis the business of little minds to shrink; but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death." --Thomas Paine
Thank you to all the brave men and women who are fighting and have fought and died for this county and a special thanks to those heroes whose faces we no longer see and voices we no longer hear.
MH
Monday, May 30, 2011
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Sunday, May 22, 2011
New Breakthrough
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/05/19/paralyzed-man-freely-moves-getting-implant/
I love the fact that Dr. McDonald was the go-to voice of authority on this issue, even though he wasn't involved in this case.
Paralyzed Man Freely Moves After Getting Implant
Published May 19, 2011
| Associated Press
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LONDON – After Rob Summers was paralyzed below the chest in a car accident in 2006, his doctors told him he would never stand again. They were wrong.
Despite intensive physical therapy for three years, Summers' condition hadn't improved. So in 2009, doctors implanted an electrical stimulator onto the lining of his spinal cord to try waking up his damaged nervous system. Within days, Summers, 25, stood without help. Months later, he wiggled his toes, moved his knees, ankles and hips, and was able to take a few steps on a treadmill.
"It was the most incredible feeling," said Summers, of Portland, Oregon. "After not being able to move for four years, I thought things could finally change."
Still, despite his renewed optimism, Summers can't stand when he's not in a therapy session with the stimulator turned on, and he normally gets around in a wheelchair. Doctors are currently limiting his use of the device to several hours at a time.
His case is described in a paper published Friday in the journal, Lancet. The research was paid for by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.
This 2010 photo provided by Rob Summers shows Summers, center, receiving intensive physical therapy in Louisville, Ky. Summers was paralyzed below the neck in a 2006 car accident and in 2009, doctors decided to implant an electrical stimulator onto his spinal cord to try waking up his damaged nervous system. Summers is now able to stand and move during therapy sessions with the stimulator turned on. (AP Photo/Courtesy of Rob Summers)
For years, certain people with incomplete spinal cord injuries, who have some control of their limbs, have experienced some improvement after experiments to electrically stimulate their muscles. But such progress had not been seen before in someone with a complete spinal cord injury.
"This is not a cure, but it could lead to improved functionality in some patients," said Gregoire Courtine, head of experimental neurorehabilitation at the University of Zurich. He was not connected to Summers' case. Courtine cautioned Summers' recovery didn't make any difference to the patient's daily life and that more research was needed to help paralyzed people regain enough mobility to make a difference in their normal routines.
The electrical stimulator surgeons implanted onto Summers' spinal cord is usually used to relieve pain and can cost up to $20,000. Summers' doctors implanted it lower than normal, onto the very bottom of his vertebrae.
"The stimulator sends a general signal to the spinal cord to walk or stand," said Dr. Susan Harkema, rehabilitation research director at the Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center in Louisville and the Lancet study's lead author.
Harkema and her colleagues were surprised Summers was able to voluntarily move his legs. "That tells us we can access the circuitry of the nervous system, which opens up a whole new avenue for us to address paralysis," Harkema said. She said prescribing drugs might also speed recovery.
Dr. John McDonald, director of the International Center for Spinal Cord Injury at Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, said the strategy could be rapidly adopted for the 10 to 15 percent of paralyzed patients who might benefit. He was not connected to the Summers case.
"There is no question we will do this for our patients," he said. McDonald added that since the electrical stimulators are already approved for pain relief, it shouldn't be difficult to also study them to help some patients regain movement.
For now, Summers does about two hours a day of physical therapy.
"My ultimate goal is to walk and run again," he said. "I believe anything is possible and that I will get out of my wheelchair one day."
That's nice...MH
I love the fact that Dr. McDonald was the go-to voice of authority on this issue, even though he wasn't involved in this case.
Paralyzed Man Freely Moves After Getting Implant
Published May 19, 2011
| Associated Press
Print Email Share Comments (14)
Text Size
LONDON – After Rob Summers was paralyzed below the chest in a car accident in 2006, his doctors told him he would never stand again. They were wrong.
Despite intensive physical therapy for three years, Summers' condition hadn't improved. So in 2009, doctors implanted an electrical stimulator onto the lining of his spinal cord to try waking up his damaged nervous system. Within days, Summers, 25, stood without help. Months later, he wiggled his toes, moved his knees, ankles and hips, and was able to take a few steps on a treadmill.
"It was the most incredible feeling," said Summers, of Portland, Oregon. "After not being able to move for four years, I thought things could finally change."
Still, despite his renewed optimism, Summers can't stand when he's not in a therapy session with the stimulator turned on, and he normally gets around in a wheelchair. Doctors are currently limiting his use of the device to several hours at a time.
His case is described in a paper published Friday in the journal, Lancet. The research was paid for by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.
This 2010 photo provided by Rob Summers shows Summers, center, receiving intensive physical therapy in Louisville, Ky. Summers was paralyzed below the neck in a 2006 car accident and in 2009, doctors decided to implant an electrical stimulator onto his spinal cord to try waking up his damaged nervous system. Summers is now able to stand and move during therapy sessions with the stimulator turned on. (AP Photo/Courtesy of Rob Summers)
For years, certain people with incomplete spinal cord injuries, who have some control of their limbs, have experienced some improvement after experiments to electrically stimulate their muscles. But such progress had not been seen before in someone with a complete spinal cord injury.
"This is not a cure, but it could lead to improved functionality in some patients," said Gregoire Courtine, head of experimental neurorehabilitation at the University of Zurich. He was not connected to Summers' case. Courtine cautioned Summers' recovery didn't make any difference to the patient's daily life and that more research was needed to help paralyzed people regain enough mobility to make a difference in their normal routines.
The electrical stimulator surgeons implanted onto Summers' spinal cord is usually used to relieve pain and can cost up to $20,000. Summers' doctors implanted it lower than normal, onto the very bottom of his vertebrae.
"The stimulator sends a general signal to the spinal cord to walk or stand," said Dr. Susan Harkema, rehabilitation research director at the Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center in Louisville and the Lancet study's lead author.
Harkema and her colleagues were surprised Summers was able to voluntarily move his legs. "That tells us we can access the circuitry of the nervous system, which opens up a whole new avenue for us to address paralysis," Harkema said. She said prescribing drugs might also speed recovery.
Dr. John McDonald, director of the International Center for Spinal Cord Injury at Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, said the strategy could be rapidly adopted for the 10 to 15 percent of paralyzed patients who might benefit. He was not connected to the Summers case.
"There is no question we will do this for our patients," he said. McDonald added that since the electrical stimulators are already approved for pain relief, it shouldn't be difficult to also study them to help some patients regain movement.
For now, Summers does about two hours a day of physical therapy.
"My ultimate goal is to walk and run again," he said. "I believe anything is possible and that I will get out of my wheelchair one day."
That's nice...MH
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Ohhhhhhhhh Yeeeeaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!
It is not uncommon to hear of the untimely demise of talent in the world of professional wrestling. The past few years have been filled with the demise of some of the best to ever step inside of the squared circle. But, it is different when it is an ICON that you grew up watching. Someone you made a connection with. This past Friday, the wrestling universe lost one of the all time greats in the Macho Man Randy Savage!
Say what you want about professional wrestling, I am not here to defend it or beat it down either way. What I do wish to do is take the time to acknowledge a man who gave his all to an art he had his life embedded within...wrestling. Randy Savage WAS wrestling...whether it was for Vince's WWE(WWF back in his day) or Ted's WCW, Randy gave it his all!
Randy was larger than life. His entrance music...his ring attire...his promos...his manager Miss Elizabeth or Sensational Sherrie...and his in ring work were top notch. A better heel in my opinion than a face, Randy stood out among his peers. He had IT.
I was not always a Savage fan. My man was the Ultimate Warrior and I couldn't have been more pleased when Warrior took out Hogan at Wrestlemania VI. Warrior went on a run all the way into the Royal Rumble the following year. It was at that time that Savage was under the moniker of the Macho King and Warrior refused Savage a title shot. Thus, Savage cost Warrior the title at the Royal Rumble and my hatred of Savage truly began...I was unaware at this time that wrestling was scripted.
The two ended up squaring off at Wrestlemania in a retirement match. Savage brutally beat on the Warrior, but Warrior would not go down. After 5 elbow drops...Warrior bounced back...press slammed Savage...and pinned him. Savage had to retire.
Sherrie, his manager at the time, came out and began to beat down Savage. Who came in and made the save? Miss Elizabeth! Randy and Liz went on to get married at SummerSlam(though they were already married in real life) and Savage became forgiven in my heart.
Savage went on from there to have a pretty successful career in the WWE and WCW. He even eventually ended up in Hollywood appearing as Buzzsaw in Spiderman. Though he eventually walked away from wrestling and seemed to disappear from television, he never faded from the memory of his fans.
Like him or hate him, Randy Savage left a lasting impression on the wrestling community. His trademark voice and appearance are unrepeatable today. He will truly be missed by his family, friends, and fans.
So take the time today....raise a Slim Jim...and snap into it in honor of one of the greatest wrestlers of all time.
Ohhhhhhhhh Yeeeeeaaaaaaaahhhhh! DIG IT!
I'm thinking...JM
Say what you want about professional wrestling, I am not here to defend it or beat it down either way. What I do wish to do is take the time to acknowledge a man who gave his all to an art he had his life embedded within...wrestling. Randy Savage WAS wrestling...whether it was for Vince's WWE(WWF back in his day) or Ted's WCW, Randy gave it his all!
Randy was larger than life. His entrance music...his ring attire...his promos...his manager Miss Elizabeth or Sensational Sherrie...and his in ring work were top notch. A better heel in my opinion than a face, Randy stood out among his peers. He had IT.
I was not always a Savage fan. My man was the Ultimate Warrior and I couldn't have been more pleased when Warrior took out Hogan at Wrestlemania VI. Warrior went on a run all the way into the Royal Rumble the following year. It was at that time that Savage was under the moniker of the Macho King and Warrior refused Savage a title shot. Thus, Savage cost Warrior the title at the Royal Rumble and my hatred of Savage truly began...I was unaware at this time that wrestling was scripted.
The two ended up squaring off at Wrestlemania in a retirement match. Savage brutally beat on the Warrior, but Warrior would not go down. After 5 elbow drops...Warrior bounced back...press slammed Savage...and pinned him. Savage had to retire.
Sherrie, his manager at the time, came out and began to beat down Savage. Who came in and made the save? Miss Elizabeth! Randy and Liz went on to get married at SummerSlam(though they were already married in real life) and Savage became forgiven in my heart.
Savage went on from there to have a pretty successful career in the WWE and WCW. He even eventually ended up in Hollywood appearing as Buzzsaw in Spiderman. Though he eventually walked away from wrestling and seemed to disappear from television, he never faded from the memory of his fans.
Like him or hate him, Randy Savage left a lasting impression on the wrestling community. His trademark voice and appearance are unrepeatable today. He will truly be missed by his family, friends, and fans.
So take the time today....raise a Slim Jim...and snap into it in honor of one of the greatest wrestlers of all time.
Ohhhhhhhhh Yeeeeeaaaaaaaahhhhh! DIG IT!
I'm thinking...JM
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