The new categories are:

Bear Grylls

In its original incarnation, before it was edited, Man vs. Wild was the best television show I ever saw. It was incredible! I became hooked after my first episode. The Discovery Channel exploited my weakness with daily reruns, which began to interfere with my life. I just could not stop watching Bear Grylls.

When I was not watching Man vs. Wild, I spent far too much time surfing the Web to learn more about Bear Grylls. I became an even bigger fan of Grylls, after visiting his blog, and viewing the prominently displayed photos of his wife and child. I thought, “Wow!” — this guy travels all over the world, probably has groupies on several continents, yet he remains a loyal husband, and devoted Dad. What a nice fellow!

I became an even bigger fan, after reading about his 1996 parachuting accident, which fractured his spine in three places. I was once badly injured in a car accident, and did not walk for a year, so I know what it is life to recover from a devastating injury. I can walk without a limp today, and even run, primarily because I had a great surgeon, Fred L. Allman, Jr., but also because I went to physical therapy almost every day. Dr. Allman, and his staff, could restore your mobility, but only if you cooperated with them and “joined the program.” They also made sure that patients who showed up for the painful process, saw happened to the delinquents too. “No pain, no gain” is really true.

However, recovery is much more than being able to walk. I drove a 1986 Chevette about forty miles to reach Dr. Allman, the last few in Atlanta (big city) traffic. I initially had to drive with a very heavy hip–to–ankle cast on my right leg. My Chevette had a floor shifter in the middle, so I had to drape my plaster–casted right leg over the hump, and drive with my left leg. On my second trip to PT, my little Chevette was hit in the passenger door, and I never wanted to drive again. Jayne said, “You better get over it, because I’m not driving you.” So I was back on the road, with a dented passenger door, the following day.

In 1996, Bear Grylls broke his back in three places, when his parachute malfunctioned while skydiving. In 2007, Bear Grylls stars on a television show, where he jumps out of plane at the beginning of each episode. Bear Grylls has recovered mentally, as well as physically, and what could be better than that?

After watching Grylls, I began working out again, and eating healthier food too. I got into my best shape in a decade. I wrote more about Bear Grylls, after Man vs. Wild went off the air. Writing filled the time, which I used to spend watching Man vs. Wild reruns.

I was extremely disappointed that Bear Grylls did not make a public apology after he was caught lying. In case you missed it, Bear Grylls’s only response, came several weeks later, on his blog:

Re: the recent press accusations of motels and stagings in the show that have been doing the rounds, all I can say is they don’t always tell the full story, but that’s life and part of being in the public eye I guess.

My opinion of Bear Grylls as a human being, has dropped considerably, because of the way he lied, and misrepresented himself. The new, unexpurgated, version of Man vs. Wild, is disappointing too.

During one episode, (Scotland?) Bear Grylls discusses the large population of rabbits in the area, and creates a trap out of his shoelace and a few twigs, hoping to catch one to eat. Later in that episode, Bear Grylls pulls a large rabbit out of his incredibly brilliant trap, and cooks it, for a sumptuous meal.

It was great! Imagine if you were out in the wilderness, would you be able to catch a rabbit, using only a shoelace and a few twigs? Would you be able to dine on rabbit, and sleep in one of those incredible shelters that Bear Grylls constructs of branches and vines?

Of course not! But I believed that Bear Grylls could do it, and that is what made him so special.

I will write more about Bear Grylls. Man vs. Wild is still pretty good, but it is no longer the greatest television show I have ever watched.

Learning

“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.
—Henry Ford

Learning is comprised of the former “Blogging” and “Tech” categories. I am planning to take Sun’s Web Component Developer, certification exam in a few months, and this is where I will to write about it.

I also want to write more about blogging, perhaps the details of the Where Did My Brain Go? makeover.

Musings

Musings is where you can find my “real” writing. It is also a good place for you to write something too. Just keep it clean.

Note: Although I do not have a PICS rating, Where Did My Brain Go? contains no foul language, or salacious content. My children can read anything on Where Did My Brain Go? and your children can too.

News

I moved everything about Bear Grylls, the NY Giants, and TBI to their respective categories, which makes Where Did My Brain Go? much easier to navigate.

NY Giants

As a lifelong fan of the The New York Football Giants, I simply had to write something, when they finally won a game. Now I think the New York Giants will win Super Bowl LXI, let’s see.

According to Google, I am the only person on the Web who says that The New York Giants will win Super Bowl XLII.

The Giants only have to win another thirteen games in a row to reach The Super Bowl!

Go Giants!

T B I

TBI is an acronym for Traumatic Brain Injury.
I suffered a TBI in 1986, from a car accident. I am constantly amazed, at the incredible ignorance of physicians, when it comes to diagnosing and treating a TBI. For example, I did not know that I had a brain injury until 1998, twelve years later, and I was married to a physician at the time of the accident!

I did not (knowingly) meet others with traumatic brain injuries, until 2005, when I attended my first meeting of a brain injury support group, at Cardinal Hill Hospital, here in Lexington, Kentucky.

I became inquisitive after the meeting, and decided to learn more about traumatic brain injuries. First, I learned that TBI is known as “the signature injury” of the Iraq war. Basically, the number of soldiers with traumatic brain injuries increases, as the quality of body armor, and Kevlar helmets improves. America’s body armor and Kevlar helmets save more lives than ever. Unfortunately, many of those soldiers, who survive with their bodies intact, are left with scrambled eggs for a brain.

This research led to two more questions:

1. Who is treating these soldiers?
2. How is Congress helping?

You can find answers to those questions in my TBI section.

I am taking a break from writing about traumatic brain injuries for awhile.

More Categories?

Please let me know if you would like me to add content about a specific subject, or know a better way to organize Where Did My Brain Go?

On August 29, 2006, the Raleigh (NC) News & Observer, published, “Brain injury budget faces cut: Military research, treatment at risk.” by Jay Price, which began, “Brain injuries are so common among U.S. troops that they’re called the signature injury of the Iraq war, but Congress is poised to cut military spending on researching and treating them.”

It went on to say that, “Pentagon budget experts did not respond Monday to a request for information on why they had not sought more money.”

It also featured quotes from Dr. Zitnay, and a soldier.

“It’s just ridiculous,” said Sgt. Maj. Colin Rich, a Fort Bragg soldier who has been legally blind since he was shot in the head while serving in Afghanistan in 2002. “Whoever is cutting the budget must have a head injury themselves.” “With the bombs, the gunshot wounds and everything else, their plate is full,” he said. “They need that money.”

It referenced Dr. Zitnay several times, including:

Even in peacetime, Zitnay said, military personnel suffer about 11,000 head injuries a year. Such injuries are common at Fort Bragg, where paratroopers are frequently hurt in parachute jumps.

And concluded with:

Zitnay said that given the nature of current fighting, the money is vital. Because brain injuries can require lifelong care, the need for money to treat the injuries doesn’t stop when injured troops are discharged from the hospital. “I can’t put a Band-Aid on it and say, ‘Here, you’re well,’ ” Zitnay said.