October 18, 2006, 10:04 am

Could Soccer Be the Next Sport to Adopt Helmets

Okay, a pretty unlikely scenario, but Petr Cech, a Czech-born professional soccer player has been sidelined for an entire year due to his brain injury. Apparently, he collided with another soccer player, sending bone fragments splintering into his brain. Here’s a sobering blip from a teammate:

“Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann said a keeper will one day end up in a wheelchair unless more is done to protect them, the Times and Mail reported. “

This is actually a call for proactive–not reactive–prevention. The question is, how will goalkeepers be able to protect themselves in a sport that requires the use of a bare head to bang a ball around? Being soccerskill-deficient, I’ll leave that for soccer’s elite to answer.

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October 9, 2006, 1:34 pm

It's Fun to be at the C-M-S-A

After bouncing around the midwest this week, I’ll be landing at the Oklahoma Case Management Society of America’s annual conference in OKC, OK this Thursday and Friday. I’ll be looking forward to talking with Tracy Grammer, the new president of the OK Brain Injury Association–hopefully we can come up with a few ideas to reinvigorate the ailing advocacy scene in Oklahoma.

If you’re a case manager, please feel free to stop by and say hello. And if you’re reading this and interested in getting involved with the Oklahoma BIA, I invite to you send me an email me at mmason [[at]] brookhavenhospital [[dot]] com.

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October 4, 2006, 8:43 pm

Sex and TBI: Conference Talk Raises Questions

At the Southwest Conference for Disability in Albuquerque this morning, Dr. Gainer and I presented a talk entitled “Sex and the Single Synapse: Maintaining Intimacy and Social Role with TBI.” Most of the attendees were survivors who were generally interested in hearing about the issues that othes face with in their intimate relationships.

For me, the most compelling part of the talk was the Q&A that followed the presentation, in part because of the genuine need survivors expressed to be accepted and understood as sexual beings. It’s a sad reality that sexual needs are often ignored in rehab and clinical settings, and yet there are few other forums in which a survivor can raise the topic.

After the talk I was approached by a happy couple who had met following the TBI, and they thanked me for discussing sex in the context of brain injury. I encouraged them to be bold in their dealings with doctors and clinicians by asking them to discuss sexual health issues. If we initiate the conversation, I explained, we’re more likely to open the door for others to discuss their intimate needs as well.

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