September 15, 2010

There were 3 posts published on September 15, 2010 (this is page 1 of 1).

Moving quickly

I was just marveling to Kelly tonight about how quickly my life has been moving. So much has happened just in the past month that I would hardly recognize my life a month ago. Two months ago is even more of a difference, and the past year has been nothing short of transformational.

With the huge exception of Gerry’s passing it’s mostly been good, and even Gerry’s death has spurred my growth. These lessons are not necessarily the way I wanted to learn them but you have to take what life gives you, I suppose.

I guess I can stop asking the question “when does life slow down,” because to date it has only sped up for me. I have a hunch that the trend will continue!

CTE brain injuries

I read the sad story of Penn football player Owen Thomas’s recent suicide and its possible connection to Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or CTE, is a degenerative brain disease brought on by repeated concussions. It can lead to a host of mental issues: depression, memory loss, aggression, confusion, and dementia. There is evidence that Lou Gehrig died of CTE and not Lou Gehrig’s Disease. I hadn’t heard of CTE before yesterday’s article.

Kelly and I are convinced we’re both on the fast track to dementia, thanks to a history of concussions. As a kid, I routinely received concussions from falling out of bed, and to protest being left in my crib I would repeatedly bang my head against the wall. I like to think I got smarter and less destructive as I grew older.

I do have days when little details don’t come to me the way they should, but I’m sure everybody experiences that once in a while. The question I want to know is whether CTE can be diagnosed without a peek at brain tissue as I’m still using my brain, addled as it may sometimes be. Regardless, I’m happy to see that knowledge about the brain is progressing so rapidly.