“Nearly 30,000 veterans have suffered some kind of traumatic brain injury in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq – an estimated 2,000 of them severe enough to put warriors into comas or leave them with severe disabilities. Yet eight years into the wars, testimony before Congress shows veterans still suffer yawning gaps in coverage for what has become the conflicts’ signature wound.”   (News & Observer, 5/23/2010)

“…part of Pittman’s brain has gone dormant, and on most days, he can’t think straight. He leaves the room and forgets what he was searching for. He gets migraines so piercing that his right eye wanders. Anger comes easily, inspiring rages that sometimes have his wife terrified for herself and the couple’s 3-year-old daughter.”

There may be snow on the ground today, but three days from now, the weather is forecasted to be perfect for riding: mid-50s, perfectly sunny, no chance of rain (or snow)!

The 50K and 100K Ride for the Rock is a fundraiser event for the Brain Injury Association of North Carolina (BIANC). It honors Mark Ornitz, who suffered a life-changing brain injury when he crashed headfirst into a telephone pole while trying to avoid a fallen rider.

There is still space for additional riders on our team… and, of course, donations are always welcome. For more information, contact Thomas Henson, HensonFuest cycling team leader, at ThomasHenson@www.lawmed.com.

Click here for the registration form.

I was hanging out at the pool this weekend, enjoying my Father’s Day outing with my six year old son, I watched him playing with his friends on a raft in the pool, and became concerned when they were too near the edge of the pool with a bunch of kids at once on the raft. While some may accuse me of being an overly paranoid parent, I could not help but think of what would happen if the raft were to turn over and one of the kids strike the side of their head on the concrete edge of the pool. The temporal area of the skull and brain is one of the most vulnerable to head injury, and that is the area of the head likely to hit the pool edge in that scenario. Please stay safe with your kids this summer, and do everything you can to minimize head injury.