My Pastor, The Rev. Canon Dr. Walter Bryce (Duke) Vipperman, died on Friday, 3 January 2020 from cancer at the age of 69. This is my eulogy of an ordinary, radical man. The sun shone on the church steps as Duke shook hands with congregants emerging through the ornery wood church doors. I hung back…
Tag: Brain injury
Eye Exam Time 2019
Three and a half years since my eye surgery and for the first time I had a fairly routine eye exam this week. Everything is stable. Even better, my reduced sensitivity to light is because things are improving not because I’m developing cataracts. Phew. And wow. I’d noticed after the surgery that my scarred eye…
Accessibility at the Opera
A friend and former vision mate worked with the choreographer to rehearse the dancers in the Canadian Opera Company’s production of Dvořák’s opera Rusalka and offered me two seats for the dress rehearsal. One tiny problem, well, two. I had no one to go with to help me to my seat. And once I found…
An Amazon Verified Purchaser Reviews Concussion Is Brain Injury: Five Stars
After a drought of online reviews, I’m blessed with a third five-star review! No words just a heart of thanks to the reviewers who saw my book in their email subscriptions, bought it, read it, and reviewed it. www.amazon.com/gp/aw/review/B075XJK767/R22S0XV2PUIHUF
I Read a Whole Chapter With Comprehension After Concussion
Surreal. I read an entire chapter, start to finish, using Lindamood-Bell visualizing and verbalizing method. First time since my brain injury. OMG! I got to the point of being able to read an entire chapter of The Screwtape Letters about 2 months ago but not in one go. Instead, I read for 5 minutes at…
Ground Hog Day?
BrainGirlAndCat does video blogging. She used to be on Twitter, and I came to know her through BIST, I think. The Brain Injury Society of Toronto recently tweeted out her latest video. BIST (@BrainInjuryTO) 2019-07-08, 9:45 AM “Every day is like Ground Hog Day,” From her home in Ireland, Brain Girl shares the story about…
Threads of Basketball Identity
Watching the Raptors ascend to the NBA Finals and, after a heart-fluttering and TV-remote-power-button-workout Game Six, the championship, I began to reconnect to faint traces of my old self. My Junior High self loved basketball. I’d avoid other sports in gym whenever I could. Volleyball locked up my finger joints. Floor hockey was a game…
Waiting
Something we’re all familiar with — waiting for a call. But after brain injury, it began to be a regular, daily, soul-sucking occurrence. “I’ll call you back.” Did they get my message? “She’s gone to bed.” It’s 9:00 pm. Is my phone connected? Picks up and hears dial tone. “I’m busy.” I feel so stupid,…
Health Takes A Month
I’m being a dutiful and safe adult and getting my shots. I’ve had my pneumonia one, Prevnar 13, and the two Shingrix ones, for shingles. Next up is my tetanus booster, and I’m seriously wondering: do I hafta‽ I will get it, but I need a few weeks of my health back first. Brain injury…