@T: ALWAYS THE TWAIN

Today would have been my father’s 66^th birthday if he hadn’t passed away following a coma, induced by a fall and the resultant head injury. It’s also a year today that I posted the ‘Global Brain’ onto Google Knol, which has won every Knol community award possible. On top of that, Thanksgiving falls on this Thursday so it’s quite a day of triangulated serendipity and personal peace.

I was thinking about my father earlier this week because a story surfaced about Rom Houben, a Belgian engineering student, who was diagnosed to have been in a coma for 23 years and now seems to be communicating that he was conscious and could hear the entire time:

· http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,663022,00.html

· http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8378262.stm

· http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/11/24/coma.man.belgium/index.html

· http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Rom-Houben-Man-Trapped-In-23-Year-Coma-In-Belgium-Was-Conscious-Whole-Time/Article/200911415463106

· http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article6930608.ece

· http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/lizhunt/6649381/Rom-Houben-and-the-human-spirit-that-would-not-be-denied.html

· http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/23/man-trapped-coma-23-years

· http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-shermer/the-coma-man-hoax_b_371269.html

· http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/11/houben-communication/

As is clear in the Wired and Huffington Post articles, Houben’s story is not without its skeptics and detractors — particularly those who question the use of “facilitated communication” techniques and technologies and who liken his carer’s interpretations of Houben’s communiqués to be another form of Ouji board psychology.

However, personally, I’m a lot more interested in finding out about his neuroscientist, Dr. Steven Laureys’s, research and analysis at the Coma Science Group, Sart Tilman Liège University Hospital :

· http://www.coma.ulg.ac.be/home/steven.html

· http://fivanblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/conversation-with-dr-steven-laureys.html

· http://www.neurology.org/cgi/content/abstract/63/5/916

Several of the news articles mention that the Glasgow Coma Scale is the current established methodology for establishing consciousness via checking physiological responses (eye opening, motor response to pain stimulus, verbal response), and it is this test that I openly challenge is INSUFFICIENT for establishing whether a person is conscious or not.

MY FATHER’S STORY: HOW I KNOW MORE NEEDS TO BE RESEARCHED

Let me share again my father’s story. My family entrusted me with the responsibility of visiting my father and dealing with the doctors AND THANK GOODNESS IT WAS ME because if it was a person less aware, intelligent and thorough than me, then the doctors would have gotten away with a pitiful letter in which they stated that my father was “completely unresponsive” during his coma state.

As a matter of legal record, they later had to apologize for this statement and also for the trauma caused to my family throughout my father’s situation in coroner’s court.

When the coroner notified us that this was the hospital and the neurosurgery team’s account of events (my father was unconscious the whole time, they claimed) and the basis of why they thought there was no need to appear in the coroner’s court to explain any further the medical situation that befell my father, I immediately sent the coroner mobile phone videos I’d made which clearly showed that my father WAS RESPONSIVE, was aware of our presence and could hear us. I also sent the coroner transcripts of the conversations we’d tried to conduct with him and the expression changes in his face.

Initially, there was to be no appearances in the coroner’s court by any professional parties involved. My father’s case was supposed to be a simple letter to the family and case closed.

Needless to say, after I provided the evidence and my account, the neurosurgeon, the hospital trust representative (they were concerned about us taking legal action against them), the ambulance staff and the policeman who found my father collapsed on the streets ALL had to appear in the coroner’s court and account for themselves, under oath.

It’s from personal experience that I know the Glasgow coma scale, the ECGs and the MRI scans are insufficient and that the medical profession needs to explore additional tools and tests to establish human consciousness (physiological as it manifests in the limbs as well as a neural phenomenon).

This is why in the ‘Global Brain’ knol I make a reference to a model of consciousness that challenges the orthodoxy of what neuroscientists think we know about the brain and consciousness. Just because my father had lost his command of communication and physiological control of his limbs, did NOT mean he was unconscious. In my model of consciousness, I list these characteristics to define consciousness:

To this day, I remain convinced that my father could sense our presence — whether that was via hearing our voices or sensing our touch. I believe this because no doctor or nurse in the world (who regards the patient as a number on a ward, only drops by a patient’s bedside to conduct some insufficiently informative tests for 5 minutes and have no emotional history with that patient) are going to spot changes in the coma patient’s face when he recognizes and is cognizant of either the face, voice or touch of cultural inputs he’s familiar with.

The doctors and nurses are ignorant and not there when that happens.

However, family members who sit with their loved one all the hours permitted DO KNOW even the subtlest changes in the person’s face. Then when the mobile video evidence is provided that’s when the doctors and nurses apologize for writing ridiculous statements like the patient was “completely unresponsive” and a level of care which was not what it should have been.

In all probability I’ll contact Dr. Laureys and share my father’s story because becoming more informed about states of consciousness is important and will affect how the medical profession takes care of coma patients and communicate with their families. For example, the neurosurgeons told my mother and I that they had little hope of my father’s chances of survival right next to his hospital bed. That’s one of many procedures I’d change. Personally, I always worked on the belief and principle that my father could hear and sense us. Therefore, in my view, that comment by the doctors should NOT have been said in the same room as him, much less right next to his bed. I included that in my statement to the coroner too, which got another apology from the lead neurosurgeon.

My family was slightly apprehensive when I said I was not going to accept the hospital’s original letter and that it was not only an inaccurate account of my father’s final days, it was also disrespectful to my mother because the information they provided could not help her towards closure or proper grieving. In the end, everyone was glad I did get the professionals to appear at the coroner’s court and the hospital apologized to my mother. That means a lot.

I hope that all readers, whoever and wherever they are, will cherish the time they share with people they love and who are important to them — particularly today at Thanksgiving.

As for my father, I know he’s happy and at peace. We were there beside him and did what we could during his final days and thereafter. We showed love, care, humor, honor and respect.

This is going to be an ‘Inspirational People’ post that’s a wee bit different. The ‘Always the Twain’ blog is now a year old(!!!), so I feel it would be nice to remind readers of what I wrote on this day in 2008:

* http://www.alwaysthetwain.com/blogs/2008/11/16/gsoh-the-global-brain/

No, I’m not naming myself as my own inspirational person! I’m reminding us of great wits and comedians featured in that post who are, by their abilities to make others LOL and be happy, inspirational.

This week, there can only be one group nominated as my ‘Inspirational People’ — mostly because one of them prompted me about the situation I was emerging from around this time last year and I appreciate that the support, smarts and bonhomie of these Inspirational People played their part in the journey of this blog and in my personal growth.

THE MALDIVES360 ISLANDERS

Thanks to >>–)):>, Jack, Aasemoon, Bent, Frank, Giorgio, Kurt, John, Geoff, Lynn, Florian, Patrick for proving that social networks should be about open democracy, intelligent threads, smart collaboration, tolerance, fun, cultural diversity and helping us achieve our potential as people.

You each make the Web a better place for others. [Yes, even Kurt whose son now already probably knows more Spanish than me, ay carumba!]

LOL.

Last night I went along to a public bonfire and fireworks event for the first time in several years. It was brilliant — if somewhat scary at one point because I was in the front row and the evening breeze blew what felt like 60 degrees Celsius heat in my direction! Songs that were played during the fireworks spectacular included:

* Kings of Leon’s Sex on Fire

* Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black

* U2′s One Love

In video 5 there is also the sighting of giant Londoners and fluorescent Bunny Ears as well as a breath-taking Albert Bridge as the crowd wanders over it on their way home…………….

Today’s the 5th of November which is when the UK celebrates Bonfire Night in memory of Guy Fawkes and his Gunpowder Plot to blow up Parliament. I’m going to be toddling along to one of the main fireworks events on Saturday with a friend and her son.

Meanwhile, here’s me singing for fun (recorded yesterday whilst I was in a good mood!).

The pictures show how I looked 10 years ago compared with how I looked in August 2009. Luckily, I’ve managed to stay in reasonably healthy shape. I cook my meals from scratch and will have cakes, chocolates, pizza and potato chips if I want. Mostly, I try to walk and swim as much as I can. Good genes from my paternal grandfather means that I have healthy skin (even tone) which I NEVER overload with cosmetics or moisturizers. Whilst most women are swayed by marketing to swamp their faces and bodies with expensive products every day, I simply “THINK AND DO MY OWN THING”.

It’s just as well this has always been a core part of my character; if I think and did the same as everyone else, then when my colleagues said that mortgage CDOs were a good growth story I would have (unthinkingly and unwittingly) agreed with them. The fact is…………..I did not. My analysis highlighted the need for caution and to re-examine the underlying data inputs contributing to those growth and profitability models again. Unfortunately, the powers-who-were followed their own agenda and, subsequently, the bank has continued to suffer in the economic crisis even in this quarter because of poor decision making back then.

Never mind, not my role or responsibility.

Anyway, I have always followed my own good sense where my health is concerned: I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, I’m sensible in the sun and I believe the secret of healthiness is personal happiness. If your relationships are conducive and make you happy, then you’ll look naturally good with minimal need for artificial external chemicals!

The only time to wear make-up is if you have a special evening out to attend. Otherwise, let your skin and natural looks breathe!

Yes, there is probably an incongruence between the way I look and the serious knowhow in my brain which has appeared on this blog as well as other sites like Google Knol, in my professional career as a tech investor and corporate strategist, and with my innovations like 360-2020. This incongruence has been there since I was a kid.

Maybe this is why the world has been a LOL place to me for such a long time!

I got caught in the midst of the chaos and fun!

It’s Remembrance Sunday on 08 November 2009. Although no one in my family was born in the US, Commonwealth countries or Europe (or lived in either territories during either World Wars and, therefore have no immediate connections or memories to it — unlike those whose families do), it is only respectful to remember too……..

And here’s a heart-warming story about two marriages of two sisters which took place as WWII broke out and which has lasted 140 years!

*

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/6500861/Two-sisters-have-combined-140-years-of-marriage.html