Renewal Seminar Snapshots

"The Pipeline: One Soldier's Trip Through the Military's Medical Megaride"

Presenter: Mike Mason, Author, Speaker & Brain Injury Expert

Date: June 26th, 2008

Synopsis:

The blast that killed 12 marines in Fallujah left Sam Reyes with a back full of shrapnel, a shredded tongue, and a brain injury that wiped out the memories of friends and family. Starting minutes after an injury, soldiers embark on a spectacular pipeline of medical care that involves experimental wonder-drugs, flying ICU's, and new craniums. Despite the unheard-of level of care, the military can't put lives back together. Reyes, like thousands of brain-injured soldiers before him, has fallen off the precipice of dreamcare and is forced to piece together his life, this time with the disadvantage of a broken brain.

As research for his forthcoming book on brain injury survivors, Michael Mason has interviewed dozens of individuals within the military and VA system. Neurotrauma surgeons share their insights and heartbreaks, psychologists discuss the social complexities of the injury, and social workers voice their fears about long-term treatment. Mason will take participants through the military's sequence of care, along the way creating a picture of the blast injury survivors who will soon be back in our community.

Click below to view seminar handouts:

“The Pipeline: A Military Medical Megaride” (2.64 MB)