Posted on 04/03/2008 5:03:21 PM PDT by SandRat
BETHESDA, Md., April 3, 2008 Two Marines who were injured in Iraq praised the medical care theyve received at the National Naval Medical Center here during interviews yesterday in conjunction with a grand re-opening ceremony for their newly renovated outpatient quarters.
Nicholson, a native of Brevard, N.C., joined the Marines in June 2005. The tube-launched, optically tracked, wire-guided missile gunner was wounded by a roadside bomb while riding in a truck in Anbar province in November 2006. He suffered injuries to his left arm and face. After arriving at Bethesda a few days after being wounded, he underwent numerous surgeries to repair his broken jaw and lacerated face. The medical care provided at Bethesda is tremendous, Nicholson said. The zeal of the staff here at the hospital is just outstanding. I couldnt ask for anything better, he emphasized. Nicholson said his plans include marriage and going back to school to become a high school history teacher. Wars have been fought since mankind began, Nicholson said. But war also produces peace, he added. The war against global terrorism is an important endeavor, he said, noting that fighting terrorists in Afghanistan and Iraq precludes fighting them at home. Nicholson said the excellent medical care he has received at Bethesda makes him feel appreciated and that his service in Iraq wasnt performed in vain. What the patients need, they get at Bethesda, he said. Stilson, who hails from Clarkston, Wash., was wounded by a roadside bomb while on dismounted patrol in Anbar province in September. Every bone in my left arm was broken, Stilson recalled, noting hed also suffered severe shrapnel injuries to both of his legs. Stilson echoed Nicholsons praise of the medical care provided at Bethesda. You really dont have any other place, I dont think, that really cares for everybody like they do (at Bethesda), he said. Injured Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans are getting the best medical care available at Bethesda, and they do everything they can for the guys that got wounded over there, the Marine rifleman added. Stilson, who joined the Marines in August 2006, said he believes the mission in Iraq isnt completed. When youre there, you want to finish the job for those guys who didnt make it back, he said. |
Bethesda Bump.
Some of the finest, leading care in the nation.
As an aside, I have been puzzled about recent developments in prosthetic limbs. While different organization and companies have innovated some impressive technologies, nobody has yet combined the best ideas into comprehensive prosthetic limbs.
For example:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/07/18/robo_hand_gets_big_hand/
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/exploration/stories/bionicarm.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11858650/
http://www.festo.com/INetDomino/coorp_sites/de/1e70ac4a67fcfb11c12572d0004d3d44.htm
Importantly, so far I haven’t seen complex functions performed by an artificial limb controlled by a computer in the limb itself. This will be a major advance beyond the purely mechanical limb function for activities faster or more complex than is easy for nerve-limb connection.
Say with a left arm prosthetic, a person could pre-program a complex activity, say fingering guitar strings while they strum with their right hand. While this would possibly be too complex for a brain to limb command set, it could be much more responsive to a limited macro command set.
So they direct their left hand to “macro 36”, it knows and can tell when it properly clutches a guitar neck, with prosthetic fingers on the appropriate strings, then after a pause it changes its grip on the strings as the person strums with their other hand. Sub commands could include “pause” “start” “start over” “end”, and who knows what all else.
Boy, the Left just HATES things like this.
It doesn’t play into their “victim” mentality.
Best wishes to both of these fine young men for a speedy recovery.
Nice article. Thanks for the post and ping.
Maryland PING!
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