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From Keith Sanderson to Jim Dunn, June 11, 2007:
Hey Jim Dunn,
Jim Dunn, what an incredible
story you have to tell. I can empathize with you. I had a similar but not quite as horrendous cerebral event. If
it had not been for a wedding it is doubtful I would be here.
I was suppose to take a business trip to Tokyo on
the weekend Helen's (my wife) neice was suppose to be married. Typically I would leave for Tokyo on Saturday U.S.
time. Since I barely knew the bride or the family, I was going to miss the wedding and was scheduled to leave on Saturday.
At the last minute Helen changed my mind and I rescheduled my flight to Tokyo for Sunday.
On the Saturday
of the wedding while we were getting dressed Helen looked at me and told me to quit kidding around and stop sounding like
I was drunk. I looked at her dumbfounded. She said, your speech is slurred.
I felt strange. Helen
immediately got on the telephone. My internist, Bob, took the call personally and told Helen to not wait for the paramedics,
but to get me to the ER and he would be there waiting for us. Helen saved valuable minutes by following that advice--which
probably saved my life.
When I regained consciousness I was in an intensive care unit. I learned 80 percent
of my right side was paralyzed, my speech was terribly impacted and the section of my brain that controls autonomous activity
such as breathing had been affected. I was told that is why ever minute or so I gasped for air. I was told had
I taken that flight to Tokyo that day there was no way I would have survived. I would have been DOA 30,000 feet over
Tokyo.
Eventually my brain compensated for the circuitry that was shorted from the event and I learned to breath
without thinking about it, although every once in a while the not breathing thing happens and I suddenly find myself take
a big mouthful of air.
Now, years later there are still things I learn that I forgot. But for the most part,
like Jim Dunn, I seem recovered. But, there are things that stay with me. It amazes me that something that is
so lacking in pain can be so damaging. I also know what its like to be both physically handicapped and speech impaired.
How it feels to be shouting internally, hey everyone, I am a living, functioning human being. While perfect strangers
treat me like the village idiot.
Jim, your story is remarkable and I am glad you shared it. Thank you.
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From Jim Dunn to Keith Sanderson, June 26, 2007
Keith:
The brain is an amazing creature
- yes?
Jim
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From Brian Cary to Dan Morrison, February 18, 2008 I
was blown away by your post Dan! What a story. I wasn't in favor of the war in Nam nor was I a protester.
I got a deferment also. I pulled at 340 in the first draft lotto. Similar to you I ended up working in the government,
only in the Department of Veteran Affairs. It was a bad political war fought by brave heroic men and women. I
have been lucky to have been able to help them on their road to recovery and appreciate all of their sacrifices for this
country. Its deja vu all over again in Iraq. It seems to take a generation for people to forget the brutality
and futility of war and rush into a new one.
Brian
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