I was just minding my business reading the news and getting lost in my Sunday mindless exercise, when I came upon a news story that shook me – on many levels. This story is about Captain Peter Linnerooth; a story worth noting and sharing. Does it have to do with concussions, I don’t know and I don’t care, it has to do with the well-being of humans – a plight that is part of the concussion story.
Regardless the Sharon Cohen authored story on Capt. Linnerooth is well worth your time;
He had a knack for soothing soldiers who’d just seen their buddies killed by bombs. He knew how to comfort medics sickened by the smell of blood and troops haunted by the screams of horribly burned Iraqi children.
Capt. Peter Linnerooth was an Army psychologist. He counseled soldiers during some of the fiercest fighting in Iraq. Hundreds upon hundreds sought his help. For nightmares and insomnia. For shock and grief. And for reaching that point where they just wanted to end it all.
Linnerooth did such a good job his Army comrades dubbed him The Wizard. His “magic” was deceptively simple: an instant rapport with soldiers, an empathetic manner, a big heart.
The man knew how to handle others and create an atmosphere for helping on a battlefield and beyond;
He was, as one buddy says, the guy who could help everybody – everybody but himself. [...]
“There’s no cavalry to save the day,” McNabb explains. “You ARE the cavalry. There was no relief.” [...]
For about half his tour, Linnerooth’s office was a 12-by-12 trailer. His heavy-metal soundtrack – he banned the Beatles and Pink Floyd, deeming them too sad – provided a sound buffer. A thermal blanket serving as a makeshift room divider also provided a modicum of privacy.
Linnerooth brought hope to those gripped by hopelessness. In a desert, he could always find the glass half full.
He turned tragedies into cathartic moments: When a platoon lost a member, he’d encourage the survivors to deal with their grief by writing letters to the children of the fallen soldier, recounting the great things about their father.
Then the pressures were too much; Continue reading
And this is another example of poor concussion management that sends the wrong message to the general public. Gilbert has returned to rehearsal, 
I watch Jersey Shore. I am neither proud nor ashamed of that. I just watch it. I doubt I’d watch it the same way if I hadn’t done a biology degree. Everything from examining ecosystems and watching vigilance behaviour to detailing the lives of fruit flies was based on objective observation. It is with that eye of an unimpassioned observer that I tend to watch any reality show, especially those shows that are trying to depict life in an ‘open’ environment. It’s fairly obvious that, although not scripted, Jersey Shore takes place in a well controlled, or at least well influenced environment. The Situation (Mike) – a nickname he seemingly gave himself – recently slammed his head into a wall. Purposefully I might add!
A man in Colorado says that he became a musical savant after a swimming pool injury. He claims that he sustained a concussion after hitting his head diving into a swimming pool, then shortly after he was able to compose and play the piano.
