Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Limitations

Sam is an air cadet... wait let me rephrase that... Sam is a Flight Sgt. in air cadets. That means he is serious about air cadets. he has been promoted a few times and once he was promoted TWICE in one year! AND that happened to be the year after his accident! Amazing eh!?
He has also been to cadet camp 2 times since the accident, has participated in almost EVERY activity and is on the drill team. He has marched indoors, outdoors, carried stuff n  his back, traveled distances, ate military food, and now that he is a Flt. Sgt. he is in charge some days of organizing activities and what not.
All this is amazing as we (Dennis and I) feel that it was partly because of air cadets that Sam's recovery was as fast and amazing as it was/is! He was treated like everyone else, he used his combat boots to help him to walk (they were very heavy) and to build up his muscles in his legs.
Sam also is on the football team. He plays on the offensive line as a half back.
He is in school full time, granted he just returned to full time this year...but still.
He works on the farm driving tractors, quads, trucks, etc. He helps with all farm work-- calving, chores, fencing, baling, feeding cattle, etc. He is a normal kid for the most part with a few areas of 'issue' that we deal with as it is necessary!

I am writing all this awesome stuff down because he has applied again for cadet camp this summer and I had to fill out all the necessary paper work. Which resulted in a letter coming home to us from the Royal Canadian Air Cadets Head Office (the military basically). The letter was about Sam's medical summary.
Here it is:

-must be within 30 minutes of a physician
-unable to board a small watercraft
-unable to go swimming
-unable to participate in underwater activities
-unable to participate in field training or exercise
-unable to participate in hiking, trekking or climbing
-unable to carry a rucksack or lift heavy loads
-unable to participate in a high altitude activity
-unable to participate in sports or PT
-unable to participate in drill and parades
- unable to fire a rifle or handle explosive devices
-unable to fly an aircraft
-unable to work high above ground
-unable to participate in a ship deployment
-may participate in sports and PT at own pace
-unable to jump with a parachute
-unable to do significant classroom work or studies
-unable to remain alert or vigilant
-requires extra assistance
-requires close supervision
-should wear medic alert bracelet

I finally -- after 3 days of phoning-- got it sorted out and it was explained that there is a new computer system that just starts adding limitations with certain 'issues' the CWO that I spoke too told me that there was actually 126 limitations on Sam! I had to laugh as I told him about most of the ones I was looking at! No sports!? He is a FOOTBALL player! No jumping with a parachute!? So we just shove him out the plane and hope for the best!? lol
The CWO felt bad about it but when I explained Sam's story and situation now he laughed too and I told him that if for nothing else we all had a great giggle over it all! Sam sat and shook his head over the 'limitations' and laughed at no rifles or explosives... he was right back to hunting the fall after his accident!

Some of these are so funny that we are thinking of framing the letter for future giggles!☺


BTW-- ALL the limitations were removed except for wearing a medic alert bracelet!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I read your entire blog on your family with brain injuries. You are an amazing person yourself and have reminded us of how precious life and motherhood is. You have a beautiful family. God Bless.