Feb-March 2009 - Ski Trips, By Derek

Photo pictured in the San Francisco Chronicle. Derek objected to using the pole, so I gather that was dispensed with pretty quickly.3/15/09

The beginning of the month, I got a chance to meet the Regiment Commander of the Marine Regiment I’m attached to. So in the morning, I brought my change of uniform with me. So when I arrived at the hospital, I expected that the meeting was not going until late morning. So I brought my change of uniform with me in a bag. When I arrived to Brian’s office, the Colonel was there! I felt a bit embarrassed as I was the only on there not in uniform. Even the Army and Navy liaisons wore their uniforms. But that was water under the bridge as I was going on a ski trip the next day. This was a short ski trip spanning several days re-teaching me skiing. I went up with Nicola and Tony and Joyce from our small group. It was good for me to get used to skiing again as I was returning to Tahoe for a VA sponsored trip on the day after I returned. So the next day, me and another PTRIP patient and two therapists set out for Alpine Meadows Ski Resort in Tahoe. We were put up in Hyatt hotels and had everything paid for us. Not too bad. We had a few days of ski lessons and I did pretty well when I was up there. I only fell once, and that was because I played chicken with a snowboarder as I was attempting to avoid a flock of toddlers. So the only injury was that of myself. I was fine, well if you don’t count that massive flesh wound that was on my ribs. It was okay; if that’s the worst ski injury I get, then I’m alright. We then had a dinner event where we were the center of attention. They were introducing us on stage and it made me feel a bit uncomfortable. But another vet told me that I had to take advantage of all the benefits I am getting and enjoy it while I can because the war isn’t going to last forever and these special programs were going to run out of funding soon. He was right and I have taken all of the benefits for granted. When I returned, I found out that ironically, I was rejected a place on the Aspen ski trip in Aspen, CO. I inquired for the rationale of my denial from the trip and it turned out that I wasn’t able to go because I did not “qualify” to go on the trip. The trip is ONLY for patients that have a TBI. I recently learned that I had suffered an “ABI”(Acquired Brain Injury”) So if I got the injury from a car crash that I caused, I could go. I mean, I would understand injuries in combat get preference but criteria based on semantics and verbiage is really disturbing to me. I wrote a letter not of protest, but was an informative piece that voiced my displeasure with the whole segregation on brain injured patients as a whole was asinine and absolutely ludicrous. That event soured my view of these organizations that portend to allow injured veterans to participate on outings that will enable the “wounded” veteran to participate in sports and events. As you can see, this occurrence has made me more bitter and more questioning of the rules governing these “recreation” and “therapeutic” events.