So after having the consortium of Fleming-Chaine-Florey via penicillin save my right arm, my life. It’s like walking away from a plane crash. You are no longer the same person. You see things differently, in the sense you get a second chance to take on things that could have been obliterated. In the medical literature if you suffer the flesh eating disease you have 20 hours to present to a city trauma center in order to survive the infection. I showed up at the Royal Victoria Hospital at the 19 hours after first serious symptoms. I was really sick, I went into full renal failure. They measured the infection’s rapid progress across my upper arm then my chest. The doctors marked with their pens the edge marching across my chest every 3 hours. My body was obviously loosing the battle. If the infection reached over my heart, the heart valves would swell-no pumping, no Michael. My worst night I stared the infection beast within me – I was in a singular rage. No I was not ready I had wasted my time, surely I couldn’t go like this not now. I was in a black ferocious temper through the night. If it turns around I want to save someone like me totally helpless- I said to myself over and over again. Somehow the disease turned. But my vow of making a discovery was like a neon sign before me. That was how I felt as if I’d survived a plane crash, it was not my turn. Now what, what is the direction to take? It took me a few months to get that real answer clear before my minds eye. Yesterday I officially retired after 37 years at McGill. Now I start my second career in research.
The Defensive Coach of the McGill Redmen, Football team, Clinton Uttley listened to my take on concussions earlier in the summer. I was introduced to him by Track and Field Coach Dennis Barrett. We have been granted access to an ongoing Kinesiology study with the team. We have been given permission to access their bone data. Now we finally get a crack at looking at things that change with concussions. Things that no one has looked at before. That is the chance I jumped at yesterday to pay back the consortium that saved my life those twenty years ago. Thank you Fleming-thank you Chaine-thank you Florey. Let’s see if we’ve got a real discovery before us, getting ready to reveal itself. I can’t wait.