Five on Friday

1. Today I had the great pleasure of representing our Health Advisory Council at the official opening of the CIMS (Courage In Motion) Centre at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital in Edmonton.

From the invitation:  "This virtual reality / robotic medical rehabilitation facility will provide enhanced physical rehabilitation and mental health therapy to both military and civilian patients using the CAREN (Computer Assisted Rehabilitation ENvironment) system.  A remarkable rehabilitation system that is the second unit in Canada (the other one is in Ottawa) for clinical use, it is the only one in western Canada and the eighth unit in the world."

"The simulator is officially known as a rehabilitation  virtual reality lab.

It combines a moveable, changeable patient platform with a wraparound, floor-to-ceiling video screen. A computer system allows physiotherapists to measure and analyse a patient’s response to different challenges.

“You have total control, not only of the environment you’re seeing, but of the terrain,” said Dr. Ed Lemaire, a clinical researcher at the rehab centre. “You can bounce it, put it on a slope, or on an angle. The platform is computer-controlled and can move in any direction.”  (credit to David Pugliese, in the Ottawa Citizen, April. 2010)

It was amazing to see a Canadian Forces prosthetic patient demonstrate a maze activity and do another drill simulating walking on uneven terrain while shooting at targets.  A civilian patient also demonstrated a virtual motorboat slalom drill.   One of the speakers described  the turntable style apparatus as "a Wii on steroids"!  

Funding for this $2.3 million system came from the Canadian Armed Forces and Alberta's Ministry of  Advanced Education and Technology.

And I didn't get an opportunity to take a picture :(

2.  Rain  - it's raining again!  We've had a week of rain and showers and only a little bit of sunshine.  Plants are definitely thriving!!

3.  I had to buy some birthday, retirement and congratulations cards today and when all was said and done, I filled up the punch card and got a free one.

4.  Mediterranean Dip is on the menu for a little barbecue that we are going to be attending tomorrow.  I'm making pita chips to go with it after seeing that a small bag of chips at the store was rather expensive!

5.  Two of my good friends are retiring from teaching this year and this beautiful picture was commissioned by the school staff as a gift for one of them.   It's so perfect, including so many little touches that are a reflection of her personality and her teaching.

 The wonderful artist is local and went to school with our kids.  (Her mom is the other retiree - do you think she'll paint a picture for her too?!)