The Ghost Report

I have to apologize for the corny timing of this story. Who isn’t doing a spooky, haunted theme in the days preceding Hallowe’en right? I know, this started off on a bit of a cheesy note, but that all changed after a half hour interview with Robin Bellamy. Robin is an investigator for Paranormal Studies & Investigations Canada (PSICAN), an organization dedicated to the research, study and exploration of a diverse range of topics considered to be “paranormal”. Let’s just say I learned a lot in 30 minutes.

The first lesson (according to Robin) was, every single hospital in this city has a Ghost Report. “What’s that?” I asked, rather spooked. Robin explained that PSICAN keeps a database of all the reported sightings they are contacted about. Now before you get scared about coming in for care, let’s move on quickly to the second important thing I learned from Robin: manifesting as a ghost has more to do with a person’s life than their death. In short, it’s not that the person was killed violently, or is here to do harm. Quite contrary to that Hollywood stereotype, Robin explained that particularly in hospitals, ghosts tend to be staff members who harbor a strong emotional connection to their place of work.

In short, they loved their jobs when they were living, and feel a connection to stay in the place they feel the most comfortable. This is why most ghosts are seen in the home or workplace, and not in the cemetery (most people don’t hang out in cemeteries when they are alive…sorry again Hollywood).

PSICAN data shows that many details of these sightings are consistent with staff as they are wearing period uniforms. The outfits that doctors and nurses wear have changed over time, which helps investigators pinpoint certain decades. They won’t offer any more specifics than that.

I know that some of you reading this are already rolling your eyes with disbelief. Understandable, and truly, I’d be hard pressed to be able to give you hard evidence that ghosts do exist. Even some scientific literature from Sunnybrook has shown that newly bereaved patients often experience hallucinations about the deceased person (Dr. Earl Dunn et al, Can Fam Physician). So are ghosts real, or just figments of our overactive imaginations?

Robin is a believer, because she says she has experienced sightings many times. “So what do ghosts look like?” I asked, imagining a filmy, transparent spook breezing by at the stroke of midnight. Again, apparently, I was completely off the mark. Robin said that in her experience, they look just look you and me. In fact, you may have interacted with one, or walked by one, and never known it. “They can look perfectly normal, but often if you look closely enough, there is something just not right. Like they are standing but there is actually no leg there.”

OK, that seemed very creepy to me. Robin assured me, however, that with most sightings, the predominant emotion of the reporter was actually surprise, not fear. 10 years ago, while investigating a site in the city, Robin did see a ghost. She took a step back and fell over a tricycle. So there you have it, our reaction to the ghost might be the scariest thing about the whole experience. Apparently, they don’t chase the living and they don’t rattle chains. It appears to be a simple case of we fear what we don’t understand. In fact, besides surprise, Robin says the second most commonly reported emotion is feeling peaceful.

At this point in the conversation, my thoughts turned to the dark. Do ghosts prefer it? Why do so many sightings happen at night? Robin explained that there are no more ghosts at night, but we are simply less distracted at night, thus more likely to notice movement or unusual people. When PSICAN formally investigates a location, Robin says they do it during both the day and night.

After meeting the witness(es) and conducting extensive interviews to weed out any questionable motives, the team sets out to take base measurements. Things like barametric pressure and temperature readings, to help determine if so-called “cold spots” are real. As well, they check for audio devices like baby monitors and cell phone towers, notorious for carrying strange noises through the air. They even use some night vision goggles and thermal cameras. “Any luck getting a picture?” I asked. The closest was seeing laser beams being broken by something in the room, said Robin. So the mystery continues.

Until I spoke with Robin, I would have sworn to you that I’ve never seen a ghost, or sighting. Now, I’m not so sure. But it gives me some comfort to know that if ghosts do exist, they aren’t here to hurt me. In some way, it’s comforting to be in a place where even the deceased feel a strong emotional connection to their time here.

Happy Hallowe’en!

Surviving a Burn

After covering health for 15 years, I’ve seen my fair share of blood, needles and surgeries. I now pride myself in being able to watch an artery being repaired without turning ghostly white and hitting the ground (trust me, I wasn’t always so stoic). But there is one area where I can barely stand to watch a power point presentation, let alone the real thing: burns. The pain and recovery process seem unbearable. That’s what made my afternoon with Dr. Marc Jeschke, Medical Director of Sunnybrook’s Ross Tilley Burn Centre, so incredibly eye opening.

Unassuming and friendly, Dr. Jeschke welcomed me into his office just outside the burn unit. One of my first questions was, how do you do this? “It’s difficult to see, especially young children with these injuries,” he said. “But I realized years ago, that if somebody doesn’t help them, they’ll die.” And so a need became a life calling. Dr. Jeschke has been caring for burn patients, including infants and young children, for more than two decades. But this award-winning, internationally renowned surgeon and scientist may still have the best trick up his sleeve: custom-made skin.

Right now, many burn patients face countless surgeries to graft skin from another part of the body, or even cadavers. But Dr. Jeschke discovered that stem cells, harvested from umbilical cord and amniotic membranes, can be used to grow new skin. The hope is to apply that immediately to burn patients, helping speed up recovery and reduce the number of surgeries needed. In short, if this approach works, it would literally change the face of burn care in the next four years.

Despite teetering on the cusp of a breakthrough like this, Dr. Jeschke’s manner as we talked was casual and matter of fact. I found it telling that our interview was the first opportunity he’s had to actually sit on the couch in his own office. Too busy to sit still, but too fulfilled to mind! His pager buzzed consistently throughout the hour we had together, and I couldn’t help but wonder how many lives he had changed over the years. So I asked him. His answer couldn’t be quantified with a number (fair enough). But interestingly, he told me how many burn patients have found true fulfillment after their injury. “We have had patients who get married, who sort their lives out, so there is not the stereotype of the population saying, you get burned, you are a monster. No. They are very dedicated, and have a positive attitude towards life. That makes me feel really good,” he said smiling.

So does the marked increase in survival rates. Doctors add the severity of the burn, say 60% of the body is affected, with the age of the patient. Not long ago, if that number reached 100, death was almost a certainty. Today, that number has been pushed up to 140. Advances in treatment and surgical techniques, like removing the burned skin within the first 48 hours, have helped countless patients defy death.

To really understand how much a severe burn stresses the body Dr. Jeschke compared it to running a marathon 24-hours a day for several weeks, pushing your metabolic rate into overdrive. That’s why having a dedicated burn team is so critical. Sunnybrook’s Ross Tilley Burn Centre is the only one in the province to offer the total package for burn care, meaning there is a burn operating room, intensive care unit, supportive staff, a skin bank and follow up clinics for care and reconstruction. “We’re like a big family,” said Dr. Jeschke. “Our group know each other well and we’re very specialized. It’s great.”

That said, Dr. Jeschke doesn’t want to see you. “Most burns happen out of moments of stupidity, if I can say that.” Workplace accidents, lighting bonfires, you name it, he has seen the most benign moments transform into the worst-case scenario countless times. This is when working smoke alarms, fire escape plans and common sense can offer simple antidotes to lifelong injuries.

As Dr. Jeschke’s pager buzzed for the fifth time, I knew our time had come to a close. I shook his hand and packed up my gear as he returned a few e-mails before heading into surgery. While I was no closer to handling that kind of procedure visually, I left knowing that behind every patient’s survival story was a great doctor (running their own marathon 24-hours a day.)

Heart Saver

Watch this week's video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i66q9BCYlOo

Here’s an easy question: would you rather have your breastbone split open during heart surgery or not? I’ll take option two, no question. And thanks to physicians at Sunnybrook’s Schulich Heart Centre, many patients requiring bypass surgery are now benefitting from this minimally invasive technique. Patients like Emil Boychuk.

Emil is an avid runner, and his lean frame stands in stark contrast with the heart problems he’s experienced. After suffering chest pains a few years ago, Emil’s blood pressure was found to be high. Further tests found blockage requiring stents. But that wasn’t the end of the trouble. A few months later, more blockage was detected, and this time, Emil would need bypass surgery. Luckily, his heart surgeon, Dr. Fuad Moussa, offered him a new type of surgery.

To really appreciate the new surgery, you have to picture the traditional way bypass surgery is done. First, the chest is completely opened up through a long incision to expose the heart. Then, the heart and lungs are kept operating by a machine. Add to that a long recovery and a heightened risk of complications, like infection, and you start to appreciate what goes into this common, yet complex, procedure.

Now compare that to doing the surgery through a small incision, about four centimeters wide, around the left breast, with the heart and lungs working on their own. Emil was the second Sunnybrook patient to have this procedure done, and is grateful that it allowed him to get back to normal living sooner. Things like driving a car, and of course, running again. In September, Emil completed a half-marathon, aptly achieved on World Heart Day. How fitting!

Dr. Moussa is now leading research to see if this minimally invasive technique can be used on more patients. Right now, it’s only offered by a handful of Canadian centres to patients who qualify. Hopefully, if things go well, this will become another option to help patients like Emil, hit the ground running.

To learn more, click here