[meteorite-list] Bessey Specks and aphasia

From: Mark Ferguson <mafer_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:28:27 2004
Message-ID: <014601c3912e$201cfe40$6701a8c0_at_vs.shawcable.net>

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HI steve and List

Steve, I cannot help but wonder at what you went through. I t truely =
must have been a period that you felt very detached from your former =
self and being partly inmobil must have compounded the whole thing. But =
I did enjoy that story and how you had not lost your ability to ponder =
things even if the knowledge you once had was locked away from you. =
Thats a plus and it, I'm sure has led you to your current state of =
recovery.
Well done and I glad your back with us, at least to help educate me.
Mark
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Steve Schoner=20
  To: meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com=20
  Sent: Sunday, October 12, 2003 4:22 PM
  Subject: [meteorite-list] Bessey Specks and aphasia


        I was looking at my meteorite shelf and found two little specks =
in a container. Here is something that amuses me, as these brought back =
a lot of memories.

        For those of you who do not know, I nearly died and was in a =
coma in the hospital last January. I was in ICU and rehab for over a =
month.

        I received many, many letters from all of you from all around =
the world wishing me the best recovery. (At the initial moment the =
doctors were certain that I would not recover at all).

        Well one package came to me while I was in the Rehab unit =
suffering from the aftermath of this very rare condition that overtook =
me. It was a package from Dean Bessey up in Toronto. It had a very =
nice note, which was read to me as I could not read due to the aphasia =
that was affecting me by one of the nurses at the time. .

        Any demand on me at that time that involved =
conceptualizationaton was beyond me. It was very frustrating.

        Then the nurse said, "Oh, there is a container in this package?" =
=20

        Low and behold, it was a tiny round plastic container with two =
very tiny specks

        Aphasia is a very odd state of mind to be in. Words mean =
nothing in print. A printed page was as unreadable as if it were =
written in Russian. And not only that, putting together even the =
simplest concepts was way beyond me. It was so bad, if the nurse asked =
me what one plus one was I could not give her any meaningful answer.



        The nurse then held it up to my face and showed me the two tiny =
specks, and asked me "What are these?"

        Well, that question perplexed me as well. I had absolutely no =
idea what those two specks were. I didn't even know that they were =
meteorites let alone regular earth dust.
        I mean, I did not even know what Bessey Specs were, and neither =
did the nurse. She was just as mystified about what those specs were as =
I was in my aphasic state of mind.
        She left the letter and jet pack on the counter next in my =
hospital bed where I could reach them. Many times I reached over with =
my left hand, as my right side was completely dead, for that small =
plastic container with those two tiny specs. And for hours I tried to =
figure out what it was.

        It make no sense at all.

        Then my wife came and saw the package and the container. "Oh, =
someone sent you something?" I could not talk then, and only =
acknowledged with a nod. She then read the letter again, but it gave no =
clue as to what the specks were, or why they had been sent. My wife did =
not know. Then she looked into the jet pack and found a card that said:

          "Sayah Al Uhaymir 90 Meteorite from the Planet Mars found in =
Oman. TKW 94 grams, but these are likely paired stones."

        Then it was followed by Bessey's address.

        Then she said, "Are those two tiny things in there meteorites? =
Those are not 94 grams. Maybe there is sample in all of the packing =
inside the container." She attempted to open it as I watched, but was =
thwarted by the tape on the outside of the container. She could not =
open it so put it back. Rehab meetings got our attention and I was put =
into a wheel chair for therapy.

        When I got back to my hospital room later in the day, that =
container mystified me again. I picked it up and looked at it for quite =
some time. I'd put it down, completely degraded conceptually, and then =
later pick it up again, and try to figure it out again.. =20

        I remembered Dean Bessey but could not remember that he sold =
"specks" even though I had one (two very tiny ones) in my hands.=20

        Well, I have said all of this and related this story to say, =
that I do have two very, very tiny Bessey Specks" in my collection. And =
I remember them, and all of the consternation that they caused me while =
I was in the hospital in my aphasic state of mind.

        It was a weird state to be in, and now those specks reside =
proudly displayed on my collection shelf as a memento of the many hours =
of long consideration (consternation) and mental challenge that they =
caused me as I was in the hospital.

        It did not occur to me what these were as it was almost till the =
day I left the hospital that it came to me, as my aphasia was lifting =
that these were the infamous "Bessey Specks" that I hate.

        But not these two, they are cherished, for they bring back the =
memory of those moments, that time I had in the hospital, those weird =
moments when nothing made sense to me, not even "Bessey Specks"

        So, there are just two that I don't hate.

        Steve Schoner/AMS
      =20



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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>HI steve and List</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Steve, I cannot help but wonder at what =
you went=20
through. I t truely must have been a period that you felt very detached =
from=20
your former self and being partly inmobil must have compounded the whole =
thing.=20
But I did enjoy that story and how you had not lost your ability to =
ponder=20
things even if the knowledge you once had was locked away from you. =
Thats a plus=20
and it, I'm sure has led you to your current state of =
recovery.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Well done and I glad your back with =
us,&nbsp;at=20
least&nbsp;to help educate me.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Mark</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
  <DIV=20
  style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
  <A title=3Dsteve_schoner_at_yahoo.com =
href=3D"mailto:steve_schoner_at_yahoo.com">Steve=20
  Schoner</A> </DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A=20
  title=3Dmeteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com=20
  =
href=3D"mailto:meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com">meteorite-list@meteor=
itecentral.com</A>=20
  </DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, October 12, 2003 =
4:22=20
  PM</DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [meteorite-list] =
Bessey Specks=20
  and aphasia</DIV>
  <DIV><BR></DIV>
  <DIV>
  <DIV>
  <TABLE cellSpacing=3D0 cellPadding=3D0 width=3D"100%" border=3D0 ?>
    <TBODY>
    <TR>
      <TD>
        <DIV>
        <DIV>
        <DIV>
        <DIV>I was looking at my meteorite shelf and found two little =
specks in=20
        a container.&nbsp; Here is something that amuses me, as these =
brought=20
        back a lot of memories.</DIV>
        <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
        <DIV>For those of you who do not know, I nearly died and was in =
a coma=20
        in the hospital last January.&nbsp; I was in ICU and rehab for =
over a=20
        month.</DIV>
        <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
        <DIV>I received many, many letters from all of you from all =
around the=20
        world wishing me the best recovery.&nbsp; (At the initial moment =
the=20
        doctors were certain that I would not recover at all).</DIV>
        <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
        <DIV>Well one package came to me while I was in the Rehab unit =
suffering=20
        from the aftermath of this very rare condition that overtook =
me.&nbsp;=20
        It was a package from Dean Bessey up in Toronto.&nbsp; It had a =
very=20
        nice note, which was read to me as I could not read due to the =
aphasia=20
        that was affecting me by one of the nurses at the =
time.&nbsp;.</DIV>
        <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
        <DIV>Any demand on me at that time that involved =
conceptualizationaton=20
        was beyond me.&nbsp; It was very frustrating.</DIV>
        <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
        <DIV>Then the nurse said, "Oh, there is a container in this=20
        package?"&nbsp; </DIV>
        <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
        <DIV>Low and behold, it was a tiny round plastic container with =
two very=20
        tiny specks</DIV>
        <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
        <DIV>Aphasia is a very odd state of mind to be in.&nbsp; Words =
mean=20
        nothing in print.&nbsp; A printed page was as unreadable as if =
it were=20
        written in Russian.&nbsp; And not only that, putting together =
even the=20
        simplest concepts was way beyond me.&nbsp; It was so bad, if the =
nurse=20
        asked me what one plus one was I could not give her any =
meaningful=20
        answer.<BR></DIV><BR></DIV>
        <P>The nurse then held it up to my face and showed me the two =
tiny=20
        specks, and asked me "What are these?"<BR><BR>Well, that=20
        question&nbsp;perplexed me as well.&nbsp; I had absolutely no =
idea=20
        what&nbsp;those two specks were.&nbsp; I didn't even know that =
they were=20
        meteorites let alone regular earth dust.<BR>I mean, I did =
not&nbsp;even=20
        know what&nbsp;Bessey Specs were, and neither did the =
nurse.&nbsp; She=20
        was just as mystified about what those specs were as I was in=20
        my&nbsp;aphasic&nbsp;state of mind.<BR>She&nbsp;left the letter =
and jet=20
        pack on the counter next in my hospital bed where I&nbsp;could =
reach=20
        them.&nbsp;&nbsp;Many times I reached over with my left hand, as =
my=20
        right side was completely dead, &nbsp;for that small plastic =
container=20
        with those two tiny specs.&nbsp; And for hours I=20
        &nbsp;tried&nbsp;&nbsp;to figure out what it was.</P>
        <P>It make no sense at all.</P>
        <P>Then my wife came and saw the package and the =
container.&nbsp; "Oh,=20
        someone sent you something?"&nbsp; I could not talk then, and =
only=20
        acknowledged with a nod.&nbsp; She then read the letter again, =
but it=20
        gave no clue as to what the specks were, or why they had been=20
        sent.&nbsp; My wife did not know.&nbsp; Then she looked into the =
jet=20
        pack and found a card that said:</P>
        <P>&nbsp; "Sayah Al Uhaymir 90&nbsp; Meteorite from the Planet =
Mars=20
        found in Oman. TKW 94 grams, but these are likely paired =
stones."</P>
        <P>Then it was followed by Bessey's address.</P>
        <P>Then she said, "Are those&nbsp;two tiny things in there =
meteorites?=20
        &nbsp;Those are not 94 grams.&nbsp; Maybe there is&nbsp;sample =
in all of=20
        the packing inside the container."&nbsp;&nbsp;She attempted to =
open it=20
        as I watched,&nbsp;but was thwarted by the tape on the outside =
of the=20
        container.&nbsp;&nbsp;She could not open it so put it =
back.&nbsp;&nbsp;=20
        Rehab meetings got our attention and&nbsp;I was&nbsp;put into a =
wheel=20
        chair for therapy.</P>
        <P>When I got back to my hospital room later in the day,=20
        that&nbsp;container mystified me again.&nbsp; I picked it up and =
looked=20
        at&nbsp;it for quite some time.&nbsp;&nbsp; I'd put it down, =
completely=20
        degraded conceptually,&nbsp;and then later&nbsp;pick it up =
again, and=20
        try to figure it out again..&nbsp;&nbsp;</P>
        <P>I remembered Dean Bessey but could not remember that he sold=20
        "specks"&nbsp; even though I had one (two very tiny ones) in my=20
        hands.&nbsp;</P>
        <P>Well, I have said all of this and related this story to say, =
that I=20
        do have two very, very tiny Bessey Specks" in my =
collection.&nbsp; And I=20
        remember them, and all of the consternation that they caused me =
while I=20
        was in the hospital in my aphasic state of mind.</P>
        <P>It was a weird state to be in, and now those specks reside =
proudly=20
        displayed on my collection shelf as a memento of the many hours =
of long=20
        consideration (consternation) and mental challenge&nbsp;that =
they caused=20
        me as I was in the hospital.</P>
        <P>It did not occur to me&nbsp;what these were as it was almost =
till the=20
        day I left the hospital that it came to me, as my aphasia was =
lifting=20
        that these were the infamous "Bessey Specks" that I hate.</P>
        <P>But not these two, they are cherished, &nbsp;for they bring=20
        back&nbsp;the memory of those&nbsp;moments, that time I had in =
the=20
        hospital, those weird moments when nothing made sense to me, not =
even=20
        "Bessey Specks"</P>
        <P>So, there are just two that I don't hate.</P>
        <P>Steve =
Schoner/AMS</P></DIV></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></DIV></DIV>
  <P>
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Received on Sun 12 Oct 2003 10:02:57 PM PDT


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