As most people who kow me know, I used to drive trucks for a living, hauling freight from coast to coast, and one day in late October 2001 I met head-on with the broad side of a 53-foot (16.15m) trailer that another driver lost control of on a two-lane blacktop highway in rural Missouri. After a $6,000 helicopter ride, I woke up a completely different person. I had suffered a concussion and a traumatic brain injury, with symptoms including retrograde (before) and anterograde (since) amnesia (memory loss), global aphasia (inability to form and understand speech), and a variety of other cognitive symptoms, as well as the physical disablement of severe cervical strain (trauma of the muscles of the neck). For a very long time I was unable to perform normal activities of daily living. I underwent extensive neuropsychological testing, which revealed a massive deficit in my intellectual function, and I went to physical therapy to decrease pain and restore function in my neck. At the same time, I was denied worker's compensation, denied unemployment benefits, hung out to dry by my own company and overmedicated by my caretaker, all while I was still disabled. But the bigger the giant, the harder I fight. So fight I did. To make a very long story short, I pulled myself up by my bootstraps and made a plan to go back to college. I continued to recover cognitive function as I returned to school and began studying physical therapy. I am now more fully recovered than was ever expected and plan to begin work as a PTA (Physical Therapist Assistant) this summer. Here are a few pictures of what my truck looked like after the wreck.

Click on any picture to get the full size view.

The entire driver side wall is broken off. There is a plastic modular closet inside that is attached both to the wall and to the floor. That is the only place where the wall is attached to the truck. Notice the overhead visor is also resting on the dash board on the driver side. That's where my head was - over the stearing wheel.

The last picture is perhaps the most telling. Notice the floor just above the fuel tank. You can see that it is composed of soft wood cut across the grain sandwiched between a thin layer of fiberglass and a rubber mat. No wonder the driver seat and seat belt broke loose from the floor. That was all they were anchored to! If you think you're a lot safer in a big truck than in a car, think again. They are a lot bigger and heavier, but no sturdier.

But every dark cloud must have its silver lining. This ordeal has led me to a much more meaningful and satisfying career that I probably would not otherwise have considered. If you or someone you know are interested in the field of Physical Therapy, or if you need the services of a Physical Therapist, I suggest visiting the American Physical Therapy Association web site. If you or someone you know has suffered a brain injury, please contact the Brain Injury Association at FamilyHelpLine@biausa.org or visit http://www.biausa.org for resources and information about brain injuries, what to expect, and how to get help.

Please join me in supporting the following organizations: Brain Injury Association The resource no friend or relative of any brain injury patient should be without. If you know someone who has had a brain injury, please get all the information you can. APTA (American Physical Therapy Association) The representative and regulatory body of the Physical Therapy profession. OPTA (Oklahoma Physical Therapy Association) The Oklahoma chapter of APTA. Gesundheit Institute An organization founded by Hunter "Patch" Adams, MD. The institute's mission is "to bring fun, friendship, and the joy of service back into health care." Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation An excellent organization committed to funding research and improving the quality of life for people living with paralysis.

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