I was living on a friends 75 foot feadship on the indian river for a month while he barried his mother.he came back and we were to go to the storms in Alabama with Fema.instead we took a Job fixing columns on a bridge.the work was long and not real well planned.we were working on a boat and pouring concrete into a form.I bumped my head several times during the week.on friday night after working 13 hours,I went to my friends house and took a shower.during the shower I started to get a headache.I never got headaches and was not to sure what was going on.I told my friend that I had hit my head a few times on the bottom of the bridge but did not understand why it was now just starting to hurt.the headache just got worse and worse fast.I made my friend very nervous and they recomended an ambulance.sometime on the way to the hospital I passed out.my friend stayed with me to assist the doctor.many hours passed and they could not find me a place to go getting turned down at one hospital.my condition got worse,my friend quoted the doctor saying "he could die If we don't find a place soon".finally sometime the afternoon of saturday they reached halifax and they said bring em.It was cloudy and so back into an ambulance I went to halifax in Daytona.x-rays showed severe hydrocephalus then pneumonia and respiratory failure.my family was found and raced to Daytona.the doctor said I had a 40% chance to live but needed to move fast.so the shunt was placed and a slow improvement over the next couple weeks gave hope.I was moved to melbourne to start rehab.that is where my first memory came.it was of my sister,(from conn.)and brother(from RI.) and mom who I did not recognize,were standing at the end of the bed.that is my first memory.a slow but steady progression and six months of further rehab in Tampa,fl has brought me to almost back to work ready.the shunt is forever and I won't be going to help anyone.I get headaches daily and neckpain that noone seems to understand.I just had another mri and will get that read on june 8th.workmans comp has actually been good to me and I have learned that to be rare.I hope to stay learning and listening.I have a new reason to help.brain injury needs all our voices.good health and strong family has been strength when down.wish wveryone good health,stay strong...DJ...

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