Gary and I had been dating for 2 and 1/2 years when his accident happened. His story is a bit unusual.........Gary was a Battlaion CHief and paramedic with the fire department for almost 20 years. He had gotten off work on Saturday morning and had gone to the lake with friends. I am a nurse and was on call and couldn't go. They had been there a couple of hours and Gary was taking a turn "tubing". Some how the tube and Gary got in front of the boat and he was hit.

His friends were two medics and a nurse.....so he got immediate help......he was taken to a local hospital in the back of a pick-up truck...with one of the guys doing intermittent mouth-to-mouth...at the local hospital he was intubated....had his c-spine cleared.....IV's started and transferred by ambulance to our hospital. His injuries included a skull fracture, massive facial fractures, an extensive head injury, and a brachial-plexus injury that was discovered weeks later.

He spent two weeks at the hospital here in town, before being tranferred to Shepherd's Center in Atlanta. This was the light we needed. These people knew head injuries and understood what we were going through.

Gary spent almost two months there before we came home. He had learned to walk with much assistance and could speak a few words at a time.

It has been 17 months since his injury and so much has been learned. He walks alone, showers, dresses, shaves, gets his breakfast, uses the phone, speaks, joins in conversations, even does laundry when cued. Life is good.......different....very different, but none the less GOOD!!!!! Gary has memory problems, sequencing problems, and cognitive deficits. But he continues to improve and never ceases to amaze me.

There is lots of information on TBI available. If you are just beginning this journey with a loved one....read everything you can.......keep the negatives in the information in the back of your mind as a reality check......but follow your heart.....have faith....take one day at a time.....and always keeps your eyes forward...to the goal of the day....whatever it may be......Life will never be like it was....but what a waste to spend time imagining what could have been...when it is much better to imagine how things will be...........If anyone has questions or would just like to chat..... e-mail me..........count your blessings and know tomorrow will bring a new day.........love to all.......Melinda

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