Let’s start at the beginning, when did the accident take place?
It was over a year ago on a late Saturday afternoon around Mother’s Day weekend.

What were the circumstances surrounding the accident?
We had a clock on the glass door outside our patio and I noticed the battery needed to be changed. I got the extension ladder out and was getting the clock down. When I was on the ladder it started to slide down the side of the house and the base of the ladder started to slide out. I didn’t want to ride the ladder down through the glass doors so I got down and I quickly climbed to the lowest step and got off the ladder. At that point I thought I was all right but the ladder was still slipping.  I grabbed the ladder and tossed it behind me in the direction of our swimming pool. I ended up falling back with the ladder and hit my head on the concrete.

What was going through your mind when you were falling?
I have no idea. I really have no recollection of anything. I only remember getting down off that ladder. Instinctively, I just knew I had to get down, it was just a reflex.  When the paramedics arrived, they quickly realized I had serious head injury and I would need to be transported by the Life Flight Helicopter.

What is the medical diagnoses for the head injury you sustained?
The injury was diagnosed as an Epidural Hematoma, which is a traumatic brain injury in which a buildup of blood occurs between the outer membrane of the central nervous system and the skull. The condition is potentially deadly due to the buildup of blood, It was a very serious injury.

How long were you hospitalized for?
I was in the hospital almost four weeks. The CT scans showed an extensive amount of bruising and swelling on both the front and back of my brain.  During my stay at the hospital I had to undergo an extensive surgery to relieve the increasing pressure. The procedure was successful in removing the critical pressure on my brain. It was
a very emotional time for all of us.

What did you do for rehabilitation?
I did some occupational therapy to help me build my strength and memory. There were a number of different exercises I had to do, some of which challenge my ability to remember certain things while other challenged my ability to reason and figure things out.

What do you remember after the surgery?
I remember a lot of nightmares. I was in and out of consciousness for twelve days and would have ridiculous nightmares and disorientations. I remember having dreams that I was stuck in other places. I felt caged in, it was frustrating.

Let’s talk about your personal journey through this.
The result of a traumatic brain injury is that your personality, mental and physical capabilities may never be the same.  These kind of changes can have a tremendous effect on relationships. I know I’ve been short-tempered, anxious and even depressed  during my recovering. I have never had those feelings before and I’ve had to learn how to deal with them. Not only does the patient have to heal and get better, they also have to work through the changes in relationships with their family members, friends,and co-workers. It has been a  blessing to know that so many people care about our family. All the prayers and blessings are the real reasons why I am here.  The healing process does make you get a bigger perspective on what is really important in life.

What advice would you give to young doctors?
The advice I always give to young doctors is to listen to your patients. Your patients will tell you what is wrong with them, so listen. The key is to communicate with the patient and their family. We all want the same result, communicate and be honest.

Anything else you have learned from the recovery process?
I’ve learned what it feels like to be the patient. It is very different when the tables are turned. I now know how my patients feel when they go through therapy. It’s a painful process both physically and mentally, it’s not easy. I can empathize with my patient and understand how they feel on a much different level, now more than ever.

Where are you at now in your recovery?
I am in a good place, I am almost back to where I was before the accident happened. Fatigue was the real enemy in my recovery process. I had to grabble with the question of whether I should go back and do surgery or not. Thankfully, I was able to get my energy level up to where I can do surgery again. My recovery is a miracle. It has been a long and unexpected journey. I‘m so thankful to be where I am at right now.