Dallas' Road to Recovery

Time...

2009-07-12T17:37:00.002-06:00

... or the lack thereof. I really don't have a lot of it but I just wanted to let all ya'll know that I am alive and doin well.

I'm swamped with homework, tryin to work on my website (ibttbi.com), and church stuff. Oh, and I'm working on starting a TBI foundation so any feedback, ideas, input, etc. would be MUCH appreciated!

Thanks for being patient and understanding.

School

2009-05-24T16:23:00.006-06:00

Holy Sasquatch!!!

Big, hairy, smelly, sasquatch! On May 6th I started summer semester at UVU (Utah Valley University)! I'm loving it! My professors are all amazing and understanding of my disabilities and kind of cater to me. I feel very much like Harry here. It makes me uncomfortable that so much of what we do is based around me.

But it's also a nice thing because...

I've had to literally scratch, fight, and claw my way back into things. After taking a year break from life, it was tough trying to get back into the swing of things. It took about a 3 days to adjust.

It's been interesting watching people walk down the hall, look at me, then adjust their course trying not to make it obvious. But it IS obvious. I hope I didn't do that to others who are disabled, before my accident. But there is good in everyone and I've learned to accept more help from others. It's been humbling.

I am taking photography from the most incredible, positive, and inspiring professor in existence. Then I have public speaking from a man who reminds me of my gpa Jack Walters. I follow that class with english. I've always hated english but when I went to this class, the professor has a different way of teaching. I like it and I now LOVE english. Amazing what a good teacher can do for you and your perspective on the course subject. I'm also taking 2 institute courses that are both amazing. First I have the 2nd half of D&C followed by Teachings of Pres. Monson. I love learning and pushing myself more than I normally would. On June 24th, the 2nd block of summer begins and I'll have Social Work and P.E.

I'm living with my brother Dustin in Orem so I am mucho close to campus. We have 3 roommates who are all RM's so that makes it fun! We love our ward so far! In fact, I just got a calling today! Ward prayer chair! I'm so excited about that! I haven't had a calling in over a year! Weird.

Well, I hope life is treating all of you well. I need to run again. Busy, busy, busy... and loving it.

FREEDOM!!

2009-02-02T23:46:00.014-07:00

I haven't posted anything for awhile now so it's bout time I did. I feel somewhat like MJ (Micheal Jordan) when he re-entered basketball after trying his darndest to play a real man's sport... baseball! jk But I do feel strangely disconnected from a select few gentes.

Many of you know the importance of good health insurance. But the "hunt" for a good plan can lead to and in some cases, cause the "pre-existing conditions" they so adamantly turn down when covering new clients. The heart is a very fragile organ and said "hunt" can cause high b.p., cardiac arrest, and even aneurysms in the mente.

That said, I was very, very fortunate to have good health insurance before I decided to bash my head into the ground. I had studied about the differing coverages and felt I had a good grasp on what each plan consisted of and how it would affect my premium. I actually chose my own plan! The only problem lay too far down the road to see it coming... my insurance covered only 20 visits each, of 3 kinds of therapy; Physical, Occupational, and Speech. When I moved to Delta we called to confirm how many PT visits I had left and they told me 8. Well I was released from IMC in late May so the insurance covered up until mid September/early October.

One day in mid-September, I got a bill from my insurance saying I OWED THEM $160! I was confused so we called them back and said, "you told us 8. now you're saying I owe you?" B.S. (bull shite if any of you know me... surprised ya didn't know that! ) Anywho, I paid it but had no $ left over for more sessions so I stopped going for 2 months. Sure, I did stuff at home but I missed the BioDex (balance machine, surprised ya didn't know that one either). So I patiently waited for the new year so I could have 20 visits again.

Now let's back up a tad. I'm not sure when this happened, I was in a coma, but my grandparents happened to bump into a family member of ours, who heard of my accident and offered to "help" in any way possible. I believe that was in early summer so at that time there wasn't anything he could've done. Fastfwd... I'd heard talk about this "offer" and one day while walking on the treadmill I got a bright idea, take him up on that offer. (I'm a genius!) I called around and finally found out how to contact him so I called. We had an amazing talk! We conversed about my situation, girls, and the weather... guy stuff! He put $ right then and there, into my account. I was floored. I didn't know what to say. "Thank you!?" So the following Friday I started going to therapy again. AWESOME-BLOSSOM... extra awesome!!!!

That was early January. Now in that phone call I told him that I had just passed my driving test but didn't have a car (I sold it to my sister and her new hubby). He then "offered" to help me get into something of my own. We looked and his father knew a guy, who knew a guy, who knew somebodies aunt, who was acquaintances with (or so'em like that) a dealer who happened to be looking at cars while we were chattin. Another coincidence?

I had a Dr. appointment Jan. 20th so went with the intention of staying the whole week. That very afternoon, we went and bought my new ride... an '04 Honda Pilot. It's in pristine condition! WOW!! I searched the internet for a pic of my year/color but this was all i could find. It's not red but a charcoal with a blueish/greenish hue. It's fully loaded with NAV system, xm radio, and an entertainment system (DVD player).

I love it! Wednesday the 21st was a great day. This family member and I got the oil changed, washed it, and did some shopping. At about 3 pm, I left his house in Kaysville bound for Salt Lake (I didn't wanna get caught in rush-hour). I was driving down I-15 by Lagoon when it hit me. This was the first time in 11.5 months that I'd been alone. I'm alone much of the time at home but I'm in a comfortable setting, everyone knows where I am, and it doesn't feel like this did. I pulled over and cried! FREEDOM!!!! I said a little prayer and continued on my journey. I stopped at Champion Fitness to "show off" my new ride. Then I picked Lindsey up for a date. Weird when the whole time we'd been dating, she drove. I didn't know quite how to act. It was fun though!

I stayed up in Salt Lake for the rest of the week and LOVED every second of it. Amazing what a car can do for your confidence. I came home and am now looking for a job. It's bad cause of the economy but add my disabilities on top of that, and this is next BIG trial I'm facing.

Wish me luck! :)

By the way, I'm gonna be making a website so go to ibttbi.web.officelive.com. As of right now, I have no mula so I looked for a promotion of sorts for free web hosting. Hence the huge name. Once I find work and can afford it, I'll do the hosting elsewhere so it will be ibttbi.com. I cannot tell you how excited I am for this. If you could only see my face right now... CHEESE!!!

School + Driving + Job = INDEPENDENCE!

2009-01-14T11:42:00.006-07:00

I've received a few phone calls about my last blog being a "Novel" and putting those people to sleep. Well I've got news for you people... DEAL WITH IT! CAUSE I'M NOT GONNA CHANGE. LOL. It literally takes me forever to write an entry so I don't wanna hear any whining on your end about it being hard... I still love you though! :-)

SCHOOL
I've had an AMAZING week. Well the last 2 really. I got back into school. Per Dr.'s orders I'm to try one class online then evaluate how that went and go from there. It's Psychology 1010 and the class is through (UEC- Utah eLearning Connection) Snow college. So far I've absolutely, 100%, been thrilled. My professor is a kind, witty, sarcastic individual which keeps me on my toes because as many of you know, with TBI, it's EXTREMELY difficult to understand sarcasm. Much to the dismay of many people I'm close to. So it's an interesting way to "practice" or "work on" getting it.

DRIVING
On Dec. 22nd, I had an appointment in SLC to be evaluated to see if I was even capable of driving again. I was very nervous because about 1 week before this eval, they told me that I may pass but have restrictions. Like no night driving, no freeway, a certain speed limit, having someone else in the car at all times, and just scary things. Lots of em too. They also said that it was probably going to happen since most TBI's get passed but with lots of those restrictions. The eval consisted of cognitive, occupational, reflex, vision, and physical testing. It went well and since I passed all of that, I had to retake part of the written driving test. I passed with 100%!!! So on Dec. 24th, I was allowed to go out on the road for a car test. Again, I was terrified because not only had I not driven in over 10 months, but now I had to drive in Salt Lake plus they "expected" me to fail in a way. Not fail, but pass with restrictions. Failing in my book. I was sweating like crazy. They asked if I wanted to take off my jacket but I was sweating too much and didn't want to show off my "BURRITOS", more like "NACHOTES" so I declined. I navigated my way through the Murray-Sandy area and proceeded to I-215 then got on I-15. It was like riding a bike. We drove for about 30-40 minutes. The only difference was the use of a knob that allows me to make turns with one hand. When we got back to the eval center, they asked if I had any questions for them. I said, "No." Then she said, "Merry Christmas, you passed without a single restriction!" YAY!!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ME!

JOB
I'm getting so close to having my full independence again. The driving thing was so liberating. I have not worked for almost a year now and I chose not to cause I didn't want to put my cases in jeopardy. Now as many of you know, I filed for disability, DWS workforce financial assistance and was denied for both. Disability didn't report why I was denied but DWS gave me a report as to WHY. In that report, my Dr. said I was capable of working 40 hrs/week. Good news but kinda disappointing since I had waited so long for some "help". I've looked into some job options but it's kinda scary with the economy the way it is and people being let go. So if any of you have some ideas, I'd appreciate your input. My goal is to be in Salt Lake within the next 2 months, working, continuing therapy, continuing school, and becoming a psychologist. Kinda funny that every time I tried to go back to school, something BIG happened to keep me from going and it took something even BIGGER to get me to finally change my major. I was in a pre-physical therapy program at SUU and UVSC and loved it but the Lord had something else in mind for me. I've done a very small amount of research on TBI's and learned tons so I have a new direction and purpose. My goal is to HELP other TBI survivors in their recovery. I'm so happy the Lord saw fit to spare my life and I want to repay at least one person for all of the HELP, SUPPORT, LOVE, and ENCOURAGEMENT that I've received.

Thank you all.

Of all the trials I've ever faced, this one is by far "The Toughest".

2008-12-19T23:54:00.004-07:00

I don't want it to sound like I'm whining or feeling sorry for myself by the title of this, 'cuz in no way was that my intention. I'm actually just fine with this trial. I only wish to bring to light some of the hardships that are attached to a TBI.

Let's begin by sharing a talk I gave in sacrament meeting on Nov. 23rd, 5 months after I was released from IMC Hospital in Murray.

BLESSINGS & GRATITUDE for them

2 weeks ago in Sunday school, Bishop Hill asked if I would speak today on BLESSINGS and GRATITUDE for them. Naturally I agreed to it without giving it much thought. Upon returning home and having more time to think about what I’d just agreed to, I got kinda mad! It is seriously a pretty general topic and due to the TBI (traumatic brain injury) that I have, narrowing things down is one of my weaknesses. I finally calmed down and decided to stick with what I’ve always said:

TALKS ARE MORE FOR THE PERSON GIVING IT, THAN THOSE RECEIVING IT.

It is more true now than ever before so this only confirmed my EXTREME amounts of pure intelligence!

This talk is for me for 3 reasons:

1. To overcome my fear of the public (as many of you know, I was blessed with the gift of gab. I was able to get on my soapbox and go off, not shutting up when required. The TBI has made it rather difficult, even scary, to even BE in public let alone speak to you.)
2. To really show off my mad speaking skills (I had to relearn how to communicate and annunciate.)
3. To finally let go of some, not all, but some of the pain resulting from my latest accident. Not the first one, but the most recent one. I was angry, not angry, confused and frustrated because no one saw what happened to me. I didn’t have any broken bones except for my forehead, very little road rash (fingers, ankles, & forearm). Preparing this talk has allowed me to LET GO of some of those feelings.

After much thought and prayer, I came up with the BEST talk I personally have ever given. Granted, the presentation may be lacking due to the fact that I had to relearn how to communicate, but the doctrine of this one is my masterpiece. So I invite you to take notes.

First, let’s focus on BLESSINGS. We can break down blessings into 3 categories:

EVERYDAY, EARTHLY, & SPIRITUAL.

EVERYDAY BLESSINGS
Sight, hear, touch, smell, taste, talk, walk, think, read, write, dexterity, balance, life, family, etc.

EARTHLY BLESSINGS
Family, life, car, $, house, Possessions or belongings

SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS
(can be subdivided into many things)
Family, life, etc.
PRIESTHOOD
Sacrament, healing, etc.

TESTIMONY

Ability to pray

Now of course there are more in each category but for my talk I’m only going to focus on testimony and priesthood in SPIRITUAL. I only have 15 minutes!

If you’ll notice, some like Family and Life, can even crossover into other categories.

Last week in Sunday school, Bro. Piacatelli taught me a concept I had never thought of, regarding EARTHLY blessings. In D&C 104:13 (read) it talks about stewardship. The Lord entrusts us with HIS possessions and ALLOWS us to take care of, use, and bless others with them.

This leads to my next topic:

GRATITUDE

Gratitude is a feeling of appreciation and thankfulness for blessings or benefits we have received. As we cultivate a grateful attitude, we are more likely to be happy and spiritually strong. We should express our gratitude to God for the blessings He gives us and to others for the kind acts they do for us. Gratitude is an uplifting, exalting attitude. People are generally happier when they have gratitude in their hearts. We cannot be bitter, resentful, or mean-spirited when we are grateful.

Most of all, Gratitude is RECOGNIZING that ALL of these things come from God. It’s very sad that we take those things for granted. We don’t truly realize what we have til it’s gone.
In the Ensign, Mar. ‘06 Sister Bonnie D. Parkin (R.S. Gen Pres) spoke on gratitude. She said, “Partially losing my hearing has helped me develop patience for others, especially those with disabilities. It has helped me find faith to accept affliction. It has given me clarity to realize that instant, miraculous cures are not always the Lord’s will. In fact, sometimes just the opposite is true. . . . While afflictions are never easy, all of them can give us experience and can be for our good (D&C 122:7). Pay attention to that. (Read red again) I’ll come back to it.

Sis. Parkin continues:
As we live on earth we must walk in faith, nothing doubting. When the journey becomes seemingly unbearable, we can take comfort in the word of the Lord: I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold I will heal thee (2 Kings 20:5). Some of the healing may take place in this world and some in the next. We may never know why some things happen in this life. The reason for some of our suffering is known only to the Lord.”

Let’s look at our list again:
Sister Parkin was losing her hearing so it made her look at life and her blessings differently. After the wreck, I too look at life and my blessings in a much different way. She lost her hearing. I lost:

EVERYDAY BLESSINGS
hearing in my R ear, smell, taste, balance, dexterity, mobility, had to relearn how to walk, write, communicate. Plus I can’t read as well as I used to…

EARTHLY BLESSINGS
house, car (I sold it to my sis and her hubby.), independence, and $

but here is the incredible part:

SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS
testimony, prayer, faith, priesthood (these actually increased!!!)

And while I did lose those things, remember what sis. Parkin said (read red & orange again)
It was for my good to increase my SPIRITUAL blessings. I know prayer, faith, and the priesthood saved my life. I still have a strong testimony. In fact, it’s stronger now.
I’ve come to the conclusion that it may not be only for our benefit, but for others too.

I loved my mission so much, that I extended for 1 ½ months or 1 transfer. I wanted to extend again (the 1st time was easy, I just asked pres. Alonso) but this time it was out of his hands so we sat down and wrote a letter to the 1st presidency, asking if I could. Pres. Monson wrote back and said NO and that I had GREATER things to do. I told my pres. The 3 nephite apostles got to stay forever, I just wanted 1 transfer, it wasn’t fair.

Bro. young takes me to the English class for the Hispanic ppl, and we got in a conversation about the experiences we have on missions and they are great but we can’t focus on them. We need to have equally great experiences after.

I’ve thought about that conversation a lot. I even asked, “is this trial I’m going through GREATER? We may never know why some things happen in this life. The reason for some of our suffering is known only to the Lord.

During my last interview with my mission president (now a 70) he made it very clear that in no way were his words like Patriarchal Blessing, a small disclaimer there. He asked me from what tribe I had descended. He followed that by asking me which tribe is called to preach in these last days. I said Ephraim. What tribe do you think the 12 belong to? He paused, so I will too… what is keeping you from being called as one? He said. Nothing. He told me to live my life as though I were going to be called and if that calling ever came, i'd be worthy to accept it.

I’ve tried very hard to do just that! In no way am I perfect, not even close, but I’m trying to become such.

I don’t yet know what that great thing is, but I’m getting closer! Thank you all for your prayers and faith on my behalf. I love you all.

testimony...

That talk was a great way for me to "Let Go" of some of the feelings that came following my accident. I am very grateful for the trust the Lord has in me. We are never tested above that which we can endure and overcome. It's hard to always remember that but I'm trying.

Maybe a coincidence... (I think not) Maybe fate... Maybe destiny... Maybe God's hand showing me a "Great Thing"!

2008-12-15T19:35:00.014-07:00

Well, since I sent out the email to all of my friends and family last week telling them about my blog, I've been swarmed with questions about who this Lindsey girl is that's been helping me with the blog. So I'd like to tell you all, about her. (I hope you don't care hunny. I love you :) !)

The summer after 4th grade in Cedar City, UT my mother moved us to Richfield, UT. We had moved like 15 times previous to this so I was getting kind of used to it but I was a still a shy little nerd with dorky glasses and even though I hate to admit this, a mullet. I was fairly good at making new friends (I had lots of practice) so I quickly became friends with one of my best friends ever, Scott Snow. Scott and I had so much fun that summer and since I had made a new friend, I was more confident to start school. Fall came and I was in a 5th grade class that was so rad! Yes, I just said rad. I made more friends and I had an amazing teacher, Mr. Oldroyd. I loved school that year. Summer came and Scott and I were inseparable again. Then came the scary switch to the MIDDLE SCHOOL. I was more confident because I had more friends but this seemed too much for lil' dorky Dallas. Once again, I went through with it and this time my hard work really payed off. In my homeroom class, there was a girl that had moved to Richfield from Medford, OR in 4th grade. I liked this girl so much! Now one thing you must remember, I was a shy, nerdy, 4 eyes that had never spoken to a girl besides my mother and sister. My friends thought girls had cuties so naturally, I followed suite. I liked her so much that I was intimidated by her. I think I said 5 words to her all year. Well maybe a few more because I tagged her with a nickname, OREGONIAN! That girl was Lindsey Bird.

Well after 6th grade, my mom got a job in Delta. So once again, I had to leave my friends and start over. My friends all teased me about there being nothing in Delta, but geodes and rabbits. I thought it rather funny that even the high school mascot was a rabbit. I entered high school and loved every second of it. I was involved in sports, church, art, and everything you can imagine. The time came for college and I chose my hometown of Cedar City to attend SUU. Cedar will always be a home to me. I had so much fun that year. It will always be one of the funnest years of my life. Then the mission to Tijuana Mexico!!! The best experience of my life! I extended one transfer which was the limit at the time, and President Alonso and I felt a need for me to stay one more transfer so we wrote a letter to the 1st Presidency asking permission. I was devastated because the reply was NO. It didn't seem fair! The 3 Nephite Apostles were granted to stay FOREVER. I wanted 6 more weeks. Just 6 more weeks. In that reply letter, President Monson said, "Go home. You have greater things to do." It just wasn't fair.

The years went by in a flash and I have lived a great life. I will always keep those words in the back of my mind, wondering what it could mean. Could it have been Tonga? I got a better idea of a possibility of what that "Great Thing" could be in Jan. of this year. Through the wonder of Facebook, I found Scott Snow's brother, Spencer. I emailed Spencer and asked him for his brother's phone number. Later that same day, I talked to my dear friend Scott and we not only caught up, but we made plans to go to dinner as well. The dinner went so great! It was so good to see he and his fiance. In catching up, he told me that his best friend, when I moved away, was Lindsey Bird. He asked if I remembered her and I said something like, "How could I forget?" He said she was on Facebook and told me to look her up. I found her, so she and I started emailing back and forth. Then Josh and I went to St. George to do a fireside on our Tongan Adventures and that's when I wrecked. The funny thing is, Lindsey had sent me a message asking me to meet her and maybe get some dinner and catch up, but I never replied. So she tracked me down. She thought Danielle Tudman was my sister (because I have a sister named Danielle) so she asked Danielle why I never responded. Danielle informed Lindsey of my accident so in early April, Lindsey came to the hospital to visit me. You can see her blog about the experience, here: http://lindseylouhoo.blogspot.com/2008/04/life-lesson-learned.html

Our first date was Aug. 6th and we've been dating since then. In getting to know each other more, we've come to find out that we were in the same class in 5th grade, She too went to SUU and in fact, lived in the apartment complex adjacent to mine. When she graduated from SUU in '04, she began working as an Interior Designer only blocks from where I worked, Champion Fitness. We have known lots of the same people, gone to alot of the same activities, eaten at the same places, and even gone to the same concerts. I find it rather interesting that our paths ALMOST crossed so many times but never actually did. Maybe it's a big coincidence...

The distance is hard with her owning a home in Sandy and me being a prisoner in my own body, which is stuck in Delta. It's also been very hard because with a TBI often comes difficulties with communication. I've had plenty of those, trust me. I love Lindsey and would do anything for her. Her patience and understanding, as we go through this trial together, has been close to Godliness. I want her to know how much she has affected me. Every time I meet with a new Dr., counselor, or stranger they're all AMAZED at my recovery, my positive attitude and my will. My answer is always basically that, "It's because I am blessed and loved more than I could even begin to tell you. You don't know Lindsey!" At the very least, I can try to repay those who've prayed for me, paid for therapy, and done others acts of kindness that keep me going. The 1st one on that list of people to thank is God, then in a very close 2nd, Lindsey Bird.

Maybe it's a coincidence... (I don't think so), maybe fate..., maybe destiny..., or maybe God's hand showing me a "Great Thing"!

Lindsey, please know how much I care about you and love you. I will forever be indebted to you for the loving patience you've shown me while I go through this awful trial. Thank you and I love you.

Let's Start at the Beginning...

2008-12-05T15:15:00.009-07:00

2007 was one of the most memorable years of my life. I moved into a condo with one of my mission buddies. Shortly after that one of my best friends, Josh Featherstone, moved in and we had sooo much fun. In May, Josh and I made an agreement that if he'd come to my mission, I'd go to his. In June we bought plane tickets to Tonga! We started making preparations for it. We were going for 3 reasons: 1- to be present for the temple re-dedication, 2- to have a fun vacation that allowed Josh to go back to his mission, and 3- to serve the people by raising $, clothing, candy, crafts, and other things. We asked our ward to pitch in and donate anything they could so we could take it with us. We raised some $, lots of clothes, and candy. We had so much stuff that we couldn't fit everything in our bags so we decided to the same thing in Tijuana, my mission. That way we could fulfill our pact. We planned the trip to Tijuana for march '08 over spring break. Josh started teaching me basic Tongan and I actually caught on. So now I'm tri-lingual! :) I was on the activities council of our ward and I had to plan the July activity. I asked Josh to help and we planned a luau-type activity that was so much fun. Both he and I put a lot of time and $ into it. He even invited some local Tongans to come dance for us! It was a huge success.

Josh left on Oct. 16th '07 and arrived on the 18th. I left a week later, the 23rd, arriving the 25th. On my flight was Carole Mikita, a local news reporter and widely recognized local icon, and her videographer, Bob Brown. They bought me dinner in the LA airport and we became fast friends. Upon arrival, Josh picked me up and told me we didn't have any particular place to stay. No plans set in stone. We just kinda "winged-it". It was 2 of the best weeks of my life. 3 of his. :) We had a place to stay each night, we hitch-hiked for rides, and were able to go see some amazing people in some pretty amazing places. It all seemed to fall into place, perfectly!

Carole and Bob accompanied us to some of the homes we took things to. It was awesome! We also had connections to get tickets to be inside the temple the Sunday of the re-dedication but that didn't happen so we watched the first session in the stake center across the street. It was awesome! Afterwards, we went to take pics of the temple and the people and ran into Carole and Bob. She asked if we were going to be in this session, cuz I had told her we would, and invited us to stand in line with them. We told her our dilemma and she whispered, "no worries, we know the right people to pull the right strings and let you in." We both were shocked! So we waited in line with our newly found "saviors" and enjoyed ourselves, the spirit, and the people. When the time came to go in, Carol told of our dilemma and we were led to a room and mini-interviewed and told we could go stay. We watched from the baptistery. It was incredible! Elder Nelson rededicated it.

When the time finally came to leave, we were both saddened. So many WONDERFUL and LIFE CHANGING events took place on this trip. Click here to watch a news clip that Carole Mikita did with Josh & I in Tonga.

In Feb '08, we were asked by Danielle Tudman, from our ward, if we'd be willing to do a fireside in St. George. Dani gave me Cris', Ward Young Women's Pres. and her mother, contact info so I called her. We were asked to do a fireside and speak about our experiences and feelings in Tonga. Josh and I agreed to it and we drove down after work on Monday Feb 11th and stayed at my grandparents home that night. The next morning we arose and made plans for the day. We had a lot of time to kill so we decided to go long boarding in Snow Canyon. We started at the top and headed down. About a quarter of a mile into our journey I passed Josh and said, "tulo", which is Tongan for excuse me. There was a left hand turn which went around a hillside. I must've been going pretty fast cuz when Josh got around the turn, I was on the ground already. I was bleeding so josh called 911. There was a Dr. that was riding a bike up the canyon who stopped to help. The ambulance came, loaded me in, and took me to the St. George hospital. They did some MRI's, x-rays, and ct scans. It was determined that because of the extent of my injuries they couldn't do anything for me there so they opted to life-flight me to the new hospital in Salt Lake, Intermountain Medical Center or IMC where I underwent a 5 hour brain surgery to remove pieces of bone from my brain. I won't get into the names or words of all that happened to me right here or a day-by-day history so as not to waste any of your time. I was in a medically induced coma for 4 weeks and didn't come out of it for another 2. I woke up march 25th and thought it had been 3 days since the wreck. I went through extensive therapies consisting of speech, occupational, and physical. I had to re-learn how to walk, write, and communicate again. Carole later found out about my accident and came to the hospital to visit and do a spot on my progress. You can view that HERE.

It has been a very difficult road but I am grateful for this trial and know I have much greater blessings that await. I wish this blog to be a way to inform everyone not only of my progress, but also of TBI's (Traumatic brain injuries). I've learned a lot during these past 10 months and want to "share the wealth".

Explanation

2008-11-04T08:11:00.002-07:00

I wish to share my experiences with all of you. Friends and family alike. I was asked to send out an email periodically to give everyone updates on my progress but I found that to be very difficult, seeing how my left side doesn't work very well and trying to type was exhausting (mentally).

I hope this works out how I envisioned it would.