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In July, 1999, I was airlifted to St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood after a rollover crash near Ute Pass Road on Colorado Highway 9 left me with six skull fractures and a severe traumatic brain injury.

After two months at Craig Hospital in Englewood, I returned home to Heeney. Except for speech therapy in Frisco with Sherri Steeves, all other outpatient providers were in Englewood. Lots of work, and lots of miles.

Now, it’s estimated that I’m 90% recovered. I still have continuing challenges with balance and short-term memory as well as staying focused on daily projects. I was told by my neurologist at Craig that my best chance at a full recovery would be continued practice with memory exercises and staying moderately fit.

The Summit Brain Injury Support Group played a big role in helping me to honestly assess my progress over the years while offering support from fellow traumatic brain injury survivors. I think some of the biggest challenges are those taken on by our caregivers. These are life-changing events that impact way more than just us.

The hardest part for me, personally, was coming to terms with the fact that I wasn’t capable of performing mentally or physically at levels I could prior to the accident. Before that crash, I was happiest when I was at local events with friends and working for myself. I slowly started attending fewer events and losing contact with many people I socialized with regularly in the past. I even folded my business and started working for others due in large part to lost confidence in my abilities.

Being retired now, I still miss many of my former colleagues. 

I am grateful that I have recovered as well as I have. There are far too many of us who didn’t have that same blessing. Traumatic brain injuries can be invisible to the outside observer. Treating one another with compassion and patience is the best remedy, and it’s free!