I have spent most of my life with fire departments. I was a volunteer for two years and for thirty years I served as a career firefighter with Arlington County. The fire service was a challenging and rewarding career and I was committed to providing fire and emergency services to the community. I was fortunate to be able to retire at 48.
My injury happened about two months after my retirement. Most of my career with Arlington involved working on a ladder truck so it is kind of ironic that my TBI happened because I fell off of a ladder while working on my house. I have no memory of the accident and probably never will know exactly what happened. Thankfully my daughter arrived home at just the right time and called 911.
As a result of my injury I went from providing care to others to being the one needing the services of the fire department and medical services. I am thankful every day for the services provided by McKinney Fire Dept., Parkland & UTSW Hospitals and Pate Rehabilitation. I also feel very lucky to have moved to a community that provided and continues to provide significant support to my family and I.
One of the most difficult parts of being a TBI Survivor is dealing with the changes that are part of one's post-injury life. TBI Survivors and their families face many challenges some can be negative but some can be positive. After 2.5 years my family and I are still adjusting to our "new normal." Part of recovery and moving forward is letting go of what was and embracing what is. I think we are all still working on that but we have have more good days now.
I have learned a lot about dealing with my TBI from others and look forward to learning even more as I continue to recover.
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