The Day Things Changed:

As I begin this blog I am going to jump to the half way mark, I need to start this story here. You will see why later on.

Just over 4 years ago I had a talking to with the corner of a wall. One of my sons slept the night at our home on Christmas Eve of 2005 (Wanting to spend the night so he would be there with his brothers Christmas morning). That night he fell asleep on the couch leaving on the lights and TV. Being a light sleeper I awoke, went downstairs and after shutting everything off I turned to go back upstairs in the dark. I was not where I thought I was and walked directly into that corner of the wall. My forehead spit open (14 Stitches) and I received a severe concussion. The symptoms started within a day. After reaching out to Mr. Googly my wife Gina found I had 9 of 10 concussion symptoms, the worst was anxiety, shaking, fight or flight, and literal chaos. Severe drinking (addiction) set in. Short story: My Neuro Doc (after several months) told me that my brain had healed, he simply did not have the tools or knowledge to understand my problem. I went outside the system, found a brain doctor who new what to do. He used Spec Scan Imaging and found my Pre-Frontal Cortex had split open like a ripe melon. So, after 6 recovery centers, 2 outpatient centers, numerous psychiatrists, drunk tanks and emergency rooms I finally found that I had been misdiagnosed. Think I am angry! I am now set on a regimen of good sleep, nutrition, vitamins ( the brain healing variety), exercise, and time with a Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber (HBOT) . I am feeling like myself for the first time in years and my family is so happy to have me back. Find a doctor that can truly help you and check out onehitaway.org. There is a SOLUTION !!!!

My Support System:

I couldn’t imagine having to live the life of a Brain Damaged Alcoholic. I needed to find a way out. Fortunately for me, my support system was without a doubt, the primary reason that I am still alive today.

When I say ‘Still Alive Today’ I am very serious. I am alive because the people around me never gave up. I have heard, too many times, how parents, wives, siblings and friends have just thrown their arms in the air and said “I give up”. In my case, I could easily be dead and I’ve been told this by several doctors, but I am not dead. My last binge took me to an alcohol level of .59. The doctors in the emergency room took great care of me and I survived a lethal amount of alcohol poisoning. I came to that emergency room because someone cared, someone didn’t give up on me. In this case it was my wife and a business partner who insured that I would stay alive.

As a part of this blog you will read stories of the people that have really helped me. You will also read stories of people, that although they thought they were helping me and had good intentions, had actually done some damage to me without realizing it.

I bring up this idea of a support system because I’ve heard of too many stories where people in my shoes have been left alone. Their support system had given up on them. With their support having disappeared, they had to rely not only on their own but had to pick themselves up by their bootstraps and find their own healing. I’ve heard these stories in Recovery Centers and in AA/NA meetings may times. Spousal divorce, alienated children, lost friends and family. They find themselves with Insurmountable odds.

If you have a relationship with someone who either is hurting with TBI or Addiction, please don’t give up on them. My family will tell you, it is a very difficult coarse to run but, worth the results if you don’t give up.

Why Tell This Story:

I’ve had this injury since 2015. After the accident, I could never trust myself. I didn’t know what I was capable of at any given time. Truth be told, I never gave up and nore did my family and friends. I sat one night with a group of friends, a bible study group whom we had been associated with for almost 20 years. Needless to say, there had been a lot of praying on my and my wife’s behalf. Anyway, that night I flat out said to them, “Guys, I want out of this, I don’t understand it and I don’t know why I do the things that I am doing. It makes no sense, I don’t enjoy doing it and for sure ‘I HATE’ the outcomes. I just don’t get it.”

So, after several years I finally was able to get the help that I needed. I had to look outside of conventional medicine. Now, I’m on the road to recovery. Since we found the problem, and started the protocol to begin healing my TBI I have been sharing my experience, primarily with other Addicts. I would share at Recovery Meetings and AA Meetings. Afterwords guys would come to talk and share that they had previous concussions as well and had done things that made absolutely no sense including feeding their bodies with drugs. I also had the facilitator of a meeting come to me and share that he was writing a pamphlette explaining different paths to addiction. He wanted to add my story. How many people (Addicts) are running around not realizing the root of their disease lies with a brain injury?

This is why I have to tell this story, to many people are suffering needlessly.