 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This site is dedicated to my brother, Tim, a Captain
(and Eagle driver) in the United States Air Force. He suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury as a result of an automobile
accident in Panama City, Florida on November 21, 2001.
I hope that this site will allow family and friends to
keep track of his recovery progress, as well as keep in contact with him and his wife, Christina, as they face the many challenges
ahead.
Prior to November 21, 2001, Tim was an active, athletic, generous,
and loving person who was committed to his family, friends, and country. Tim's goal in life had always been to defend his
country as a fighter pilot in the United States Air Force, just as his father had done. Tim was in a coma for approximately three weeks after the accident. During this time, all
his vital signs stayed strong, and all we could do was wait and pray that he would come out of it relatively OK.
This site is loaded with many pictures. What these pictures
do not show, however is just how affected Tim is by his injury. If he had suffered broken bones, his healing would be
much more visible.
With a physical injury, it is much easier to gauge recovery.
With an internal injury--such as TBI--recovery can take months or years, and will also affect the injured person for
the rest of their lives. Nobody is ever really "cured" from an injury such as this.
Physically, Tim may appear to be "just fine" on the outside, but when the brain is damaged to the extent his was, it has to learn essentially EVERYTHING all over again--from the basics
of speech and mobility to the more complicated aspects of life, such as the ability to concentrate on accomplishing a given
task.
This condition is going to affect him in the long term--possibly
making it difficult for him to hold a job, or deal with everyday responsibilities.
The confident swagger of a USAF fighter pilot has been replaced by an unsteady, shuffling gait
(although this is improving with physical therapy), and more often than not, he tends to sit quietly, gesturing with his hands,
or clenching his jaw tightly when trying to vocalize. From time to time, he does "wake up", and actively participate
in conversation, cracking jokes or making appropriate statements.
There is no way of knowing "how much" of Tim will return, but there
are encouraging signs every single day. He is becoming more aware of his surroundings, and is able to answer questions
asked of him without much, if any, prompting.
He continues to struggle with names of new people, and sometimes
with those of people he has known for many years. There are a few surprises sprinkled in here and there, with some amazing
moments of clarity. But, almost as soon as we all get excited about it, he tends to draw back, and go into an "I don't
know" sort of mode.
This is a normal occurrence in Traumatic Brain Injury situations,
and it is frustrating not only to family members, but to the patient as well. However, those who know Tim are aware
of his fighting spirit, and his will to excel at anything and everything.
We have all seen instances of Tim's unique brand of humor and goodwill,
and you can rest assured that these traits are intact. With his drive and determination--and the support of family and
friends--we know that even though the road ahead will be a long one, Tim will adapt and overcome, as he has always been capable
of doing.
 |
|
|
|
|
|
 The Mountain Man
in happier times
3/17/03 - Happy St. Patrick's Day! Sorry I haven't updated things in a while, but things have been
a bit busy on my end -- trying to find a new job and all that! Tim and Christy are doing well. They have an assistant who visits a couple times a week. Roger
hangs out with Tim, watches movies, or they go to the local park on sunny days. This allows Christy time to get out
and do errands, etc., without having to worry about Tim's needs for a little while. The family got together last week to celebrate Karen's birthday. I hope to have some pictures posted
soon. Keep in touch! I hope all is well in your worlds! -Mike |
|
|
|||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
Please e-mail any problems or questions regarding this site to:
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
