In October 2003, I fell off a ladder when cleaning gutters on my house. A month in the first hospital, which including a medically induced coma and many surgeries; a month in a second hospital where the doctors/nurses/therapists were trying to see if I would be able to eat/walk/talk; another month in a third hospital where the doctors/nurses/therapists knew I would eat & walk but speech was almost impossible (the family tells me I talked like the swedish chef in the Muppets). After that third month, I was able to move back home, but had to start occupational & speech therapy right way. Fortunately, I was able to start my therapy in the Courage Center (Golden Valley) which was what I needed. There are a couple therapists who I will never forget, but all of them were tremendous (the Courage Center therapists are angels if you ask me). In 2004, I starting working in my “day” job for 4 hours a week in April; 8 hours a week in May; 12 hours a week in June; 20 hours a week in July; 28 hours a week in August; and then 40 hours a week in September 2004. Oh yeah, full time. Thankfully the company I work for gave me all the time I needed. I also had, and still have, a second job as an instructor for adult education photography classes. I wasn’t able to start teaching again until January 2005, but only because even though my family/friends/co-workers understood that I had, and still have, speech problems, I really couldn’t expect students to understand why their “instructor” had problems talking correctly. Currently my speech problems are minor so teaching isn’t really a problem, although I do tell my “students” that if I’m saying something that doesn’t make any sense at all, to let me know so I can try again.

So what else? Right now I’m not sure and it’s time to start making dinner at home, so we will have to talk later. Take care of yourself and your family.