I feel that my story is not about my injury. The story of my injury is the most boring thing ever I was going to the store to get eggs and I got run over by a car. The most interesting part of the story to me is that when the EMS arrived, I was conscious and sitting on the hood of the car that hit me. I then told them that I was fine and since I lived six blocks away, would just walk home and call them if I felt worse, of course they insisted on taking me to the hospital. Two hours later. I was in a coma, overnight I spent 13 hours in the ER getting a craniectomy.
My wife and my son then 13 were told that I was a 3 on the Glasgow scale
And had a 2% chance of surviving to the next day.
After 13 days, I took my first breath on my own, coincidentally on my birthday.
I was paralyzed on my entire left side and wasn’t quite verbal.
Again, my wife was then told that I had a one percent chance of walking again. Two weeks later, I had my craniotomy and Within 20 days I was walking in the hallway. I spent 30 more days in the hospital mostly in physical therapy. I could’ve walked out of the hospital, but they don’t let you per policy, but I walked up the stairs to my porch and in my house.
Of course, I was still in outpatient physical therapy for three more months although having full use of my limbs I was not very coordinated.
I do attribute my recovery to sheer will. The physical therapy was like gym class for me an opportunity to practice the things that I wanted to do outside of the hospital from the beginning I tried to break every rule if they told me not to get out of bed I would.
Outside of physical therapy, I spent all my time at home bored to death.
Obviously, I couldn’t go back to work, but I’m not the kind of person who can just sit around and watch YouTube videos.
To me my first step back to a normal life was cutting the grass at my house
If I ever wrote a book trying to help survivors I would call it “cut the grass”
I’m not saying that’s the one thing to other people should do. But for me it was my first step back to my life. I found that one thing that was borderline between can and can’t do.
To start my journey. Of course everyone close to me thought I was crazy and it was a risk.
But thankfully, my occupational therapist, who I remember fondly because she would kind of torture me into the right direction, I nicknamed her Harley Quinn.
From cutting the grass, I went to minor home improvements. Working my way up to rebuilding a deck. I have never done any type of woodworking in my life, but to me that was therapy of course every day I wanted to be at a job earning a living and 11 months later I went back to work the only place at the time they would even consider me for employment was a hospital so I went back to work at Tampa General. prior to my accident I was a commercial property manager. I had absolutely no experience with hospitals except spending time in one, but I could not go back to my old job as I had PTE due to the scars in my brain. I figured if there’s ever going to be an issue with that working in a hospital is pretty good place to be.and I was right
Within the first year, I did have a couple of focal aware seizures,
But being surrounded by medical professionals was the best place to be once I got my meds balanced out. I put that problem in my rearview mirror. I started with a pretty low level job at the hospital, but once Covid got more extreme, I started volunteering for things no one else wanted to do. I ended up working in the Covid wards as a respiratory tech, by the way, never got Covid. Never even cought a cold. My wife had it four times we live in the same house we sleep in the same bed.
I was eventually recruited to be an Anesthesia Tech. Having the word Tech in it, I assumed I would be working on Anesthesia equipment. I was not aware that I would be in the OR during surgery assisting with patient care for me. It was awesome. I loved to be involved and watch the procedures. I would get myself into the IMRI OR as much as possible and have watched dozens of craniotomy’s.
After Covid, the hospital was doubling their previous caseload to try to make up the money they lost and of course that continued as it is a business. After five years, I was burning out, 12 hour-shifts five days a week. sucks even if you’re not a survivor. I tried to cross over in the hospital for a job specifically working on equipment, but working in a hospital is not a strong enough résumé for that.
So i left to pursue something more technical since I have a strong background in that.
For the last two years, I have been working on and installing bank financial equipment. I have minor issues left over mostly my left side that just involve less sensitivity and coordination compared to my right. While probably making me less proficient than others. I still do the job every day.
Over the last couple of years I have been obsessed with improving my neuroplasticity both through diet and fitness I used the gym at the hospital
At least three times a week but after leaving, I did not have access anymore so I started doing workouts around the house and my big thing now is rucking
I do a couple miles every day with a 25 pound backpack before work and over the weekend. I try to get in at least 20 miles combined.
Again, this is all will. No one tells me to do it. No one asks me to do it.
From the beginning, I have never seen a neuropsychologist. Or therapist I do have a Nuro nutritionist who lives in New Zealand, who is amazing has been very helpful and is currently the best friend I’ve ever had My memory sucks and I still have a hard time buttoning dress shirt’s because of the minor deficiencies in my left hand but as far as I’m concerned, I still live the life that I used to.
Because of how much attention I pay to it, I believe I’m in better shape than I was before the accident.
So there’s my story, like I said, not super interesting. But hopefully mildly inspirational.
Thank you, Philip Romano
