By October I had started to use a walker and I liked that a lot. I still needed a brace on my left leg, but my right side was getting a lot stronger. My balance was still shaky, though, so it was important to have the walker to get around.

By November I had started practicing with a cane, too. I had regained enough balance to even let go of the cane and say "Look Ma, no hands!" This scared my parents, but I loved it!

This is our annual family Christmas picture, with me standing! It was taken 11 months after the accident and I was starting to feel better every day.

I returned to the scene of the accident on 1/2/98, the first anniversary of it. My dad explained how the accident occurred, with the Explorer spinning out on ice and hitting a tree. It was a good thing that the Explorer was such a big car, or else I may have died.

As a Celebration of Life, I burned a wheelchair replica. My sister made the replica for me and I burned it as a symbolic statement that I was determined never to use it again.

February and March 1998 saw me take my first steps without walker or cane. Sensei Tim Formigan of the Mind, Body & Spirit Institute is helping me to learn Tai Chi. This has improved my balance, my muscle control, and my self confidence. Standing without use of a walker, cane, or railing was exciting. This takes great concentration.

As Spring rolled around, it was time for A New Era, time to get out into the community more and to spend less time in hospitals and rehab centers. Please join me as I continue to "get my feet back on the ground".

Like TBI recovery, building this web site is also a long-term process. My parents and I started it, to help me remember what has happened. Perhaps others can learn from it, too. Primary pages on the site at this time are as follows: