Joe Cook's Journal

JOE COOK: A NOT SO SHORT STORY. (I DID NOT FALL IN/SLIP THROUGH
THE  CRACKS)

I guess this is my attempt at a journal: Wanted to make a Prologue about how important this journal has been. Not only has it been a challenge/therapy/help to my memory with all of its’ editing and rewrites, it has helped communication with my wife and aids. It also has been a good way to bring people who haven’t seen me much up to speed on “me”. Old friends also can see that the “old Joe” is still here, even though I talk with a slur and am in this wheelchair that I am used to but they are not. All in all, a good/cool idea...

Two important things about my journal. The first has to do with confidentiality. I forgot, when my privacy went “out the window”, that may not have happened to Karen. Therefore, she has to have the right to delete (not change) anything she wants. Second, I was sharing the journal with my aid this morning, Victoria, and she suggested adding some text, today, to bring everyone up to speed on me. My “story”. Here goes. I am 47 years old. I have a wife of 24 years, Karen, a 15 yr old daughter, Carrie, and a 3 yr old daughter, Krissy. I am a CPA and a tax/business lawyer, the son of a lawyer. My dad, who passed away from cancer about 6/7 years ago, was a strong influence, very honest and forthright. I had just made it to “Partner” at the law firm and was a member of “Leadership Akron”. I was on my way to follow a doctor around for the day the morning of my accident (a little more than 2 years ago). An unusual snowstorm had hit that morning. There was ice everywhere. There was an unusually high number of accidents that morning (so I heard later). I remember very little about that morning or the accident, but woke up a couple of months later in the hospital. Apparently, I had been in a coma for approximately 35/40 days. One of my first memories is the transfer to Edwin Shaw for rehabilitation. I was there for around 5 months. One of my clearest memories there is the feeling of helplessness and the desire to help others in my shoes if I could only get better. It was/is a great place for rehabilitation. Initially, there was some concern about my coming home. There are those who thought the best thing for me and Karen was for me to go to a nursing home. But we both thought we could handle it at home, thank God. Initially I was in a hospital bed in our dining room and showered at my mom’s (ours is on the 2d floor). After a few months we got a lift to carry me up the stairs to the 2d floor. Thank you Workers Compensation. As I read the brain injury support site on the Internet, it is apparent to me that, financially, Brain Injuries are normally a disaster. Lots of people lose their jobs and lots more or their jobs and everything else become an extreme burden. Not true for me, Thank You God. Financially, I should be OK, even without my job. Well that’s the quick and dirty on how I got here.

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