About Me

My account name is "ctpitact", I'm a former military officer who initially had wanted to become a pathologist, but after premed studies decided that medicine was not for me; so I went into the computer world and actually enjoyed what I was doing there, meeting my wife at a company where we were both employed. Unfortunately, I had an unknown virus cross my blood-brain barrier (viral encephalitis), causing me to fall into a comatose state for 42 days and that caused multiple areas of brain damage and epilepsy. My wonderful wife, just my girlfriend at that time, never left me, even as the nurses there told her (giving her what they thought was compassionate advice) that it was most likely the best thing for her to do so. They believed I would come out of the coma not remembering that I ever had a relationship with her -- and I only remember a few things from our past, like the 'Elvis Presley flip&#39 ('HEYYYY!') that I gave her when I walked past her cubicle for the first time, onway to a task and seeing her tacky black velvet Presley painting with the regulation tear hanging next to her pc, now still hanging by her desk in her current office. Those particular nurses believed that her life as a caregiver would be a tough one if she stood by me. They were right. Again, she never left, and accepted my proposal for marriage while I was in a wheelchair and wearing diapers. It took me quite some time to learn how to walk/talk/take care of basic tasks and get myself back to the state that I'm in now -- a person with epilepsy (grand/petitmals, oculars, and drop seizures), ABI, as well as significant short-term memory loss and cognition issues. I was never considered for surgery because the doctors asked if I wanted to continue walking and talking (the areas of damage that they would have to operate on were in those areas). I've been given a vagus nerve stimulator implant which has only reduced my seizure's recovery time, but not my seizures. I also have to take multiple meds 4 times a day (you should see the number of pills that I have to take -- the pharmaceutical execs are probably lounging on the shores of Bermuda because of me ;-) ). My meds only partially help. I can't work, and with the driveway fenced off, with cellphone/meds/h2o am restricted to the backyard while my 'better-half' is at work if I wish to get some fresh air, for safety reasons. I have the pc here which allows me to keep in contact with her. I've been reading posts from the sidelines but decided this morning (October 18, 2007) to finally introduce myself and become an active member. Hello to everyone here. :-)