Hello.
It has taken me a while to get a story together. I have been on the chat for a while, and I was unsure of what to tell in my story because my story seems a bit unexciting when I read the other stories which are more adventuresome and more exhilarating. Here goes!
On 9/00, I was involved in a motor vehicle accident in the country of Bahrain where I was working and living. Bahrain, for those who don't know, is an island country in the Arabian Gulf about 10 miles east of Saudi Arabia. I used to live in Saudi Arabia for six years and three years in Bahrain. After my accident, I was in the hospital for two months but I only remember one month of my hospital visit. I don't remember a few things before and the day of the accident, but that's ok with me. I had a broken neck, pelvic fractures, a fractured right acetabulum, and three brain hemorrhages.
I met Bob, a helicopter test pilot for the Bahraini military, about two years before my accident. He was a great help in my recovery in the hospital and stayed with me every day and told me exactly what happened to me because the staff in the hospital didn't (remember that Bahrain is considered a third World country and the staff didn't speak much English). After I was released from the hospital, I decided to come back to the US for second opinions since I wasn't confident that I was being taken care of properly. Bob's contract with the Bahraini military was coming to an end, so we both flew back to the US together, thank goodness he was there because at that point I was in a wheelchair.
I stayed with my parents in Delaware and Bob had interviews for jobs in the US. While I was with my parents, I saw a neurologist and orthopedist. Both doctors said I had good care and my recovery was good even though I did not have any therapy because what is that to Bahrain, I am lucky I made it this far. The neurologist set me up with some physical and speech therapy, and I did some of that before I had to go back to Bahrain.
I was with my parents for two months, and while I was in Delaware, I heard from my employer in Bahrain that I no longer had a job. I was the IT Manager and Pricing/Billing Manager for a company called Shaw-Nass, a pipe fabrication business. Since there are no rules in Bahrain and no work compensation like the US has, I had to go back to Bahrain to pack my house and ship my belongings to Bob. Bob had gotten a job in Wisconsin, where he grew up, as an EMS helicopter pilot. So, I went back to Bahrain for about two months to pack my house and move my belongings to Wisconsin.
So, here I am in Wisconsin. Not only do I have to deal with this TBI thingy, but I have to deal with culture shock, cold weather, and not working. I do the best I can even though the days are long and boring. I am looking for a job in the IT field since my typing skills are not the best yet, I continue to improve month by month. The neuropsychologist in Wisconsin said it could take about 3 years before he would know if anything is permanent, but I have not plateaued yet and I continue to improve but slowly.
That is my story. Everyday, I am thankful I made it and for Bob. I hope I haven't bored too many of you. You are welcome to email me if you desire. Thanks for reading!
Email Beverly
