Hello, my name is Brian Webb and on May 17th 1998 I became a traumatic brain injury survivor. Here is my story.

That day happened to be a Sunday and I was still feeling the excitement of becoming a recent graduate of the University of Kentucky. Back home in the small town that raised me, Maysville Kentucky, my parents and I were discussing possible avenues of employment. Deciding on working for my father’s company as a paid internist, I felt my future was decided.

I travelled back to Lexington, Kentucky to share the news with my room mate and brother Donny. We exchanged pleasantries and he went on his way leaving me alone in the apartment. I was on the couch trying to relax from such an eventful day. However, I could not. A headache was coming on. This pain was different. Instead of a sinus headache felt around my temples, this pain was at the base of my skull. The pain became excruciating! I felt sick, ran to the bathroom and passed out. Fortunately, my brother arrived back home in the nick of time and discovered me lying on the bathroom floor. My brother called 911, then an ambulance came to my apartment. Next thing that I barely remember is that I was on a stretcher and taken to the nearest hospital. End of story.

Or, is this just the beginning. Over the years I have discovered many things about myself and what happened that fateful day. I suffered an inter-cranial hemorrhage. The medical term is an articular malformation. I call it a dream killer. Yet, I am alive and am thankful everyday for my life. I said that I have made several discoveries over the past 18 years. The first, fitness, nutrition, and meditation help to heal the body and the brain. I recently participated in my fifth half marathon, nine distances races under my belt thus far. This is from someone who is not supposed to walk! I enjoy fitness and health, and I am certified as a personal trainer. However, people cannot buy what I am trying to sell. A person has to have inherent belief in themselves to overcome anything and everything. That has been the main lesson from my injury.

I now have a new passion. Like this website, I want to get the word out that we all can live the life of our dreams whether injured or not. I am running another half marathon next weekend, and have maybe three or four on my calendar for the rest of the year. My life truly became blessed when I suffered my injury and now I want to help our soldiers coming home to the states with PTSD and TBI. I do not have a grad degree in either, I have just been living with it for 18 years! The main point that I want to give as a takeaway from this article is stay strong, stay persistent, hold on and hold out. Don’t give up, don’t ever give up!