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Chaney had just started on a new type of medicine. “I was about the first case on this (medicine) – it actually got me worse,” he said. Chaney spent the next two weeks going from Physicians Memorial in La Plata to Georgetown University Hospital. Finally, the doctors put him on valporic acid. “I’m on four times medications a day, but it’s taken care of it,” Chaney revealed. “I don’t stumble or fall down in the morning.”

 

Epilepsy aside, there’s nothing out of the ordinary about Russell Chaney. Growing up in Seat Pleasant, Chaney played football and baseball as a child, and is especially adept at ping pong, pool, and bowling. The bowling has stayed with him the longest – for 23 years – since he was seven. At his peak, he averaged between 190 and 210. Currently (1985) he is hovering around 184.

 

Note how all those sports require exceptional eye-hand coordination or concentration. Chaney did admit that he doesn’t play ping pong too much anymore. He was getting to the point that all of his friends wanted him to spot them on points – he was that good.

 

One of the bigger fallacies surrounding epilepsy is that those motor skills aren’t all there. During a seizure, they’re not. But when the disease is controlled, an epileptic is normal. Occasionally, they rise to greatness (Fyodor Dostoyevsky and Alexander the Great come to mind) but always, they are normal.

 

“I’m just trying to show other people that epilepsy doesn’t affect…it isn’t anything to be scared of,” Chaney said. Respecting Russell Chaney’s wishes, I guess this is really just a column about Russell Chaney’s bowling prowess. Three straight appearances on “Tenpin Challenge” – once in the scratch category and twice with a handicap. He was up for a fourth straight before he was so rudely, and temporarily, interrupted. Outside of that, he is just a normal guy.

Jerry’s Story

by Jerry Cushman – December 13, 2007

To my fellow survivors and their caregivers: This is what happened to me six years ago that was explained to me, because I have no memory whatsoever of my accident. I worked in a meat warehouse that serviced stores all around the tri-state area. Apparently, three or four cases of boxed meat was not put in its proper place when it was received and taken off the dock to be put in the rack. Naturally, it became time during my shift when this product was needed. Normal production was stopped and everyone was sent on a search mission around the warehouse. As I have done a thousand times before, I stepped on a wooden pallet and was lifted in the air, 18 feet, by a forklift. I was looking through the meat cases in top racks for the lost product. What happened was, the forklift operator walking around bumped into the switch operating the lift. By him not meaning to do this, it caused the pallet to move abruptly, without me knowing about its possibility, taking me off of balance and onto the floor. I hit the floor head first and was knocked out and very, very hurt. I was taken by a rescue helicopter to a hospital and was in a coma for three weeks.

At some point either during or shortly after coming out of my coma, I moved to a hospital in Northern Virginia. I was there for four months I think, taking quite a few rehabilitation steps. As I started to “come back to life” things got strange and tough at the same time. Simple, normal things you used to do every day were not that simple, or that normal any more. It took me a year and a half, maybe two years, but when I saw the one doctor that was monitoring me, I told him I was ready to go back to work; but all of a sudden it dawned on me – there is no way. After two days of work, all I’d want to do is sleep. That would not be right to my fellow co-workers and my boss, he’d fire me in a heart beat. Anyway, I finally realized then that I could not go back to work.

On August 29, 2007, that date marked six years since my accident. At the rehab sessions I went through, they got me interested in painting ceramics, an artwork that I still do to this day. I have even won several ribbons at the Charles County Fair, including “Best in Show.” I am allowed to hunt and I harvested my first deer since being given permission to hunt two years ago. I also drive, and have had my driver’s license back for several years now. All in all, I would say that I am doing pretty good. I thank the Good Lord for being with me that night and allowing me to stand on my own two feet and face the sunshine that is brought before me. May Jesus Christ stretch forth His healing hands to those survivors who read this and the caregivers that read it to them. May His light shine throughout your homes. Amen,

By Jerry Cushman, Survivor and

Sheri, his wife and caregiver

Survivor Story – Craig Phillips

My name is Craig J. Phillips and I am a traumatic brain injury survivor as well as a master’s level rehabilitation counselor. Per my traumatic brain injury, at the age of 10, I was in a motor vehicle accident. Upon impact — the Cadillac hitting our VW Beetle — I was thrown forward from where I sat, behind my father who was driving. On my way forward, I snapped my left femur on my Dad’s bucket seat and then hit the windshield. When my head hit the windshield, I sustained an open skull fracture. The injury to my brain resulted in my remaining in a coma for 3 weeks. Upon waking from what I thought was a bad dream, I found my left leg elevated and in traction. Slowly, it became apparent that I was not merely in a bad dream. Although I am unable to remember much from that time in my life, one memory stands out. The right side of my forehead — where the fracture occurred — was depressed inward like a shallow bowl. I later learned that my right frontal lobe had been damaged, that I had sustained a severe brain contusion, and that my brain stem had been impacted.

In 1967 neurological rehabilitation was not available. As a result, I was virtually on my own. I had to re-teach myself how to walk, talk, read, write and speak in complete sentences. Although my injuries were life threatening and I was not expected to succeed beyond high school, I went on to obtain both my undergraduate and graduate degrees. I have learned that daunting pessimism and negativity is pointless.

Through out my lifetime, I have taught myself how to overcome many insurmountable odds. These strategies have helped me to prosper and succeed. On February 6, 2007, I decided to start a blog at http://www.secondchancetolive.wordpress.com/ Second Chance to Live presents topics that motivate encourage and empower the reader. As a tbi survivor, I can speak from my experience, strength and hope. As a professional I provide information to encourage, motivate and empower both disabled and non-disabled individuals. Our circumstances are not meant to keep us down, but to build us up. Second Chance to Live empowers the readers to live life on life’s terms. Please read my post, My Journey thus Far as that will help you understand more about my background. Professionally speaking, I have nursing training on the LPN level, I have an undergraduate degree in Theology, with a minor in Physical Education / Recreation, and a masters degree in Rehabilitation Counseling. I have practical experience with in nursing, emergency medicine, physical education, private and public rehabilitation, chemical dependency counseling, day treatment and partial hospitalization for mentally ill adults, and I have worked with in both the cemetery and funeral industries. In addition I have been pursuing my own personal empowerment for the last 30 years. Please consider sharing my site with anyone who needs to be encouraged, motivated or empowered.

My hope is that through visiting my site, those individuals who may have lost hope will see a new light. This light will in turn guide them to a renewed hope, an array of possibilities, and a new zest for living.

Second Chance to Live, will enable the reader to live life on life’s terms.

Survivor Story: Mike Cadenhead

I LOVE TO EAT. I never use the words “no” and “food” in the same sentence or paragraph. I could eat all day if my parents let me. I don’t gain weight because I excercise all the time. I have a stationary bike in my bedroom and use it every day. I also love to lift weights, do sit-ups, and push-ups.

I have a lot of time because I was in a car accident in 1983. I graduated from Riverdale Baptist and had finished my first semester at the Prince Georges Community College. I was invincible and life was a big party. Life comes at you fast sometimes though. I don’t remember much about what happened. I went with six friends to University of Maryland at College Park. Coming back we tried to merge into traffic from Route 50 onto the Beltway (Route 495) and struck a dump truck, which had broken down and was sitting at the end of the entrance ramp. The car proceeded to travel across the beltway where we were hit by two other cars. The car continued across the road ending up in the median strip. By God’s grace no one was killed! I came close but God must not be through with me yet. I survived. As a result of the accident I am cortically blind but the bible says that when Jesus comes back “every eye will see Him.” I can’t wait. I love to tell others about Jesus. I may have a head injury, am blind, and have memory problems. So what’s your excuse. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

(From A Maryland Independent Story of 02/20/1985 by Earle Kimel, Staff Reporter) 
This column was supposed to be a feature about Russell Chaney’s bowling exploits. It was to be written while his three straight appearances on the “Tenpin Challenge” television show, something no one has done since, was still current news. Written before an epileptic seizure reminded him that he could not keep his 12:30 pm appointment with the reporter.