Everything happens for a reason...

When I was 15 years old, I was diagnosed with scoliosis, a curvature of the spine. That is one of the reasons I am so short. My spine is shaped like an "S". Short parents had something to do with it too. I had surgery to prevent my spine from bending any further. I have rods in my spine.

When you are 15 and have to put your life on hold and have mayor surgery, you ask yourself "Why did this have to happen?"

Well, that question was answered four years later when I had a major car accident an suffered a spinal cord injury. The injury was incomplete. My spinal cord was not completely severed and I gain a lot of movement back after years physical therapy. The doctors said that if I hadn't had those rods in my spine, the injury would have been a lot worst.

So after a week in coma, five months in the hospital, two surgeries and years of physical therapy, I asked myself again "Why did this have to happen?". It turns out that the injury affected mostly the left side of my brain. The right side of my brain stepped up. I became more artistically inclined. After graduating college with a management degree, I did the obvious thing. I became a happy full-time artist. Question answered again.

Fast-forward to now. About a year ago, I moved to Maryland to be with my family because I'm having problems with my hip and probably need surgery. I'm not having the best time. It's been hard to meet people living in the suburbs working from home and not begin able to drive (or lately walk much). I know I would be having a much better (and funner) time back in Paducah where all my friends are. So I asked myself that same stupid question.

Last night I was chatting with my friend Donna Maria. She lives in Paducah but was raised in Maryland. I was telling her about my health issues and asked her if she knew any neurologists in the area.

DM: Not of the top of my head. I'll let you know if I think of someone.
ME: Ok
DM: Wait, wasn't Christopher Reeve's doctor in Baltimore?
ME: Didn't he live in NY?
DM: I'm pretty sure he was in Baltimore.
ME: I don't know but let me see what I can find out.
(5 seconds later)
DM: Look at this website...

Donna Maria was right. Christopher Reeve's doctor is here. Not only him but the International Center for Spinal Cord Injury is here! Can't believe that with all the doctors I have seen here, no one told me about that. I sent them an email at midnight last night and called them first thing in the morning today. They had seen my email and had already sent me an information packet. They even take my health insurance.

I got a good feeling about this. So the question has been answered one more time. Why did I move to Maryland where I'm not having such a great time when I could be in Paducah with my friends? This is why.