It all started as a normal day in June of 2019. My wife and myself just got back home from my daughter’s parent teacher conference. I remember sitting at the kitchen table when all of a sudden I felt like someone shot me in the back. I could not catch my breath but told my wife it was just a bad cramp. She knew better and immediately called 911. It took no longer than 10 minutes for EMS to arrive before rushing me to Banner Baywood.
They diagnosed me with a Type B dissection of my aortic artery which means I basically had a tear in a major artery transferring blood to my heart which could have been fatal if not caught in time. They said this happened because I chose to stop taking my medication for high blood pressure.
At Banner Baywood, they told my family that I had a very small chance of surviving. They operated and thankfully were successful at saving my life. However, while I was in recovery, I had 2 small strokes which caused total organ failure. I ended up spending 1 month in the ICU before being transferred to another facility in Phoenix for another month. Finally, I was transferred to Montecito Rehab where they brought me out of a long, 3 month drug induced coma.
The rehab staff at Montecito were wonderful! The two best people were my therapists Brad and Vicky. They kept me motivated every day to do more and try harder. Without them, I would have not recovered and be where I am today physically and emotionally. They helped me create daily goals which made me be successful and feel accomplished every day. They helped me learn how to walk, use the bathroom, and even perform basic daily skills within 2 months of coming out of my coma.
I couldn’t give up on life. I was given a second chance. Without the strong support from my family and the help from everybody at Montecito, I would have never got this far. I am now living at home with my family, riding my bike, and walking anywhere I want thanks to Montecito. You guys are my hero’s!