Life is full of ups and downs – the trick is to enjoy the ups and have courage through the downs. This statement puts us all to the test at times, but for injured individuals, the ‘down’ period can be far more lengthy, trying, and intense.
When someone experiences a catastrophic or complex injury at work, they have just experienced the worst day of their life. From there on out, every day is a struggle to find the courage needed to navigate their new normal.
Time and time again, we are inspired at Ametros by injured individuals who have risen above their injuries and regained their lives. In the beginning, every day seemed like an impossible feat for them, but somehow, they have been able to dig deep and find the courage to move forward.
James is a shining example.
Courage Through the ‘Downs’
James was a UPS driver for 32 years, putting in 60-hour work weeks to provide for his family. The early morning hours of Jan. 1, 2010, started out like any other normal shift, except this particular morning was rainy. At 4 a.m., James pulled out of the UPS Atlanta hub with his double tractor trailer like he had done countless times before. But this time was different. A drunk driver – driving a car with no headlights on – smashed right between James’ front wheel and door.
James was immediately knocked out; however, it didn’t take long for him to regain consciousness. When he awoke, he was able to get out of the truck, and for the most part, felt fine. Just to be sure, he was taken to the hospital. Once there, hospital staff were most concerned about checking the cervical fusion in James’ neck that he had from a previous accident when he was younger. Hospital staff did scans on his neck but never scanned his head.
Once they confirmed his cervical fusion was fine, James went home and returned to everyday life, but it didn’t take long for things to change. He started experiencing sudden mood changes and intense headaches. And then, he started to throw up.
His wife at the time was a nurse who insisted he go to the hospital for an MRI. Once there, they started the MRI process but quickly stopped and called a doctor stat. The first scans detected a bleed in James’ brain
– a hematoma about an inch thick that had taken over the entire left side of his brain. James was suffering from a traumatic brain injury (TBI). He would need surgery immediately to save his life. From there, the last thing he remembers is seeing a sterilization package on a table with a stainless-steel cordless Dewalt drill.
After the surgery, James was sent home to recover, but his symptoms actually got worse. While the doctors were able to drain the blood from his brain and relieve the pressure, James’ brain now had to readjust. He began experiencing seizures, migraines, tremors in his hands and arms, and he even lost his vocabulary.
James suffered for years with symptoms. He went through five neurologists, attended Pathways’ brain injury program, got a life coach, and spent time at The Shepherd Center. He finally got a break when he met Dr. Erik Shaw at The Shepherd Center who was able to do a nerve ablation on his occipital nerve, which relieved his migraine pain.
In addition to his ongoing TBI symptoms, James was struggling with his finances. Living off far less than what he was making when he worked at UPS, he eventually deleted his savings.
That’s when Ametros came into the picture. Ametros paired him up with Member Services Specialist Patricia (Patty) who helped him find doctors, get the proper medications, manage his settlement funds, and submit all the Medicare-required paperwork. To this day, she is still his day-to-day contact. They have formed a strong bond and friendship that has been truly life-changing for James.
According to James, “Patty has been a godsend. I don’t know what I would have done without her.”
In addition to Patty, something else pretty special happened to James that finally helped him see a light at the end of the tunnel. In 2017, his daughter had his first grandchild, a son she named after her dad. This provided James with purpose again, and he spent a lot of time during those early years helping his daughter out.
For years, James had endured life’s ‘downs,’ but with the help of Patty, good doctors, family, and friends, his symptoms improved and he regained a sense of normalcy.
Enjoying the ‘Ups’
For James, it was time to not just survive but to thrive. There are two hobbies he now had time to enjoy: photography and wildlife.
When James was in his early 20s, he loved photography; however, once he had a family, he started working long hours at UPS to provide for them. Photography had to take a back seat, which is where it stayed for decades.
James was determined to pick up where he left off so many years ago. He started with a small, simple camera. His first photography trip was to Yellowstone National Park where he was able to get pictures of a sow grizzly and her cub. He was hooked.
Prior to his workplace injury, James had been an avid outdoorsman. He spent his life in Georgia where he would hunt and fish year-round. But, after his injury, he gained a new appreciation for life. He no longer wanted to shoot animals with a gun. He wanted to shoot them with a camera – and allow them to live another day.
James started visiting other national parks, and slowly, he upgraded his camera equipment. He got connected with a group of photographers who alert each other about wildlife spottings in the parks. From grizzlies to big horn sheep, to his favorite, the great gray owl, James has had the opportunity to capture some incredible photos. He loves to give his photography as gifts. As a thank you, he even gave Patty at Ametros a photography book of some of his most favorite shots.
Today, James lives in Colorado. He made the move with his girlfriend, Kathy, to be closer to all the national parks out west. At some point, they’re hoping to make a move to either Montana or Wyoming to be even closer.
Over the years, James’ has instilled a love for photography in his grandson. Last Christmas, he bought him a camera and showed him how to use it. Today, his grandson is nine. James hopes that by May 2027, he can take him on their first photography trip to Yellowstone.
You never know where James will be next – it may be Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, or even Glacier National Park or Katmai National Park, which are both on his bucket list. But one thing is certain, James will be following his new motto, “Live like there’s no tomorrow.”
