Submitted By: Brandon Guffee, Lead Business Analyst
January 5, 2018 was a normal Friday, much like any other. I was excited to get off work and start another great weekend.
January 6, 2018 started out as typical Saturday. My wife and I loaded up our ATVs and headed out for some trail riding. This time we decided to check out a new trail, Rocky Ridge Ranch near Decatur, TX. After a few hours of riding, my wife and I decided we were not enjoying the trail, so we packed up and headed home. At some point between Decatur and Denton, Texas, I suffered a major heart attack while driving.
My wife managed to get the truck stopped from the passenger seat and called 911. She then flagged down some good Samaritans who were able to begin CPR on me and saved my life while waiting for the paramedics to arrive. Once the paramedics arrived, they took over and thankfully, they were able to make me start breathing again. My heart stopped three times; once during the initial heart attack, once in the ambulance on the way to the hospital, and again after arriving at the hospital during surgery. Through it all, no one gave up on me.
I spent the next five days in an induced coma and another fourteen days in the ICU recovering. Altogether, I spent nineteen days in the hospital with no memory of the events or even the week leading up to the events. It wasn’t until I woke up that the doctors realized I not only suffered a heart attack, but I also suffered two strokes while being given CPR. One stroke affected my vison, initially leaving me completely blind. The other stroke affected my strength, leaving me a little weak on my left side.
I still have no memory of the events that changed my life forever. I also lost some memories from the last couple of months leading up to that time, including Thanksgiving and Christmas in 2017. When I woke up in the hospital, I had to be told what happened and where I was every day. After being released from the hospital, I spent 30 days in an intensive rehabilitation program to help me regain my strength and my vision.
As of today, I have made a full recovery, including regaining 100% of my vision and strength. During the time I was out of the office, the TMX Cares Fund helped to supplement my reduced income and allowed my wife and I to stay caught up with the new medical bills, as well as the normal day-to-day bills we are accustomed to receiving. The TMX Cares Fund allowed us to put less focus on making ends meet and more focus on where it was needed, in my recovery.