It was an unseasonably warm day in January, one of those that beckons you outside to enjoy the brief respite from the fog. I lay on my back at the foot of a staircase unable to move or feel anything from the neck down. My bicycle was cracked in half on the rocks not far from my feet. The crowd had gathered around and bystanders were calling out for help. "Don't move me," I implored. "I'm a Doctor. I've broken my neck. I'm paralyzed. Please get me to the hospital." A woman knelt down beside me and looked into my eyes. Her face was outlined by the clear blue sky. "Help is coming."
"His blood pressure is falling. 60/40. Hang the dopamine-STAT!" I looked up at the vital signs monitor and watched my heart rate and blood pressure sink dangerously low. Spinal shock. "Stable for transfer." The MRI revealed a large bruise on my spinal cord from C3 to C5. "Will I ever walk again?" I looked up at my wife and my family from the ICU bed. This wasn't right. I was in the San Francisco General ICU where I worked as a physician. I wasn't supposed to be in this position.
I spent a week in the ICU, two and a half more months in inpatient rehabilitation, and over a year recuperating. When I finally was strong enough to return to my career as a physician, I rejoined my colleagues in a new body and a renewed spirit. Although my body had been weakened through nerve damage and severe spasticity, I was strengthened by a renewed sense of inner strength. I had been to a place where most people are blessed never to have passed through and survived.
I have been working full time for almost a year and have been told by my colleagues that I am now their source of strength and inspiration. I would not have made it to this point without my wife, Amy, and our family and friends. They have been truly amazing. Although I never wanted to represent what was possible with a disability, I feel honored to be able to give something back. Thank you for considering me for "Faces of Courage."
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