DETERMINATION

A man recounts his struggles to overcome the debilitating effects of a severe brain bleed.

On July 18, 1999, debut author Buff finished a round of golf. He returned to the clubhouse and collapsed. He was diagnosed with “a malformation of veins and arteries that are sometimes weak in places and can burst.” He underwent two microscopic brain surgeries, the first to remove the pooled blood around his cerebellum and brain stem, and the second to deal with the arteriovenous malformation. At age 36, this father of three young children saw his life forever changed. He remained in the hospital, connected to feeding and breathing tubes (the latter replaced by a tracheotomy), for six weeks. Buff reconstructed details of his hospital stay from stories he was told by family and friends; he has no memory of that period. He was transferred to Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in New Jersey, where he received extensive physical, occupational, and speech therapy, and returned home in time for Christmas. But years of rehab remained ahead. Despite physical, personal, and financial setbacks, the author employs a generally positive tone in these pages: “God has blessed me with a unique personality trait. I will do something over and over again until I am satisfied with the outcome. It worked for my sports; now it was working for my rehabilitation.” Indeed, athletic activity played a significant role in his life—skiing, surfing, football, soccer, baseball, and especially golf. He highlights the stark contrast between his former routines and his post-surgery days by opening many chapters with joyful recollections of his youth followed by sections describing the initial brain trauma and his gradual recuperation. The only bitterness he displays concerns his wife’s decision to leave him in November 2000: “She would not live with a cripple the rest of her life.…I thought her love for me would stand up through all adversity. Obviously, it couldn’t.” After several years living with his parents, Buff now has his own home, drives a car, and even plays golf. His mission: to encourage others to “keep going.”

An inspiring story of mettle and optimism in the face of overwhelming challenges.