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MY LIFE, DELETED by Scott Bolzan

MY LIFE, DELETED

A Memoir

by Scott Bolzan and Joan Bolzan with Caitlin Rother

Pub Date: Oct. 4th, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-06-202547-0
Publisher: HarperOne

Following a head injury, Bolzan, a former NFL player and successful executive, lost all recollection of his past life. His memoir traces his frightening struggle back from feeling completely lost and alone to building a new life with his family.

After slipping in his office restroom, the author suffered a concussion and had no recollection of who he might be, nor that the attractive woman at his bedside was his wife and the teenagers beside her, his children. His doctors advised him that his memory should return in a couple of weeks, but it didn’t happen. He also suffered from debilitating headaches, severe depression and a short attention span. He lost part of his vision in one eye, had trouble retaining new information and understanding abstract concepts. Bolzan struggled to support his family and keep his business running, finally realizing it was impossible: “I wanted to scream, ‘I’m not okay, and I’m scared!’ ” Despite what his doctors said, the author constantly battled his panic and feelings of isolation. The author constantly prodded his family for clues about his past life and personality; occasionally, what they told him caused embarrassment. With the help of his wife and daughter, the author slowly ventured back into the world, first on short neighborhood excursions to the grocery store. Bolzan began relating to his family in new ways. During an Internet search, the author located the Brain Injury Association of Arizona, and he soon began reaching out to others to share his story. While tugging at your heart, this courageous recovery narrative should also be a useful reference for professionals working with individuals suffering from brain injuries.