A Life Changing Hit with David Hunt
Show Notes:
The rehabilitative process after a serious concussion is not typically an easy and short one. David Hunt, our guest today is a testament to the long and arduous road that concussion often forces us to walk. But he is also an example of the positive outcomes of this process, heralding an increased sense of gratitude and connection, and a renewed enthusiasm for life. David joins us on the show to share his story, from the injury he suffered in the year 2000 in a college hockey game, right through years of struggle and physical therapy, to where he is today with his condition. We get to hear about the fear that he experienced when he lost control of sections of his body, the feelings that followed as he had to forego involvement in sport, and the difficult years that David endured.
Our guest makes sure to underline the importance of support, his network of family and friends are, according to him, what helped him through immense challenges and disappointments. A natural athlete and competitor, David repeatedly found he was unable to seriously exert himself for a long time, and it is only more recently that he has been able to reach a point where he can safely exercise in a way that suits him. He has developed a great passion for cycling and takes part in events and fundraising races, something that is near and dear to his heart. For this story of hope and perseverance, filled with some helpful encouragement, be sure to join us!
Key Points From This Episode:
The day of David's injury and the particulars of the trauma he experienced in a hockey game.
Bits and pieces of David's memories after the injury, and arriving at the hospital.
The rehabilitative process for David, and the continual steps he makes in managing his condition.
David's gratitude for the support that he received from friends and family during this period.
Time off from school and the transitions that David had to endure as he tried to progress.
David's advice to young people who may have suffered a concussion while still at school.
Thoughts on the role of the support system around a person dealing with a concussion.
The perspective that David has gained as a result of his injury and recovery process.
A status update on David's injury and his current range of abilities.
The passions that David has developed for cycling and the activities he is able to do now.
A closing message from David about hope, possibility, and support!
Connect with Our Guest!
Follow David on Instagram @hunty2323
Follow Post Concussion Inc on Social Media to stay up to date on the podcast
Transcript - Click to Read
[INTRODUCTION]
[0:00:02.1] BP: Hi, I’m your host Bella Paige and welcome to The Post Concussion Podcast. All about life after experiencing a concussion. Help us make the invisible injury become visible.
The Post Concussion Podcast is strictly an information podcast about concussions and post-concussion syndrome. It does not provide nor substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on this podcast. The opinions expressed in this podcast are simply intended to spark discussion about concussions and post-concussion syndrome.
Welcome to today’s episode of the Post Concussion Podcast with myself, Bella Paige and today’s guest David Hunt. David grew up in Reading, Massachusetts, a town just north of Boston. Currently, he resides in Southern New Hampshire with his wife, Alison and his two daughters. On December 5th in the year 2000, David suffered a traumatic brain injury playing division three hockey at Plymouth State University. It was a life-changing event and the scariest thing imaginable for an 18-year-old college freshman.
As a result, he spent several weeks hospitalized at Mass General. Followed by two subsequent years of out-patient therapy. The bleed on his brain left him immobile on the entire right side of his body, from his face down to his toes. Still to this day, there are pending effects. Although his path has not been an easy one, David chooses to persevere with a positive attitude and a can-do approach to everything and he’s come to realize that there are many others just like him.
His interest includes spending time with his family and friends at the beach, cycling, traveling and working in the healthcare field, as an executive at a large global medical device company.
[INTERVIEW]
[0:02:14.9] BP: Welcome to the show, David.
[0:02:16.7] DH: Great, thank you so much for having me on Bella, I really appreciate it.
[0:02:20.3] BP: To start, can you tell everyone about the day of your injury and what occurred?
[0:02:24.8] DH: Yeah, I’d love to. It’s a long story but at a high level, I was an 18-year-old college freshman at a university in Central New Hampshire, it was early December 2000 so roughly 20 years ago. I was playing in my fifth college hockey game in Southern Maine, went on my first shift, I got checked and centerized and went down really hard, head first. Very traumatic hit, one that you’d see at an NHL game when all the fans yell, “Oh”.
After being carried off the ice and to the locker room, I came to and I was told that I had just experienced a level two concussion, is what they thought it was at that point. With that, I was out of it but I think everything was functioning fine and so I took a shower and I ended up sitting in the stands with my dad and watching the rest of the game in plain clothes.
Following the game, while on the team bus a few hours later on our way back to our school, which was about two-hour ride, out of nowhere, I just lost all the functionality on the entire right side of my body, from my head to my toes. Obviously, as you can imagine, what that was like. I mean, just horrifying for me, horrifying for everybody, else that was on my team there to witness it. Immediately, people jumped to action, the bus pulled over and I was loaded into an ambulance and on a board and transported to the nearest community hospital.
Once I got to the hospital after several tests, it was deemed that I was bleeding on the left side of my brain. That is what was causing the paralysis on the right side of my body. Then from there, there was a major rush to get me to a facility that could properly take care of me, stabilize me and potentially intervene if surgery was a necessary path.
Once again, I was loaded into another ambulance and I was transported again. That pretty much sums up the actual events of the evening and you know, I think the next big phase for me was the time spent in the hospital and throughout the rehabilitation process.
[0:04:36.2] BP: For sure, thank you for sharing. Do you remember a lot of that? Like the whole bus ride from the hockey game to both hospitals?
[0:04:45.2] DH: I remember bits and pieces. I remember coming to in the locker room, I remember saying goodbye to my dad at the rink when I was getting ready to board the bus, he fortunately had been at the game that night. I remember being on the bed going into an MRI or a CAT scan machine during the whole diagnostic phase.
I think I most clearly remember what it felt like, the shock and awe when I noticed that I was talking funny and the right side of my body was just immobile. My hand, my leg, everything. Those are kind of that scary highlights that I do recall.
[0:05:21.6] BP: Fore sure and I’m sure it scared your teammates as well, you get hit, they all play hockey and all of a sudden you can’t feel one side of your body. Definitely a scary thought and also reminder to listeners, this was 20 years ago.
[0:05:34.4] DH: Yeah, 20 years ago, hard to believe.
[0:05:36.9] BP: What we know about now versus then was a huge difference for sure, especially when that hit first happened.
[0:05:44.3] DH: Yup.
[0:05:44.6] BP: You could feel everything, you had mentioned even though you couldn’t move your arm and leg, correct?
[0:05:51.8] DH: Correct, yup, there was always sensation, it was mostly just the signals from the brain not sending to the muscle tone on the right side.
[0:06:00.8] BP: Do you think that made it worse or better that you could still feel when someone touched your arm?
[0:06:07.3] DH: I think it made it feel better, you know? It was reassuring, it wasn’t like there was really any pain, it was mostly just the concern of what’s this going to look like moving forward? Will I walk again, will I always have a speech issue, how will I function in a normal setting of life with a bad hand? All those things that just kind of run through you at that point.
[0:06:31.4] BP: As you said, speech and the fear of not walking. How did the rehab process go?
[0:06:35.6] DH: There were many phases to the rehab and even to this day, 20 years later, I still feel like I’m rehabbing in many ways. Physically and mentally. At the initial onset, I spent one week in the prelude at Mass General Hospital at the neural ICU. I’d say during this phase, I was immobile, I was unalert relatively, I was fighting for my life really and there was no real recollection there.
That was obviously a scary time for my family and my friends, all my teammates, everybody who knew me but I definitely felt a great deal of support. I knew it was there, it’s just you know, now, looking back, I don’t have much of a recollection from that whole phase if you will. Once I was stabilized, meaning that the bleed on my brain had stopped and fortunately, didn’t continue and the swelling went down. I was transitioned to a med surg floor so still under a tight watch here but you know, a little bit less concerning at that time.
I recall, this is when I started to become fully aware of the long road of the head and you know, what I had just gone through. This is where I also remember, starting to feel pitied by other people that were coming to visit me and that’s what I hated more than anything else. Having other people come see me in such a dark place, wondering if I’m ever going to be better because at first, it was really bad. Fast forward another week or so, after the med surg floor. I got moved to an inpatient rehab facility where I lived for about a month and at this point, I was moving around in a wheelchair.
Some strength back but definitely a long road ahead. I vividly remember that first night being scared and uncomfortable. I had never been into a facility like this where you have stroke patients, spinal cord injury patients, head injuries.
I mean, I’d never been in as a patron, let alone a patient. That was, I guess a tough realization and I remember feeling a lot of frustration and just the realization that there were a lot of things right then and there that I couldn’t do. My biggest thing was I just need to get myself out of here. I miss my friends, I miss my normal life, at 18, those are all things that are sacred to you. I knew that I needed to stay so I did what I could to stay positive and just kind of push through it.
When I finally left there in early 2001, the real work began in out-patient therapy. For the first nine months, it was roughly a three hour per day, five-day-a-week commitment and then after that first nine-month period, I continued going to therapy when I was back in school, a few times a week, just to kind of keep it going. Really, that first nine months is where I got the brunt of my therapy and my strength back, my mobility, relearning how to do things that I couldn’t do. I couldn’t drive my car, they took my license away, which obviously made complete sense, I couldn’t drive.
So I had to rely on other people to bring me to and from, mostly my mom, thank God for her. A lot of her friends, I mean, it was amazing. The support system that I had and I’m thankful for that still, every day but when I entered that phase after leaving the inpatient therapy, I was walking with a cane.
[0:10:08.9] BP: That’s awesome.
[0:10:10.3] DH: I had kind of graduated from the wheelchair, that was a huge step. During physical therapy, that was one phase of it, there was a lot of hard work, building muscle tone, increasing my mobility, I got a phenomenal physical therapist, young guy from Boston who I still keep in contact with today.
He took a liking to me as a young athlete who had a long runway ahead of him. He was able to push me in ways that definitely had a lasting effect. I did a lot of occupational therapy and for those that don’t know what that is, it’s relearning everyday tasks.
I was a righty so I had to learn how to write lefty. I had to learn how to tie my shoes with one hand, get dressed, putting a belt on, cutting up my food, just the basics. Things that you take for granted when you have full functionality but when you don’t, these are things that you’re forced to learn again.
Lastly, there was a whole pool therapy component, which I loved, you’d get in the water and because there was no gravity, you could really benefit from working all range of motions, strength, weighted strength, all these different exercises that they put you through. That’s really what my therapy looked like throughout that whole phase.
[0:11:28.1] BP: It’s an amazing story for sure and your ability to handle it mentally is also a whole other step in itself. Also, a reminder to everyone listening who didn’t realize this happened in December so this happened while you were an inpatient that was over Christmas, so that’s a really tough time of year to be away from family in a hospital bed instead.
Then, you also had to miss school to recover as well. How did that go? I know when I was in high school and they kept recommending for me to stop and quit, the idea of not graduating with my friends was a really big deal to me.
[0:12:02.9] DH: Absolutely. Yeah, I took a full semester off from school. That would have been the spring semester of my freshman year. Look, with all things considered, I mean, that really wasn’t too bad, there was a lot going on when I transitioned back to school. It definitely, from a mentality perspective, kind of clicked that the reason why I was going back to school was because I had reached a plateau with my progress and my physical condition.
That’s a tough realization. I’m jumping back into the real world with both feet but yet, there is still things that I’m working on and working through. Again, I was very fortunate to have a great support system that was kind of there for me every step of the way.
Family, friends, even when I got to school, the group of guys that took me in, it was like a brotherhood and so I adapted pretty well getting myself back into school.
[0:13:01.2] BP: That’s awesome. Do you have any advice for other students? I have lots of people that reach out that have had to take time off. Do you have any advice for how to get through that?
[0:13:10.0] DH: Yeah, I mean I think all I can say there is your health and you wellbeing needs to be priority number one, no questions asked. Everything else in your life will suffer if you don’t address the issues as they come about and so my advice is to be selfish when you are facing the health issue and do what you need to do. You know, seek the necessary help and understand that school or sports or whatever else that’s keeping you back will always be there when the time is right, when you get yourself better.
[0:13:44.9] BP: That’s great, thank you. I totally agree, you have to put your health first and it is a really hard step to take especially as an athlete and you are competitive or school is really important, reminding yourself that it will still be there when you come back. You have to get your health better so there is the possibility of going back.
[0:14:01.8] DH: Yeah, I mean for me, you know going back, not being able to play hockey but still seeing all the guys that I played with, again, only for a short time because it was early on in my college career that this happened but you know, that was hard for me for sure and I in some ways, I had to separate myself a little bit and just focus on myself even though I still wanted to be at the rink every day. It was hard for me to go to those games and not play, you know?
[0:14:28.9] BP: Yeah, no that is really hard. I had the same problem like go to horse shows and couldn’t compete and it was really hard and took a while to get over the whole mental step that it is great to be here supportive for my friends and even though I can’t be here and compete like they want to but it does take some time to get over. We talked about family and how much your family helped especially with your out-patient program having to drive you back and forth every day.
Do you have any advice for families going through this and parents who have their children who are suffering?
[0:15:00.0] DH: Yeah, I mean look, I think it boils down to you have to be there. You have to stay positive, you have to keep a positive outlook. Attitude is everything. A lot of my friends and family never really showed me how I think they probably really felt and I like that. I have a sense of pride where if you ask me if you can carry something for me, “No, thanks” okay at myself. Nobody really treated me any differently and that for me was huge.
I was fine on my own way and people knew that but at the same time, you know, they were there to support me and still to this day that is how I feel 20 years later.
[0:15:42.9] BP: Lots of people don’t like that. I always hated that pity look as you mentioned when people look at you like you’re ill that you know you’re ill so you don’t need the extra sad look from people, especially when you are trying to get better. You don’t want to look like that person who is ill. You can find David on Instagram @hunty2323 and that will be on our show notes. With that, let’s take a break and make sure to stay tuned to hear what David is up to today.
[BREAK]
[0:16:20.5] BP: Want to create awareness for concussions? Want to support our podcast and website? Buy awareness clothing today on postconcussioninc.com and get 10% off using “listenin.” That is “listenin” and be sure to take Post Concussion Inc. in your photos. We’d love to see them.
[INTERVIEW CONTINUED]
[0:16:47.1] BP: Welcome back to The Post Concussion Podcast with myself, Bella Paige and today’s guest, David Hunt. Now, we’re going to talk a little bit about how David is doing now. David, you had quite the injury, as everyone just heard about. Do you believe your injury gave you a different perspective in the last 20 years the most when they were going through their life?
[0:17:08.1] DH: One thousand percent, absolutely. I certainly didn’t think so at 18 or probably even 25 but now at 38, it’s clear to me that you know this thing happened for a reason and it changed my look forever. My credit, my injury to many of I guess the best attributes that have helped me get to a fulfilling place that I am in now. I would say I’m more grateful, I take nothing for granted. My work ethic just overwhelmed in this kind of that underdog mentality have all served me very well in my professional life.
I am very compassionate for others. Growing up, I can’t say that I was quite frankly. I now have this desire to give back and so that is one of the reasons why I agreed to come on here. I think if anybody can benefit from hearing my story and take some nuggets away from it that are going to help them, then it is time well spent. You know, I’ve asked myself a million times over the years, I wonder where I would be if this hadn’t happened but the truth is I really don’t care.
You know, this is my reality and I am doing what I can to make the best of it and I wouldn’t trade it for anything based on what I have now, which obviously is taking me a long windy path to get to but it’s all good.
[0:18:30.6] BP: That is awesome. Do you want to tell everyone where you’re at now health-wise?
[0:18:34.6] DH: Right now, I am basically in a spot where my right hand is still somewhat immobile. I can’t extend my fingers. I can’t supinate and I can’t really lift my arm above my shoulder without overcompensating. That’s where the majority of I guess impact is still there. My right leg is definitely weaker than my left leg and you know I’d say probably 70% of the strength in my right leg than in comparison to my left.
Those are I guess if you want to call them the limitations but they really haven’t gotten in my way much. There is a lot that I am able to do and that’s what I try to focus on, you know? There are definitely things that I can’t do or I can’t do well but if there is something that I can do, then I’d pretty much double down on it at this point, you know?
[0:19:30.2] BP: What do you like to do? You mentioned biking as we explained a little bit earlier.
[0:19:34.5] DH: Yeah, so cycling is a passion of mine. I kind of started just riding around just to keep some semblance of shape in 2016. From 2001 when I got out of rehab to about 2016, there were many, many attempts made to try and do different things. Whether it be running, whether it be resistance training, all of these different things that I would kind of jump back in to do what I could to push myself and what I found was that I didn’t have enough baseline strength to keep myself from getting injured.
That was very frustrating. I’d go out, I’d work out as hard as I could. I’d feel okay while I was doing it, I still have that competitive edge in me so you know, it was kind of human nature for me to go all out and then the next day, I could barely walk. I kind of resorted back to just a lot of walking and light things that I could do to keep busy and keep some form of health. 2016 is when I started cycling and I eventually got pretty serious with it because my right hand, I’m able to grip.
I am able to ride up road bike. You know, in order to really get competitive with it like I am now, I had to have a couple of customizations made to my bike. I found a little shop here in Southern New Hampshire that specializes in that. They basically moved all of my gears over to my left side so I have kind of a control center there. My breaks are all controlled on the left and really, all I have to do with my right hand is set it up and this has been an incredible God-send for me if you will.
I was able to join a team, The Boston Bruins Foundation here in Boston, their cycling team and so for the last four years I’ve been riding with them in a big race that is here locally in Massachusetts called The Pan-Mass Challenge. It is a 100% dedicated to supporting cancer research. I think it is the largest athletic fundraiser I think in the world. Definitely in the country, you know typically they raise between 50 and 65 million dollars collectively each year and so it is a 192-mile bike ride.
That goes from Sturbridge, Massachusetts, which is kind of along the southern border midway through the state all the way to the very tip of Cape Cod in Province town and it is over the course of two days and so this is something that has helped me find the camaraderie that I was missing, keep myself in much better shape, build up enough of a baseline of strength to be able to do things that I couldn’t do for that 15-year window. I am able to do a lot with running, with five to six days a week in the gym.
I mean I am very active, that is something that I was missing for a longtime and I’m just grateful to have that back in my life at this point. Do I have to improvise a lot of things? Of course, but it doesn’t stop me from hiking, skating, swimming, I recently got back on skis, which was a fun thing to do with my two daughters. Activity wise, I am finally in a really good place but it took a long time to get there.
[0:22:53.8] BP: That’s incredible, the ability to adapt is really important because with a brain injury, a lot of the things that we’re used to like you said, you had a more serious TBI where you had to relearn things but you can adapt. You switched your bike over so that things worked for you. There is nothing wrong with that. That allows you to do something that you enjoy, so always be willing to reach out and find somebody who can help you do what you love.
[0:23:18.0] DH: Absolutely, yeah.
[0:23:19.3] BP: It’s just huge. That bike ride sounds exhausting to me so to be able to do it where you’re at now.
[0:23:25.3] DH: It’s a grind but it’s for a great cause. I think there’s 6,000 people that do the full ride each year and I mean COVID screwed everything up. Last year we had to do it virtually but we still did it and it’s a very positive thing that I am grateful to be a part of.
[0:23:41.3] BP: Before we end today’s episode, is there anything else you would like to add?
[0:23:45.0] DH: First and foremost, I just want to thank you for having me on and I think for anyone listening who maybe is struggling today or know somebody that is struggling, I think you should recognize that you’re not alone first and foremost. There is always a network, a community and people to tap into that might be going through the same thing as you and if not, people that are willing to help and I found several of these people through my travels. People that are just programmed to want to understand and help you. I think the best thing you can do is take advantage of that.
Secondly, remember that in most cases, you know, any given situation isn’t permanent, and so even if it is like the limitation I deal with, in certain aspects after 20 years, there is still ways to adapt and make any situation better with the right outlook and I think lastly, what I would say is some great advice that I got many years ago is focus on what you can do and focus what you can control versus what you cannot. This might seem like a simple concept but it is definitely easier said than done. I guess that is kind of the advice that I have for anybody out there that’s looking for it.
[0:25:00.9] BP: David, you are truly an inspiration from 20 years ago to now. Thank you so much for joining us today and sharing a bit of your story and thoughts on life after a brain injury.
[END OF INTERVIEW]
[0:25:13.5] BP: Has your life been affected by concussions? Join our podcast by getting in touch. Thank you so much for listening to The Post Concussion Podcast and be sure to help us educate the world about the reality of concussion by giving us a share and to learn more, don’t forget to subscribe.
[END]
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