Charles Jijon

When he went for a quick bike ride near his home on a balmy September afternoon, Charles never imagined that the ride would cost him two years of his life.  A chance encounter with a careless driver left him bleeding and broken on the side of the road.  He faced a grim reality: a long, painful recuperation, filled with surgeries, surprises and setbacks.  This memoir of those two years tells the story of his journey on the path to recovery, and his battle to walk normally again.  As he wrestles with physical and emotional pain, self-doubt, and disappointment, he discovers a long-dormant inner strength and learns to accept help from others.  Recovery, he learns, is not a solo event; we all need help from time to time.  Driven by the desire to help those who might find themselves on the same, sometimes dark, path, he shares his story and the life lessons he learned about preparation, resilience, and the medical-insurance complex.  What happened to him could happen to anybody.  Hopefully, it will never happen to you.  But if it does, his story acts as a beacon to illuminate your own path to recovery.