Back on Track
Peter Bradshaw credits Shepherd Center’s Complex Concussion Clinic with helping him get his life back on track.
On a rainy night in March 2021, Peter Bradshaw’s truck was hit by a speeding car that veered into his lane. Peter went to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, where he learned he had a severe concussion. In the coming days, he experienced weakness on his right side, dizziness, balance issues, difficulty walking, and sensitivity to light. He was prohibited from driving and had to take leave from his job at an electronics company.
He next went to Shepherd Center’s Complex Concussion Clinic, where he spent the next five months working on regaining his strength and balance and addressing memory issues.
The staff reviewed his medications and recommended he stop taking them since they can mask symptoms.
“Things got worse before they got better,” Peter admits. “I had ringing in my ears and a lot of pain.”
He spent three days a week at Shepherd Center, participating in various forms of therapy. When he wasn’t in therapy, he worked on exercises at home.
“It was a lot of hard work,” Peter says of his recovery. “But I was committed to getting better. The staff was so supportive, and they motivated me to keep working. I didn’t want to let them down.”
Slowly, he saw progress. His short-term memory improved. He could walk in a straight line. Strength returned to his right side. He tapered off his therapy sessions to weekly visits to Shepherd Center.
The most significant victory was when Peter was cleared to drive. At first, he was allowed to drive only short distances, and his wife had to be in the car. As he built up the hours, he could eventually drive part of the way on a trip to Florida. Then, he was cleared to return to work — once again in small increments.
Peter says life has returned to normal and credits his family, his faith, and Shepherd Center.
“Shepherd Center saved my mind and quality of life,” he says. “The people there care about you and show that in everything they do. I would recommend it to anybody going through what I did. I thank them for the support and what they did for me.”
Written by Sara Baxter
Shepherd Center provides world-class clinical care, research, and family support for people experiencing the most complex conditions, including spinal cord and brain injuries, multi-trauma, traumatic amputations, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and pain. An elite center recognized as both Spinal Cord Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems, Shepherd Center is ranked by U.S. News as one of the nation’s top hospitals for rehabilitation. Shepherd Center treats thousands of patients annually with unmatched expertise and unwavering compassion to help them begin again.