Richard Berger - Brain Injury Survivor
Can you share about the brain injury event itself?
In October 2017, I traveled to Jersey City, NJ for a week of client meetings in Manhattan. As the days passed, I began feeling extremely unwell. By Wednesday, I asked my travel agent to delay my flight home. By Thursday, my condition had deteriorated—I had a severe migraine and could barely function. I just wanted to sleep.
That evening, while we were on the phone, my wife noticed I wasn’t making sense—I couldn’t answer basic questions like what hotel I was in. She asked our neighbor to check on me while she called the local police, who worked with NJ authorities to ping my phone. Once they located my hotel, the police advised her to call the front desk and report a medical emergency. EMTs arrived at my door within 10–15 minutes.
During the ambulance ride to the hospital, I lost consciousness. At the hospital, a CT scan revealed a subdural hematoma. The ER surgeon contacted my wife, who was in Dallas, and told her I needed surgery first thing in the morning or I would not survive. She gave her approval and immediately booked a flight to NJ.
She arrived the next day and stayed by my side in NJ for six full weeks—a tremendous act of love. At my final appointment, the surgeon told me plainly: my wife had saved my life. Without her determination, I would have died alone on that hotel room floor.
I underwent an emergency craniotomy the following morning, which saved my life. I spent one week in the hospital and two weeks in therapy.
In November 2017, my surgeon discovered an infection and scheduled a second surgery to clean it out. After another week in the hospital and two more weeks of therapy, I was finally cleared to return home to Dallas six weeks later.
However, my neurosurgeon in Dallas couldn’t proceed with my final skull repair surgery—my head was too swollen, and my original bone flap from my first surgery was deemed too risky to reinsert due to possible infection. On March 1, 2018, I underwent my third surgery, where doctors implanted a titanium mesh secured with 20 screws. After three days in the hospital, I was finally released.
How did you feel during the first days, weeks, or months after the injury?
The relief of no longer having to wear my protective helmet after five to six months was overwhelming. Finally being home felt incredible, but I was weak, exhausted, and needed a lot of sleep.
Surrounded by family, I realized how blessed I was to be alive. Gratitude filled my days in a way I had never experienced before. Visits from friends and neighbors lifted my spirits and helped my recovery—but when I was alone, I felt isolated, and that slowed down my progress both mentally and physically.
What kind of rehabilitation therapies or treatment have been most helpful through the process of recovery?
After my first brain surgery, I spent two weeks in a rehab facility in NJ, receiving physical, occupational, and speech therapy.
Following my second surgery, I returned to the same rehab center for additional therapy.
Once I returned to Dallas and had my third surgery, I continued rehab for several weeks. These treatments were critical in getting me back on my feet, improving my physical strength and emotional resilience.
What have been some of the biggest challenges you or your loved one has faced during recovery?
Regaining mobility: After my first surgery, walking was extremely difficult. Every rehab session pushed me beyond my limits.
Anesthesia complications: During my second surgery, I woke up on the operating table due to insufficient anesthesia. That traumatizing experience still lingers with me today.
Nerve damage in my right hand: After surgery #2, I couldn’t move my fingers. Therapy helped restore function, but to this day, I still experience persistent tingling, which may never fully go away.
If there have been setbacks or repeated injuries, describe that journey:
In August 2018, I suffered a seizure at home after my neurosurgeon took me off Keppra. That turned out to be a big mistake. I now take Keppra daily and haven’t had a seizure since.
Chronic pain at the craniotomy site: For the past year, I’ve been dealing with persistent discomfort at the surgery site.
How has your life changed since the brain injury?
My faith in God is stronger than ever.
In rehab after surgery #1, I realized leaning on God was the only way I would get through this.
My relationships with family and friends have grown deeper and more meaningful.
I’ve developed a greater appreciation for life, realizing that true happiness requires much less than I once thought.
What role has support from family, friends, or community played in your journey?
The support of my family and friends has been everything. I couldn’t have asked for a better support system. Their encouragement and love kept me going. Most of all, my wife—whose swift, selfless actions in the earliest hours saved my life and whose unwavering presence throughout my six-week hospital stay in New Jersey became a pillar of my recovery—has been the greatest blessing. Her devotion and strength inspired me to keep fighting.
Have there been any moments of breakthrough or unexpected positives along the way?
During a visit with my neurosurgeon in Corpus Christi, my EEG results were normal, but my bloodwork showed a major B12 deficiency.
His simple advice? Take vitamin B12 daily.
Since starting B12 supplements, my chronic head pain has disappeared. Fingers crossed it stays that way.
What has surprised you about this journey with brain injury?
This experience has changed how I view health, mindset, and faith:
I now prioritize what truly matters in life.
I’ve learned the power of making intentional choices—from what I expose my brain to, to what I eat.
Casting my worries and burdens on God has been life-changing.
What do you know now that you wish you knew at the beginning of this journey?
How faith in God could have been stronger before all of this happened.
The importance of closely monitoring any potential brain-related symptoms, especially after prior concussions or injuries.
What does "hope" mean to you?
Everything.
Without hope, we get trapped in fear—imagining the worst possible outcomes. But hope changes everything—it shifts our mindset, filling us with positivity and purpose.
If you could share one encouraging message with another survivor or family, what would it be?
God has a purpose for your life.
This experience wasn’t random—God wanted you to learn something from your pain. He’s testing you, shaping you, and leading you toward something greater.
Read the Bible every day. It’s God’s manual for how to live your life.
