BFritz

Thank you! I feel selfish asking for more thoughts and prayers, but this is unreal and hopefully I won't need many more! THANKS! I have super-high hopes, but, like I always say, I love my life as-is, so nothing lost if it doesn't work. I have faith that it will all work! It's very much appreciated. I definitely will. Thank you! Thanks! Thanks. I'm just taking it one day at a time and living my life, so if it doesn't happen or doesn't work, I'm still happy and still loving life. I have a few presentations scheduled for high schools and colleges, but I've been so busy with all of this since May that I haven't had much of a chance to email schools or anything. Plus, the organization that I presented through sometimes has new bosses and they're still trying to get into the swing of things. Thank you! I appreciate it very much. It still hasn't even really hit me at how amazing this could end up. Any improvement would be incredible, but I'm not betting on anything, just hoping.

Thank you VERY MUCH! Always do!

I appreciate it more than you know.

Thank you. I know that they have been happening in other countries, but I haven't seen it much, and it has typically only been in things like stroke patients and in older people. However, here is one from Beijing in 2011: I'm also hoping that our techniques and methods are more advanced than the rest of the world's, making anything that they've done minor in comparison to us. Also, I'm hoping that the fact that I'm so active and have been working out three-to-seven times a week for years helps with recovery after the treatment. I'm just missing pieces of my brain that tie everything together and tell my body how to do certain things, so I'm hoping that it can fill the holes and just improve on what is limited. It will also help heal the damaged parts, which my body does still function relatively well, so hopefully it won't need too much (although I am missing so much of my brain and it's so damaged that my doctor looked at my brain scan and said that, if he showed it to any of his colleagues that didn't know me, they'd assume it was the brain scan of someone who was dead or a vegetable :eek:). This is the first human trials here, and it has worked on mice, which a bunch of girls I've been with say that I'm a rat, so it should work on me........... wait....... what?! :lol2::lol2::lol2::lol2::lol2: Thank you very much! I have no idea why they have to have a placebo for this, either. A placebo is used to see if there's improvements because someone believes that they actually did receive the treatment or if they just improve naturally, but no two brain injuries are alike, so results would seem inconclusive, and plus my brain isn't going to suddenly regrow the parts I'm missing and be able to make me walk and talk normal again just because it thinks that I might have received a treatment. I'm not sure if I'd be a candidate to get the procedure down the road if I do happen to be the placebo, but I would hope so. I need to go out to San Fran once a month for a year after the treatment, so it wouldn't be until after that, it at all. I'm hoping that this starts a chain of it being common in the country somewhere down the road. That's the main reason I want this, and here's the top three reasons that I do want this: 3. For me. It would be amazing to be "normal" again or even more normal, but I love my life as-is and I never expected or even believed that something like this would ever become available. 2. For my family. This would be #1 because I don't mind being this way, but the way that it has changed my family's lives and makes them have to alter their lives to help me absolutely kills me. The only reason that's not #1 is my family is amazing and it's just a part of life, so it's not like they were sitting around waiting for a miracle, either. I am somewhat independent, but I still rely on my family for a lot, and me being even more independent would make their lives a lot easier. 1. The main reason I want this, as I said, is for how much it will help other people in the future and change the way people with traumatic brain injuries live. As I said, I love my life as-is and my family is amazing, but to be able to change the world in that aspect and to change the lives of so many people is just unbelievable to even think about.

The stem cells being used come from blood plasma, just so no one thinks I support aborting babies since you can get stem cells from there, also.

It rebuilds the parts of the brain that I'm missing and heals the damaged parts, which I found out that it could actually make my brain even better than it was (per a friend that works with stem cell treatment). My brain was far from fully developed (it doesn't fully develop until 25 or so) so it will be interesting to see if it's even better. That should mean walking and talking normally, as well as fixing my memory and other mental aspects (although I do remember some things PERFECTLY). This hasn't been done before, so it could be historic.

I appreciate it very much. This is unreal that it's even a possibility.

They called today and set up the final steps, which are being evaluated by a neurologist, getting an MRI, and then being evaluated by an occupational and physical therapist, which all seem like technicalities because we've pretty much done all that and sent the paper work and records. All of that is happening next Wednesday (possibly Thursday, too) in Columbus, and then it sounds like I'll have to go out to San Francisco for the actual treatment, which shouldn't be long after. If you have a second, please say some prayers that it all goes smoothly, that I'm not the placebo, and that it works! Thanks!

He was an amazing guy and so was Brian! Brian was on the first flight in from New York when he heard about the wreck. I'm honored that he even loved me enough to do it, but, at the same time, I would have been more surprised if he hadn't been on the first flight in because that's just the type of guy that he was. Kenny was also my Godfather and I still have memories of him dressing up as Santa and just always being around with a smile on his face and his fun-loving personality. You were automatically drawn to him. I have B.K.W. tattooed on my left arm for Brian and Kenny Williams just below the Chinese symbol for strength. (In my original post, it's supposed to say "I only played my freshman year AND five games into my sophomore year," but I forgot the "and" and didn't notice until it was too late to edit.)

lol! Tony's a great guy and a good friend! It's a very long story about what happened and I actually give a public "speaking" deal about it on PowerPoint because I can't talk much (I've given it at NewCath several times). Long story short, I was 15 and my 15-year-old best friend drove me and our other best friend to a party at the house in the cemetery in his sister's boyfriend's car, started drinking (we all did), left, went and got gas, came back, and he went joy riding. Went 55+ around a sharp turn, lost control, clipped a headstone, did two 360s, and hit a tree right where I was sitting. Suffered a few injuries, but a traumatic brain injury was the worst, and was in a 3 month coma, during which I was declared brain dead. Can't walk much or talk much, among other problems. If you want to see my full presentation that I present to high schools, colleges, companies, and wherever, send me a message :thumb:

Beechwood just because, growing up in Fort Mitchell, I knew everyone that went there. If I hadn't grown up dying to go to CovCath, I would have loved to play for Mike Yeagle. Even with all the drama and everything that happened, most people from Beechwood have shown me nothing but love and support.

Thank you very much! *18* years, but who's counting? :lol2: But I do appreciate it more than I could ever tell you! It's amazing that this happened and then also that I will be getting this stem cell treatment for traumatic brain injuries (as long as the last physical and evaluation are ok, which just seem like technicalities at this point, & as long as I'm not the placebo :eek: :no:) that could regrow the parts of the brain I'm missing, heal the damaged parts, and actually make my brain even better than it was before the wreck! Life is very good!

CovCath's game against Highlands was the 50th anniversary of the football program, so, at halftime, they were retiring the jerseys of my two cousin, Brian and Kenny Williams, as well as the jerseys of Mike Caple, Keith Stowers, and Artie Steinmetz. They ask me to come down to be a captain for the game. Pretty cool, right? Except I get down there, and Tony Bacigalupo, CovCath's AD, walks up and tells me that they're also retiring my jersey. I start bawling crying right away (in a very manly way) because the school has done so much for me since the wreck and it was an incredible honor. It wasn't for my play on the field because I had only played my freshman year five games into my sophomore year (although I may have been the first freshman to ever start varsity at CCH for more than a game or two because a starter missed a game....... and not trying to toot my own horn or anything, but toot-toot :lol2: :lol2: :lol2:), but it was still incredible to be honored in CCH football. Ever since I was old enough to know what football was and from the time we watched games from the backyard of the house overlooking CovCath's field, it was always my dream to play at CCH and under Coach Ray. The day of the wreck, they decided to play me on offense, too (I had only been a starter on defense and special teams), and maybe I could have earned my jersey being retired on the field with my play if I hadn't been in the wreck, but it's still unbelievable to me to have it retired in this amazing program. I was completely humbled and it was the greatest honor of my life to be put in the same group as Brian and Kenny, as well as Mike Caple, Keith Stowers, and Artie Steinmetz. VERY BIG thanks to Coach Ray and CovCath as a whole for making this happen!

In what way?! In actually getting my jersey retired or the ceremony at the game or what?!

Just because it was the Highlands game or because you knew they were retiring my number? How did EVERYONE I've talked to know that when I had no clue?!

Just because it was the Highlands game or because you knew they were retiring my number? How did EVERYONE I've talked to know that when I had no clue?!

Yes sir. Thanks :thumb: I'll definitely be there.

LOVE IT! Where'd you get it or order it from?

I made a typo and meant I only use it 30 minutes at a time (a little faster if someone reads my presentation out loud) with seven times at most in a day.

But I don't use it recreationally or anything, and it only goes about 3 minutes at a time (seven times at the most in day, with at least twenty minute breaks in-between), so I'm just wondering if the lack of usage will allow it to keep performing at a high level with no glitches or anything? Thanks....... I wasn't worried too bad until I saw your post :lol2: :thumb: I appreciate the advice and I started looking online, even if it's just for a cheap one to hold me over until I find something better to replace it. The data recovery isn't cheap, but I could probably roll over to Thomas More and maybe find someone to do it (they've helped with a bunch, even after I graduated) for cheap, or someone at my old man's old office or brother's current office might be willing to do it. I don't like asking for favors, so it would be nice to avoid that situation completely. Like I said, it's not 8 true years because it's not like I present daily or even weekly depending on the time of year. I agree, though, and I'd be in a lot of trouble without it. I appreciate all the advice :thumb:

I've had my laptop for about 8 years and I only use it for my presentations. The only time I've been on the internet on it was when I checking my email because I emailed myself videos to put into my presentation. Being that I'm not on the internet, so nothing can be downloaded onto it to mess it up and that I only use it when I present, which is only weekly or monthly (few times weekly at some points in the year), how long will it last? I don't want to be at a school, especially during a busy time of the year where it would be hard to get everything onto another laptop, and have it just die, so does anyone know how long it should last? Will it last forever since I don't use the internet and don't even use it that often?

Brad Fritz - CCH with lights......... unreal | Facebook

Really? When did that happen? When I was playing for the Spartans growing up, Boone never had a weight limit, which is why a bunch of the heavier kids from the area went to play out there. In midget ball, we kicked an onside every time and recovered a bunch of them, but I agree with people that say it's stupid to just kick onside at that age because it doesn't really teach much of the fundamentals of the game that kids will need as they progress.

I need a picture photoshopped onto another picture and I don't think it will be too difficult but I'm heavily brain damaged and have no clue how to do it. Is anyone else halfway decent at it that can help me? Shouldn't be too tough but, like I said, I have no clue. Let me know!

The rule of "never hit a woman" was originally just to prevent spousal abuse, not allow women to do whatever they want with no repercussions.