In early spring of 2006, beloved From Gents' Pens author D. A. Grady's life changed forever, when his Chevy pickup connected with a metal guard rail on highway U.S. 290, between Austin and Houston. When EMTs arrived on the scene and placed him into their Medevac helicopter, his left leg from below the knee remained behind in his truck, still in his boot. Now faced with such issues as dealing with a prosthesis, relearning how to walk, handling phantom pain and even something as simple as taking a shower, he brought to the situation the same courage, determination and ingenuity that had held him in good stead through a long life.
Soon approached by the hospital's trauma team and asked to share his experiences with others, he has counseled amputees ranging from Wounded Warriors to those who chanced to stand behind him in the checkout lane at his local Walmart and, in some cases, fellow amputees he met on the street.
Now he has put his experiences, solutions, and suggestions into words that can be passed on to others who can benefit from his experiences, in a uniquely conversational style that allows this fact-filled offering to seem as if it's a conversation among friends.
If you're an amputee yourself, a caregiver of an amputee or a friend of one, the information contained in this book will be helpful to you as you chart your new course through the growing world of amputeeism.
D.A. Grady has spent much of his life in the west. Growing up, high school summers were spent chasing mustangs or wild horses, just outside of Reno, Nevada, where he and friends captured and broke them to ride, later selling them for school money. A veteran, old school cowboy, he is most at home in that world, including, hunting, fishing and spending time with his animals. After joining the U.S. Navy in 1962, he received a Presidential appointment to the Naval Academy, after which he rejoined the fleet and became part of America's space program. While stationed aboard the USS Lake Champlain, he worked in air traffic control and was a member of the team used to recover Gemini III and Gemini V space vehicles. Later, he joined the news staff of KSWO-TV in Lawton, Oklahoma, where he anchored the news desk for several years, during which he received the Salvation Army's National Service to Mankind Award for a documentary he produced on nearby Snyder, Oklahoma, after it was devastated by a tornado. In years to follow, D.A. entered U.S. Army civil service at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma, as a logistician working in emergency management, designing and operating a first of its kind emergency operations center that played a key role in Operation Desert Storm. During that time, he undertook the training of specialized dogs used in the detection of narcotics and explosives. He and his dog, King, were known nationwide for their efforts in detecting contraband in both military and federal law enforcement. Later, he transferred to Ft. McPherson, Georgia, to become the Chief of the Army's Away Team - a rapid response deployment unit, providing on-site management and reporting to the highest levels of the Pentagon. Recruited by Dell Computer, D.A. came to Austin, Texas, where he worked as operations manager for its federal division. Two years later he formed Solutions for Older Americans, LLC, a consulting firm, working exclusively with America's senior citizens in an effort to help them improve their quality of life. Mr. Grady lives in Cedar Park, Texas, with his wife, Emma. His sons, Ken and Carl, live in Houston and daughter Angela lives close by. He can be found at his website: www.bardsnest.com and also at his blogsite: http: //wp.me/p5Bnng-qS. You may follow him on Twitter as @dagsnotes.
