When Richard Rogers switched on the reconditioned gas oven in the back of Mary’s Flowers and Pastries in Morehead City, N.C., in 1995, he was anticipating the start of a whole new life. It was the grand opening for the restaurant and bakery portion of the flower and gift shop he and his wife, Mary, had opened a few months before. He definitely got a new life–just not what he expected. As he kneaded out the dough for his Danishes, the oven exploded, hitting Rogers with a massive concussion wave.
He initially skipped the hospital, but over the next few days and months his mind deteriorated. He’d forget his wife’s name or fail to put carrots in carrot cake. His appetite evaporated, and over three months he lost 60 pounds. “The neurologist told me I’d had a major concussion, and the shock wave caused nerve damage,” he says. Full story.