UPDATE ON
PAUL FITZSIMMONS AFTER CRASH AT SUSQUEHANNA ON APRIL 15, 2005
May 1, 2005
I have resumed working again, and am still shaking off some memory
issues but definitely feeling a lot better every day. I already miss
racing, and am starting to "itch" about getting back one day, so I may
have been premature about my comments about "total retirement". With
that in mind however, I still need to be smart about it and make sure I
am completely healed if I do decide to race again full time. I just have
to take some more time to think about it, then have to start over from
scratch. As far as body motor skills, I am fine. It's more of a brain
thing with some long and short term memory items. I just want to thank
everyone who sent e-mails of concern, and those that pitched in to help
load everything up and get the car back home, especially Randy Kissinger
and Ron Cooper. I've been racing a long time, and as most of you who
also have been too, you know how hard it is to give it up! We'll see
what the Lord says and just follow that path. Hope to see you all real
soon.
Paul
April 17, 2005
I was transported
to York Hospital and released the next morning. I have a severe concussion
and some severely pulled neck and shoulder muscle and ligaments. I don't
remember much about the accident, or even a lot of the night in general. I
am experiencing a lot of memory issues right now, but hopefully that will
clear up in time. This is my 5th concussion over 10 years from either racing
or hockey, and by far the most serious. The CAT scan showed no bone damage.
I will need to follow up with some other doctor visits, but due to the brain
injury and considering all the possibilities of further injury, I am sad to
say racing can no longer be in my future. The risks are too dangerous if I
have another injury of this type. I want to thank all the guys who I ran
with during my short Legends career for helping last year in my rookie year,
and special thanks to Randy Kissinger for giving me a great car for this
year. He tore everything apart on it and after running Lincoln, I finally
felt I had everything on the car working great and was looking forward to a
fun limited schedule this year. Needless to say, the car was left in very
bad shape.
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