Adam D. Transcript

Hello my name is Adam DeBerg. I am 55 years old and I’m also a patient at North Bay Physical Therapy. I am a patient there because I get dizzy. I’m dizzy most of the time. I have to use a cane 90% of the time to walk around. I have headaches. My vision has gone bad.And you know there was a point where I passed out. And I wasn’t gonna go. Two years ago I was fire chief. And I was in charge of multiple people, multiple agencies showing up. I had to make split second decisions that, you know, people’s lives depended on it. And people’s property, people’s houses, their well being. Didn’t have a problem, loved it. I still do. I love that.

Before that, you know, I was in Nashville, went to Nashville. I played music, had a recording contract with Castle Records. Went out and toured, met some pretty great people. 

In ‘06, I got hit by a three quarter ton truck. Don’t know how fast it was going, maybe 50-55. And I was in a coma for a month. They told my mom and dad if I was live that I’d be a vegetable. They used that as my excuse. But by the power of G-d, you know, here I am. 

I played football, played sports, high school basketball, football, college football, also went on to college, and then went to win on and played semi pro quarterback. And multiple concussions, and should listen to it my coaches, my teammates, whatever. And I was superman. They gonna stop me? I’m gonna keep going. When I was younger my grandfather and my father told me –  I do certain things – and they told me “You shouldn’t do that because he’s just gonna catch up to you and you’re gonna get old and you’re gonna regret it”. There again, I thought I was superman, I should have listened, but I didn’t. 

I grew up ranching, back of a horse. Love the lifestyle, love ranching, love the outdoors. And you know multiple concussions in my in my younger years, you know, football, even in basketball. Somebody came down accidentally, elbow on top of my head, and I kept playing. I wanted to play. Didn’t care. I remember a football game against Portola – severe concussion – I still wanted to play, I wouldn’t didn’t want to stop. Till finally my best friend grabbed me and, on the bus ride home he had to sit next to me and keep me awake. They took me to the ER. My brother actually showed up there in the ER. I still wanted to play. I didn’t want to stop. 

Well here I am, 55 and my mind’s gone, my vision shut, I’m numb everywhere. I play music just to keep me sane, keep in mind going. I use a cane 90% of the time to walk around on. 

I came to Vacaville a little over a year ago. And a friend of mine needed some help on her house getting repairs done. I grew up with her, known her since grade school. And so I came back from the mountains to help her out, and now we’re engaged to be married. 

I started getting really bad headaches and they started to get worse and worse. And finally she said, you know, you just go see a doctor. And that to me being medically trained and advanced EMT and everything as fire chief, I said it’ll pass. It got worse and worse. And after multiple multiple doctor’s visits, I end up with Meniere’s Disease. And that affects my vision, my short term memory. I mean, I can remember stuff from when I was two years old. I remember words to songs. But when I write songs out, I have to read the words. Don’t remember ‘em. It’s all from head injuries. My neurologist told me that. That’s why I’m in Vacaville physical therapy, or it’s in Vacaville, at NorthBay Physical Therapy.  

It’s terrible, I can’t sleep. I’m tired and can’t sleep. My head hurts, I hurt all over. Nothing I’d wish on my worst enemy. Like I said, I play music. I still write, I play to keep myself sane. This is my recording studio back here behind me. It’s called the office, but it’s a recording studio. Anyway, that’s all I got, that, and then you know, her and the kids and everything. 

But you know, don’t be a hero. Don’t be a hero. Someone tells you, you know, take a step back, and rethink what’s going on, do it. You need to do it. It’s not worth it You know? And I’m blessed. I’m blessed to have the people in my life that are help me out with this. And I’m confident that my physical therapist, she knows what she’s doing. It’s going to work, but that’s a long hard road. You know, it’s terrible. All I can say is listen to other people. Think. Don’t be a hero. There’ll be time for that later. When you have your own kids, then you’ll be the hero. Other than that, just be safe. Do the right thing. Take care and be safe. God bless