It’s finally finished! It took six years and many tears. Much determination and lots of support.

Since the night of my husband Arthur’s motorcycle accident in 2015, I have been processing all that happened. We have both been processing, though differently. For me, writing was a balm in the middle of the tragedy. My emotions poured out on the page: the anger, the anguish, the confusion. The book about my journey after my husband’s motorcycle accident, “Better Than Before: One Couple’s Journey After a Tragic Accident,” is finally published!

We lived apart for thirteen months and, during that time, our marriage was tested. My faith was tested. Our love was tested.

After we moved in together in 2016, I began writing this book. I wanted this accident to mean something.

Some days, during this journey, all I could do was cry. Other days, I was just plain angry. Arthur was my sounding board. I had been strong for so long, finding him rehabs, supporting him, and eventually finding a place for us to live. It was time for me to process my emotions and our journey.

In fits and starts, I gathered my notes from my journal and began writing this book.

Life is not a straight line, and we had many setbacks. Arthur was in and out of hospitals. I was working full time. And I became emotionally drained and occasionally had to put the book on the shelf.

But I was determined. I kept returning to the book, with Arthur’s encouragement. He read each chapter that I completed. One day, he put down the papers and said, “I had no idea what you were going through.”

Writing helped Arthur understand that there was another side to this story.

“Better Than Before: One Couple’s Journey After a Tragic Accident,” by Angela DiCicco, is our story, from the wife and caregiver’s perspective.

It’s a story of faith and of love. It’s a story of survival and ultimately thriving. We both want to help others and we pray this book does that. That through our experience, we can give others a glimpse into the medical community. That through our marriage challenges, we can be a beacon of hope to others. And mostly, that we can show others there is life after paraplegia.

We hope you’ll pick up a copy and read it, then share it with someone. We hope you’ll learning something from it.

Lastly, we hope to reach out to others. We are available to speak to your group about grief, faith, tragedy, marriage challenges and several other topics. Please contact us at theitaliangrandmama@gmail.com.

Angela DiCicco & Arthur Morton

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