Anne Gleason / The Citizen

Story:

For a week in October of 1995, John Bishop went in and out of consciousness after suffering an allergic reaction to antibiotics. When he finally woke up for good, he had suffered a complete memory loss.

"When I woke up, I didn't know myself, my wife, my family," Bishop said. "Everything was blank."

Bishop, who had been a pastor in Rosebud, Ark., prior to the experience, had been diagnosed with aseptic meningitis. Though he was 44 at the time, it was as though he was starting from the beginning, as he had to be taught to walk, eat, speak and read all over again.

On Sunday, Bishop spoke at the Freedom Baptist Church in Auburn. For five years, he has been touring across the country and in Germany, sharing his struggles and his ultimate recovery as a way to reach out to others who are struggling.

Bishop credits his faith in God with helping him through the recovery, which is still on-going today.

Though he had his wife, Donna, and three children, to help him through the illness and memory loss, Bishop said there were times when the emotional and physical pain was overwhelming.

"It was very odd to hear people talk, to watch people do things that I couldn't do," he said. About six months after the memory loss, Bishop said he began to comprehend what he was missing out on and became depressed. "I realized what a normal person was like."

For more on this story, read Monday's edition of The Citizen.