I Think I’m Goin’ Back

You can leave your hometown--but some places never leave you.

In I Think I'm Goin' Back, Michael O. Sajbel returns to Wausau, Wisconsin--not just to write about the expansion of its hospital, but to reconnect with the people, memories, and spirit that shaped his life. What begins as a writing assignment becomes a moving reflection on small-town America in the early 1970s, a time of quiet revolutions in medicine, community, and culture.

Through interviews with doctors, nurses, volunteers, and local leaders, Sajbel captures a portrait of a city in transition--one where medical miracles and personal revelations unfold side by side. Woven throughout is the author's own journey: the push and pull of home, the tenderness of memory, and the lasting imprint of those who quietly make history.

With warmth, wit, and a deep affection for the people of Wausau, this memoir invites readers to consider what it really means to go back--and what we find when we do.