My take on it is that the first step is to pick _something_ and start working with it. I'm not sure whatever "it" is has to be the best language, versus training your brain to go through the mental process of programming again.
The $64k question is how your accident has impacted your mental capabilities when it comes to programming, so starting with something "basic" will give you the chance to start to work with a coding project and self-analyze where you might have some holes due to lack of knowledge or due to the accident.
That being said, the concepts and languages available now versus the late 90s are very much changed, so even if you hadn't had the accident, picking up something after 15 years would be a challenge, so don't be discouraged if it doesn't "click" right away!