Sorry I've been MIA guys. It's been an eventful year already. Got laid off in late January, busted my butt and hustled to find a new job that I started in late February. Then just a few weeks after starting my new job, I was experiencing excruciating and debilitating pain that I assumed was a hemorrhoid. I've never had hemorrhoids so I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was told by lots of people that the pain shouldn't be debilitating. After a week of lying in bed, on my couch, or in the hot bathtub and not really eating or drinking, I was able to get into a doctor. He told me to immediately go to the ER because I had a severe infection. So on March 10th, I went to the ER and it's a day that will have forever changed me.
Less than an hour after they took me back to a room in the ER, I started getting extremely lightheaded and what I thought I said to my girlfriend was, "I'm getting lightheaded." She said that only "I'm getting" came out of my mouth and then my eyes rolled back into my head, I postured, and I was gone. My heart had stopped beating...
From my end, I saw the "white light" that everybody talks about and I remember hearing things and kind of dreaming, but unfortunately or maybe fortunately, I can't remember any of it. My girlfriend, sister, and aunt were all there and witnessed this. I feel terrible about this. Apparently, my girlfriend ran out of the room yelling for help and miraculously my heart restarted itself before the nurses or doctors could intervene. When I woke up, I had an oxygen mask on my face and I was surrounded by tons of nurses and doctors. This made me claustrophobic, a phobia I often battle with. At first, I could see, but could not move or speak and it took my body a second to regain control. As soon as I could move, I tore the mask off of my face and told everybody to get back because they were freaking me out. I asked what had happened and when they told me that my heart stopped, I was floored. I have never had such a sobering slap in the face!
Then I remember the nurse stating loudly, something to the effect like "He's going again". That's about all I remember. That meant my heart was stopping again. In total, my heart stopped and restarted itself a total of 3 times without any intervention. I asked the one nurse how and why my heart restarted itself and she just said it's a miracle. I'm a lucky guy to be here based on my history, but this time feels different. I'm just so thankful to have more time with my amazing girlfriend, her son, and my incredible family. My poor girlfriend and aunts had to watch me "code" in front of their eyes multiple times. And my saint of a mom had to cut her first ever vacation in Florida short to come home for me.
I spent a month in the hospital. I'm still recovering my strength. Being malnourished for 2 weeks+ and bedridden in the hospital made my old bird legs feel like heavy Jello. Climbing the steps in my 3-story townhouse is a literal chore and a struggle. I'm far from being strong enough to ride the Harley right now!
It's been over a month and I still think about what I experienced and how lucky I am. As I've stated on this site before, I lost my late girlfriend in 2021 and while I'm not religious, I firmly believe she is guiding my life right now. She brought the perfect woman for me and my dream girl into my life. She kept me alive during my car accident in 2023 and somehow I still have my right arm and it's 100% functional despite the new hardware, and now this...
My mom's friend and former coworker lost her police officer husband in the line of duty. His quote lives on and it hits home now more than ever.
"If you stopped yourself every time you said, 'I have to' and changed it to 'I get to" it might change your entire experience."
You have no idea how happy I was to get to go into work the Monday after I was discharged!
Enjoy and appreciate life, guys! Give it hell because we don't know when our last second on this Earth will be!
Less than an hour after they took me back to a room in the ER, I started getting extremely lightheaded and what I thought I said to my girlfriend was, "I'm getting lightheaded." She said that only "I'm getting" came out of my mouth and then my eyes rolled back into my head, I postured, and I was gone. My heart had stopped beating...
From my end, I saw the "white light" that everybody talks about and I remember hearing things and kind of dreaming, but unfortunately or maybe fortunately, I can't remember any of it. My girlfriend, sister, and aunt were all there and witnessed this. I feel terrible about this. Apparently, my girlfriend ran out of the room yelling for help and miraculously my heart restarted itself before the nurses or doctors could intervene. When I woke up, I had an oxygen mask on my face and I was surrounded by tons of nurses and doctors. This made me claustrophobic, a phobia I often battle with. At first, I could see, but could not move or speak and it took my body a second to regain control. As soon as I could move, I tore the mask off of my face and told everybody to get back because they were freaking me out. I asked what had happened and when they told me that my heart stopped, I was floored. I have never had such a sobering slap in the face!
Then I remember the nurse stating loudly, something to the effect like "He's going again". That's about all I remember. That meant my heart was stopping again. In total, my heart stopped and restarted itself a total of 3 times without any intervention. I asked the one nurse how and why my heart restarted itself and she just said it's a miracle. I'm a lucky guy to be here based on my history, but this time feels different. I'm just so thankful to have more time with my amazing girlfriend, her son, and my incredible family. My poor girlfriend and aunts had to watch me "code" in front of their eyes multiple times. And my saint of a mom had to cut her first ever vacation in Florida short to come home for me.
I spent a month in the hospital. I'm still recovering my strength. Being malnourished for 2 weeks+ and bedridden in the hospital made my old bird legs feel like heavy Jello. Climbing the steps in my 3-story townhouse is a literal chore and a struggle. I'm far from being strong enough to ride the Harley right now!
It's been over a month and I still think about what I experienced and how lucky I am. As I've stated on this site before, I lost my late girlfriend in 2021 and while I'm not religious, I firmly believe she is guiding my life right now. She brought the perfect woman for me and my dream girl into my life. She kept me alive during my car accident in 2023 and somehow I still have my right arm and it's 100% functional despite the new hardware, and now this...
My mom's friend and former coworker lost her police officer husband in the line of duty. His quote lives on and it hits home now more than ever.
"If you stopped yourself every time you said, 'I have to' and changed it to 'I get to" it might change your entire experience."
You have no idea how happy I was to get to go into work the Monday after I was discharged!
Enjoy and appreciate life, guys! Give it hell because we don't know when our last second on this Earth will be!