Did you say something about getting old? LOL! 20-25 years ago I had absolutely no idea. Generally speaking, it's not that I feel so horrible. When everything is going well I feel great for my age. The thing about being in my 50's(56 to be exact) that I can share is that when you get to this age you really need to be serious about taking care of yourself because you never know what kind of surprise is lurking around the corner. All that health advise that you got in your late 20's early 30's that you either brushed off or laughed at because you thought nothing could ever happen to you will come back to bite you if you don't begin to take it seriously.
I had been a smoker since I was 20 and have been getting tough love type advice to quit by friends and family for years. I just blew it off. Oh I knew it was harmful but I just couldn't bring myself to quit. Then a month ago I suffered a 9 mm sub arachnoid hemmorage(An aneurysm). After many conversations with my surgeon during my hospital stay, he made it very clear to me just how much danger smoking puts you in and the physiological reasons for it. I realized right then and there that I had to quit. I haven't had a cigarette since I had my aneurysm( a little over a month). I also was made to realize that going back to smoking would put my life in grave danger and would likely kill me. Just the fact that I'm alive and 100% cognitively intact is a minor miracle as most initial aneurysm rupture survivors do not make it long term as they suffer multiple strokes and/or seizures and those who do make it usually have serious long term effects like compromised motor/cognitive function.
I'm so truly grateful that my biggest obstacle is relearning how to walk and my doctor believes I will make a full recovery. It won't be easy and it will take hard work but I will get there. I've already made substantial progress which has lifted my spirits more than you could ever know! I thank the Lord everyday for this miracle for without him this could never have happened. My only concern has been getting back to work. I'm sure many/most of you can relate when I say that my ability to work and perform my job at an elite level allowing me to be self sufficient and make a living forms the very foundation of my identity/self esteem. That might not be the healthiest way to view yourself but it's reality for me. When it all gets taken away suddenly you really learn a lot about yourself. This situation has brought me closer to God in ways I would never have never anticipated. I realize that not everyone believes in God and that me bringing it up may inspire a certain degree of cynicism. I understand this and will only say that in my experience being in a situation that suddenly rips you from your comfort zone allows you to reprioritize your life and enables you to see who and what are truly most important. In my specific case I have been blown away by the outpouring of love and support from friends and family plus the unexpected bonus of discovering friends I didn't know I had. It had allowed me to see the very best of people and that is something I consider to be a huge blessing.
I had no idea that this would turn out to be so long(Pause). I just got going and couldn't stop. Last I want to say how blessed and fortunate I am to be a l part of such a special community here at CanesInSight and how we truly are one big extended family. In all my years in the restaurant business I have learned that everything starts at the top and this is no exception.
@DMoney deserves thanks and recognition for making CanesInSight the special place it is. His leadership, positive disposition and warm welcoming nature have created the family like atmosphere that we all enjoy here. (That and the fact that CIS is by far the best place for content and information). Like any family, we have our fights but at the end of the day we share a bond that transcends our mutual love for Hurricanes Football. It's difficult to explain to outsiders. It's a Cane thing. They wouldn’t understand! Thank you and God bless each and every one of you!
