Several years ago, I was under the false impression that I was healthy. I've spent the majority of my life in either a gym, dojo or athletic activity. I've been blessed with great genes, so I don't suffer from high blood pressure, heart disease or any other type of ailments. I THOUGHT I was extremely blessed. I'd say that my family was built FOLKES tough and while in my mid-forties, I STILL felt indestructible. I a man who doesn't suffer from a lack of energy! I ENJOY pushing myself to see how far I can go, what are my limits exactly.
One day after a grueling day at Merril Lynch, I hit the weights and talked a co-worker into a marathon bout of racquetball. We played 9-12 games and I was in heaven. You see, to me it never mattered who won or loss, I wanted to go to exhaustion. The problem started with pains in my back, I laughed it off as "no pain, no gain..." It wasn't until later that night, after a trip to the restroom and the pain becoming more and more intense, that my concern grew. As I attempted to take off my shoes, I couldn't bend over. I was rushed to Baylor Medical Center of Plano, where I was told that I was EXTREMELY dehydrated, my keytone levels were high and I was in renal failure. Of course, I made jokes and asked if I'd be able to make an event I had Planned! The look on that young doctors face is STILL priceless. Of course I was admitted and spent the next 5 days attempting to lower my levels and hydrate as much as possible.
It was during that week that my life began transforming, my mortality creeping into view. This body, this machine, this vessel was and is capable of being destroyed or restricted in some way and my mind kept asking what then? What then indeed....