My story focuses on three things GRATITUDE FAITH AWARENESS…. First, I’ll start with Gratitude, this past Tuesday, I went into anaphylactic shock and my heart stopped while at LA Fitness in Patchogue. I often say that there are wonderful people in the world , but if you turned on the news you wouldn’t see many….but I know they are out there….Many of my friends are aware of the allergy to eggs that I developed at 47 years old….social media followers will see my post every December 10th commemorating the car wreck that almost took my life subsequent to my first anaphylactic event in 2014…..
the heroes of that day, Greg Miglino, Amy Price Thomas, Louis Salinas, Christian Prado, Louis Valentino…and others, will never be forgotten and I hold them in high regard and dear to my heart….from that day fast forward nine years and Tuesday marked my sixth anaphylactic event of which I take full responsibility for five of the events….now to fill in the blanks of my cryptic comments earlier in the week…I was working out at the gym and had logged four sets of pull downs and three sets of seated rows when I suddenly felt warm….out of caution and personal awareness, I got up, removed my earphones and walked to the front of the gym.... I went outside to get some air and quickly realized things were accelerating....as my strength quickly diminished, I made eye contact with Fran at the front desk of LA and simply said, get an ambulance, I’m going into anaphylactic shock…..five steps later I landed into a reception chair and passed out….Fran sprang into action, calmly taking control of the situation, summoning help and coming to my aid…..Harry, (a regular gym member and new friend), a gentleman I am aware of but never uttered a word to quickly assisted….minutes passed and my pulse was fading….in trying to piece things together, 5th PCT PO Brendan Schade arrived on scene and along with Harry (retired NYPD) moved my body to the floor….at this point a visiting gym member, Dr. Matt Kelly from Ronkonkoma, heard the commotion while trying to purchase a bottle of water before his workout, and came to assist…..Harry and officer Schade were able to open my phone and contact my wife and daughter confirming my event was allergy and not heart related, along with professionally keeping them informed and calm….this spectacle overtook the club as I convulsed and began to vomit violently….this caught the attention of gym member Danielle who was purchasing a refreshment after her workout and was also an allergy patient…..she rushed over and offered her own EPI pen as my heart had stopped beating….DR. Kelly quickly administered the dose and waited for what he felt was an eternity for it work…..after about 30 seconds as he was hoping I would not pass, he could detect a pulse and faint breaths….they turned me on my side as I continued throwing up while waiting for an ambulance…..fast forward through a messy and bumpy ride to Community Hospital I received the meds and steroids needed as my helpless body worked through chills and convulsions.....I have backtracked and emotionally connected with the ladies at the gym, phoned Dr. Kelly and met with Officer Schade…..These individuals and more are indelibly etched into the story of my life and I could never repay the value their actions…they are Hero’s and I pray, and will continue to pray, God blesses them and is pleased with his creation… Still with me?
Next up FAITH! I respect but pray for those who do not believe in God. Everyone has their reasons and belief systems but if you need any proof or are on the fence, hear my testimony as it rather clear…if my plight was a wager in Vegas, it would be such a long shot that I would have better chances of winning lotto twice and getting hit by lightning …..Starting with my car wreck….I can name over ten people who have hit trees or poles along the South Country corridor and are no longer with us….yet I hit one square with a Toyota Prius and live to tell about it….I have collapsed face first into a corner of a granite kitchen island and am still here….If that were all it would be enough to indicate the hand of God is at work….however; if you still doubt…this last Tuesday will seal the deal for you….let’s start with Dr. Kelly who is not a regular at this gym and has only been there three times…this particular day he only came to the gym because he needed to pick something up at HOME DEPOT across the street after his workout….additionally he would have been at the back of the gym working but forgot his water bottle which brough him to the front of the gym at the time of my illness to make the purchase….Now for gym member Harry, who is afflicted with 9/11 related illness yet is so selfless he thrusts himself into this chaos….ironically, when PO Schade arrives on scene, he is actually best friends with Harry’s son and the two work seamlessly on my behalf….the clincher is gym member Danielle….she had finished her workout and consistent with her regimen , she should have exited the gym after her workout as I was walking back in from outside.... fate has it that for the very first time at LA Fitness, Danielle stopped to wait online at the refreshment bar….this kept her at the gym for the circus….her being placed there was the difference from my being able to write tonight or be eulogized …..Danielle, who lives with dangerous allergies, was not only in attendance, but was in possession of an EPI pen….after a tearful reunion, she indicated that she doesn’t carry her epi pen with her while at the gym …..the only reason she had one is that she had a visit with her Allergist prior to coming to the gym that day….To top things off….when my pulse stopped…..I was taken to somewhere heavenly…..it was warm, bright lights and so very comfortable and cozy…..as they worked to revive me, one vivid thought was etched into my memory…..please don’t disturb this euphoria….and then the thought shifted to why are you interrupting this incredible peace…..a bright white light shined brightly and a was suddenly back to violent convulsions….I could not picture who was above me but I can recall someone saying his blood pressure is 60/40…..I had a quick conscious thought of “that’s not good” but I was helpless…..God be my witness, I am not sharing this for drama value or debate….I am not worthy of the grace God bestows upon me or am I of any more value than any other person on this planet….but its obvious to me God has me here for a reason and my faith could not be stronger…..I pray you are blessed with the spirit that has blanketed me and that you open your heart to faith…..
Finally the awareness piece…. allergies can kill you! It is estimated that over 50 million Americans suffer from allergies….This number is greater than any time in the past….they are difficult to live with and unmerciful….each reaction becomes progressively worse….the allergens are so strong and last in your body …without provocation, two subsequent reactions occurred on Thursday and Sunday requiring strong doses of Benadryl…I now fear the next may be my last….I can no longer be good at my care, I have to be perfect…..do not take your allergies or those of your loved ones lightly…..search for help and live a respectful life that anticipates everything related to your health….I am not going to cast aspersions but I am adamant that any fair minded person should be asking questions of leaders and people in power with the hope that, money the root of all evil, does not allow the inquiries to fall on deaf ears….growing up, I rarely heard the word allergy and now my doctor’s office is packed…..I rarely heard of cancers, yet today it’s everywhere…. I can go on…..but as I have embarked on a healthy life, I feel we should all question, the air we breathe (look at the sky non-judgmentally for a week and tell me what you see) the vegetables we eat (GMO etc etc) , the livestock we eat (hormones etc) the water we drink (research fluoride etc) the products we pick up at the store (can you even pronounce the ingredients) the products we utilize for self-care (metals in deodorant, fluoride toothpaste, toxic soaps)…the radiation emitted from our cell phones, head phones, microwaves, etc.…..although some of these may not be a smoking gun, I am confident some of the answers we seek are found within ….. be a critical thinker don’t be dismissive…..I no longer fear death, however my passion for living is stronger than ever….I am sorry for the length but it was my hope if this helps one person, my God has been served and I can begin to repay the blessings afforded me….in closing I share my love and admiration for my wife and children….I’m so sorry for the horror my allergic episodes inflict upon you… thank you for your love, care and support
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