Grateful now, because you never know.... · Grow with Gratitude Community

Grateful now, because you never know....

September 21st 2022. Two and a half months earlier, I had just gotten married and moved into a new home and now I was climbing into bed for the night thinking about the next day.... wake up at 4:30, go to gym, daily devotional, meditation time, work, lunch, work, dinner, time with family, repeat...

In the early morning hours, I fell out of bed and was struggling to get back up and my new bride was like, "what are you doing, get back into bed". She turned on the light to see that I was trying to pull myself up with my right arm and that the left side of my face didn't look normal. I had complete left side neglect and was incoherent, a sure sign of a massive stroke.

....A 911 call, an ambulance ride and emergency thrombectomy to remove the clot from my brain... that is how September 22nd actually went down...

After a couple of days in ICU, I had a pretty miraculous recovery. All motor skills seemingly returned to normal. I didn't walk away unscathed as there have been some lingering emotional/psychological effects, but I am so very fortunate and blessed to simply be here today. Had this happened a few months earlier, most likely I would have been alone in my bed and who knows what the end result would have been.

My wife, her quick call, the paramedics, the fact that one of the best medical facilities that actually performs the emergency procedure I needed was within minutes, the doctors, nurses, medical staff, friends, family and God.... the list of things to be thankful for goes on and on and I am not sure I will ever be able to express my gratitude to the extent with which I truly feel it.

I just celebrated my 56th birthday and will soon celebrate my 4th anniversary with my lovely bride. September 22nd, 2022 went nothing like I planned but it certainly sparked an awareness within me that gratitude is important but gratitude NOW while the opportunity exists is even more so.

Don't let the opportunity to let others know you appreciate them pass by because you never know....

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