Life, liberty and my rise from the ashes...

I've had a lot of time as of late to reflect on my life of the last year. This time last year, I was in the hospital in the fight for my life. I had no idea what hit me, neither did the doctors or my family. There I lay many days unconscious, doctors telling my family I wouldn't make it. The surgeries they preformed seemed to help but they weren't certain. They really had no idea initially what was wrong with me. Stomach surgeries, I think about 4, blood transfusions 2, breathing tubes, needles, IV's and tubes in every orifice. I can't help to think, along with my doctors, that I am a miracle and all because of an extremely rare bacteria and pneumonia that did its best to kill me.

22 days in the ER unit of the hospital, first name basis with all my doctors, rehab to learn how to walk again because when you're bed ridden for weeks your legs atrophy quickly. Two blood transfusions, stomach VAC's to which my nurse attended every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Blood drawn every morning at 7am like clock work. They wouldn't allow me to eat for about a week after I woke up, just to make sure my system could properly pass the things I ingested. 20lbs lost, no sense of privacy at all, because if the nurses need to come and change you, or wipe your backside down, there's no comfortable way to go about it all.

I must say, my team of doctors and nurses were all awesome. I dont think I could have been treated any better than I was, they made sure I was comfortable, made sure I never was in any pain, made sure I had clean sheets, heated blankets and tried to reserve any humility and dignity a 28 year old could have in that situation, besides as many of them had said, they just dont get people in the hospital like me, furthermore they don't get many who came in my condition to walk out... ever. I can still remember their faces when they saw me awake and conscious, it was as if they saw a true ghost or witnessed a miracle at that very moment. I'll never forget it, i'll never forget any of it. And after all of that I actually was able to walk out under my own will, no meds, only aftercare nurses needed outside of tending my stomach wound from the surgery that was still healing. I walked out healthier than when I came in. I had to rest, I had to regain my strength mentally and physically, I was winded when I walked, it was hard for me to walk up 4 steps without taking a stop for a breath. This coming from someone who took immaculate care of themselves. Hardly ever drank, never smoked or abused drugs, worked out 3-4x a week.

 As I reflect I often think, had it been any different, had I went to any other hospital, had my family waited any longer, I wouldnt be here and that's not speculation.

Now, if you would have told me through all of that, that one year later. I would have picked up, packed up from the familiarity of Philadelphia and moved to Las Vegas to pursue my passion of being a professional poker player and later move to a place I've always coveted in California with a better job opportunity, I wouldn't have thought it that far fetched, but at the time wouldn't have seen how it could be possible.

Everything I am is a testament to what I've always done in my life. I've always tried to live it right,  i've never given up, even when the situation more than calls for it, I always see the bright side of things, and some how I always seem to come out better than when I started. I've often believed that you can let the best of a bad situation get you down, or you can get a hold of the best in a bad situation. The strength I didn't think I had, in hindsight, I had so much more than I could have ever recognized.

My whole ordeal will never been too far from my heart, head or stomach. Its changed me in many ways, they say scars remind you that your past is real, well i'm glad I carry this badge of honor (picture below) and that my past will never be too far behind me.