Never Take Anything for Granted
Life can change in a moment. Your wealth can disappear in the wink of an eye. You can go from poverty-stricken to wealthy in a flash. You can go from healthy to sick in an instant. I know. I found out the hard way that taking things for granted can have profound implications when things go awry.
I spent many happy hours walking through woods, down trails, exploring, and enjoying nature. Every day, almost without fail, I walked. And I enjoyed walking.
I lived a pain-free life. I took it for granted, sorry to say, one of my best friends, who’s now passed on, was continually afflicted with chronic pain. I commiserated with him and empathized, but I never knew what chronic pain was or how much it could affect a life. It’s one thing to be sympathetic and empathic and another to experience chronic pain.
In that proverbial “twinkling of an eye”, my life changed. And when I look back on it, it didn’t happen in a flash; it took months of stupidly turning a blind eye to the symptoms that were creeping up on me. I thought I was being stoic. But there’s a huge difference between being stoic and being stupid.
Early in March, I fell on the trail. I just lost my balance and fell, and a young lady who was passing by, God bless her, stopped to help me get up. I pretended I wasn’t hurt, but my right knee, right leg, right hip, and the right side of my face were all bruised and scraped. After being helped to my feet, I walked on… through April and into May, I walked on. By June, the pain in my hip and leg was affecting how I walked. By the middle of June, the pain was so bad, I began dreading the walks that I loved so much. By July, the pain was so bad, I only walked intermittently.
I went to the doctor. He ordered X-rays and gave me steroids (Prednisone) to ease the swelling. I skipped the X-rays and took the Prednisone, and it temporarily eased the pain, and I walked again with little pain for a few days. But to keep going, I needed more Prednisone. I went through three rounds of it, and then I started feeling ill.
Prednisone can and does weaken the immune system. And being an older guy, my immune system is struggling a bit anyway. Then I got an infection – they said it was a UTI – but I just felt sick. I lost my appetite; nothing tasted right. I lost 15 pounds in less than a month. Walking was no longer primary on my mind; getting well and feeling better, just staying alive, became paramount.
I didn’t get better; I got worse. One day, my oldest son came to visit me and took one look at me and said, “That’s it, Dad, you’re going to the hospital.” I was so sick and by then confused, I didn’t argue. The next thing I knew, I was in Intensive Care, and it was a new day. I was so confused the Friday night when he took me to the hospital, I thought it was Thursday morning.
Long story short. I was diagnosed with sepsis. I had a UTI and a kidney infection, which caused acute kidney injury. All that meant, I was terribly ill.
I survived, obviously, and when I got home, I was still taking things for granted. I assumed in a few days I’d be well and my damaged arthritic hip would heal, and I’d be back walking the trail.
But walking with a limp and walking in pain was my new reality. All the things, like my health, walking the trails, and taking the best things in life for granted, only made things worse in my mind. I got very depressed.
Then one day I woke up and realized I’m not ever going to be the person I was. I realize I was going to have to admit it to myself and get used to a new reality. So now I’m going to try to do the right things to be the best I can be. I got the CT scans and X-rays and found out my hip is in worse shape than I thought. Now my new adventure is with an orthopedic surgeon who will be treating me, and I will be going to physical therapy.
And I am painfully aware I may never walk 4 or 5 miles a day. But I’m going to try to walk 2 or 3 as soon as I can. But it’s not going to happen overnight. I know that now, and instead of letting everything get me down and defeat me, I’m looking for to the challenge of a lifetime -walking the trails again and walking without pain is my goal.
And never taking my health for granted and ignoring my body’s fervent warning won’t ever happen again. For the 10 things I cannot do, there are still many things I can do. The one thing I won’t do is feel sorry for myself.
Taking things for granted minimizes the value of the things and the people you love. Don’t take anything for granted. Don’t take anyone for granted. Especially don’t take the people you love most for granted. Be vigilant and keep the things and people you love dear. Don’t be like me – treasure the things and the people you love and always remember you could lose the things and people most precious to you in a second.
Never take anything or anyone for granted.
Will keep praying for your gradual but STEADY recovery. Praying you will have more days that are a step forward and less that are a step back. That each day you will progress, even if only a little. As you already said you need to be sure and focus on those things you can do. Even if it is just to walk around the house. Also praying for the holy spirit to fill you with peace at this time of recovery.
Amen Sandy. My family will add you to our nightly prayers as well.
TC.. poignantly written. We want to think that things, people, situations will always be same. Especially when we’re not listening to those little signs that are telling us something different. And especially when we get older! We don’t want to think of our own mortality.
Thanks so much for sharing your journey, it helps to know other people are going through the same journey. Best wishes, TC, you’ll get through it… positive thoughts! Take Care!
TC, Thank you for writing and sharing this! Stay positive and trust that God has your best interest in His heart. I know what you mean about pain. Since reading this, I’m going to pursue more about my shoulder pain. I kept thinking I can live with it, but I think I better get an xray. Praying for you!
Thank you for sharing your trials, TC. It’s reassuring to know that people care, and they do. We are all guilty of sometimes ignoring “signs” and thinking symptoms will go away on their own, but it’s not always the case. I’m happy to hear that you are now receiving the medical care you need to get back to good health and live a fulfilling life again. Your son sounds like he is a blessing to you. Give yourself grace and take the time for yourself when needed.
Thank you TC for sharing this new and intimate part of your life. As others have written in, I know what it’s like to live with chronic pain. A spinal fusion back in 2014 didn’t heal properly, and everything my doctors tried didn’t help.
I am now dependent on prescription pain medication that I need to take several times a day every single day. It’s the only thing that gives me some relief and quality of life.
Like yourself, I focus on the need to adapt to a new normal. There’s no other choice. My wife doesn’t drive and depends on me.
It’s like that song Little Yellow Taxi – …you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone…
They say the definition of being rich is someone who is happy with what they have. So I keep on praying and focus on my blessings instead of the things I’ve lost along the path of life.
It’s tough to realize that we’re all just one phone call, one heartbeat, one fall away from a game changing experience – but the things we have are only loaned to us.
You’re thinking it through the best way you can. Stay on that path and know there are so many of us who care about you – and are walking similar paths. We’re all in this together – you’re never alone. Hang in there TC, we need you.
Thank you for sharing those beautiful words. I pray your recovery continues. You have encouraged me to begin my own journey back to a full life. My husband died nearly 3 years ago and I have been drifting since. Guess it’s time to stop sitting still and start walking. Thanks for the push.
Colleen
Oh TC reading your journey is heartbreaking however your positive outlook is encouraging and so many of us are thinking of you and wishing for a steady improvement. Sure life may never be quite the same but nevertheless I truly believe these ‘changes’ happen for a reason and you have already done a lot of good by alerting us to ‘listen to our body’ and realising that a stoic attitude is not always in ones best interests, so thank you for sharing your experience not only with our computer problems (as you have done for years) but also with health related issue.
TC, aging is bad enough, compound its issues with the added layer of an unexpected illness, especially one as debillitating as sepsis, and your days are miserable and challenging. Find comfort in knowing, you are past the worst, you are recovering and each day brings recognition that you’re getting better. Keep up the effort, your still seeing the right side of the grass, walk as you can, do all that you are doing on your rehab road. We’re all cheering for you in support as we know our day will come too. Life is a challenge but you meet that challenge only by living it your hardest, your most determined and without stopping. We’re cheering for you and wish you continued goodness in the recovery. Bravo !
Ah yes. Age and all its golden moments.NOT!.So true about taking our youth and health for granted.And taking for granted our loved one will always be by our side. Old age is not kind . Need I say more.! All we can do is our best .I wish you a successful recovery TC.Your words hit home. Stay positive…..Mildred
God Bless you TC. You have so many people sending love and prayers your way. I was diagnosed in my 20’s with possibly having MS (which later was diagnosed as viral myelitis) and told in a year I would be in a wheelchair. I was stupid and young and said “no way”. I would not accept such a thing at that point in my life. It was a rough recovery, but today is my 73 birthday and all of my family and many of my friends are gone but I am still pushing forward for as long as God gives me time to do so. Things are not like they once were, but I lived a pretty full life to this point and now I am dealing day by day with the aging process as we all do. I think it is almost harder for someone who has always been healthy to deal with the slowing down and physical changes of aging than someone who has had numerous problems most of their life. But it sounds like you are a very determined person like I am. And that determination will serve you well to keep you going and still enjoying life even if it is different. Take care and listen to the docs!!! Wishing you all the best.
Thank you for sharing your journey and great advice to all who are oblivious to their own vulnerabilities. Sepsis is a fast life threatening condition that develops within hours and often leads to death because treatment is not immediately started. If your son had not taken you to the hospital when he did you may not be here to pass on this valuable advice. Do not ignore what your body is telling you! Thank you. Sharing your story may save many lives.
Wow TC. And I thought I was having problems. My husband died 4 months ago. He did everything, I mean, everything. I had to learn to drive, pay bills, fix broken sewer lines, freezers quit working, car tires going bad, AC not working and tons of other things. I was defiantly feeling sorry for myself. But with your determination, maybe there is hope for me to learn all this stuff and quit wishing God would take me home. Thanks for the encouragement. I will be praying for you and your health. You have been such a blessing to thousands of your followers. Thank you for that.
Just read your treatise about what happened after your fall. Feel really bad for you, but so glad you on the right track and are mending. Yeah! Tell me about getting old; however, I’m still hanging in there at 87, TC. Walk carefully, and walk only on straight, not bumpy walks. Take care in the house, too. Keep on getting better! And follow doctor’s advice.
Thank you for sharing this glimpse into the journey you are on. God is the Great Physician and He is taking each step with you. I’ve just been through a very difficult surgery and am now dealing with the surgical wound being infected. Your warning about sepsis was a timely one. So grateful for all you have done for all of us through the years. Keep on fighting!
So sorry for what you went through, TC. I lost my hubby to Sepsis. Terrible way to go. Happy you’re on the mend. Bless you and take care.
Kathi