STROKE and BEYOND 11
Bit of Background prior to my event of 2011.
I always pushed, this was my way of succeeding, if I kept on pushing long enough I would eventually get it and succeed. I am, or was, a man’s man, supposed ‘we’ are called Alpha Males in today’s world of labeling. I just knew that if the problem was hard or large, I only had to constantly work, and if needed, adapt to overcome it. I never asked, I would find a way, an answer to the problem, a solution. My constant fight attitude came from my having a ‘different’ upbringing, leaving home at an early age, seeing defeats which should not have happened. I learnt and understood that to ‘win’ you just had to keep on trying. Off course it helped if you had that ‘something’ else.
I had been under a fair bit of pressure, mostly from my work. I was employed as a Manager of a large, basically ‘unknown’ company, and also assisted the State Operations Manager. I had just been given a 6 month trial chance as the State Operation Manager, and I wasn't going to stuff it up. I was on anti-Depressants from previous pressure, both work wise and family, stuff, I thought I could handle. Finished the role, sort of OK, wasn't too happy with the results, found out people only really care about themselves, and how they ‘imagine’ you can help them for their profit. As an added pressure, Sharyn, my wife, was suffering Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) and had under gone Heart surgery in 2010, for an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator. These are sometimes used in certain situations of the risk of developing serious and life-threatening arrhythmias.
An Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator is a small device which is similar to a Pacemaker and is inserted under the skin in the chest. Wires are passed through a vein to the heart to monitor the heartbeat. If it detects an abnormal rhythm, the device will send a small electrical shock to the heart to revert it back to normal and Sharyn was still in recovery. The operation is not a cure, rather offering assistance to ‘handle’ the management.
I was also assisting with the fight training of our son. I was a MMA (Mixed Martial Art’s) Trainer, Referee and a Judge with the Professional Boxing and Combat Sports. My son was a promising MMA Fighter, (Mixed Martial Art’s); he had already fought around Australia and New Zealand.
Anyway – my pain and discomfort was continuing to getting to me, I was beginning to get pain in my chest, left arm and jaw a fair bit. Saw my local doctor who said all seemed ok, just to take it easier. Then I was offered the role of State Commercial Manager. What an opportunity! I very happily accepted and jumped into this new Role.
Still getting the sharp ‘warning’ pains, but I kept a box of Aspirin handy, 1 or 2, maybe more, and the pain would go away.
One morning I had this massive headache, plus the usual arm and jaw pains, definitely 2 aspirins this time! Ended being a 4 aspirin session. I thought ‘heart attack’, not now! Time for a smoke break, aspirin and coffee besides I still had much more to do and it seemed to go away.
By now I was an official ‘Aspirin Junkie’, always had Aspirin on me, downing the Aspirin daily in my car before and after meetings, in fact anything or time that offered some pressure. I knew this wasn’t good, but it would ‘only be for a while’, till I had everything organized, where I wanted it. So the Aspirin journey continued. . . . . I continued with the aspirin, it kept the pain and fear away, kept a box in the car and always made sure I had a sheet or two in my pocket, just in case…. 