So let’s go back in time so that you have a little perspective and context….
Up until I got married (in 1999) I never really had any health issues other than the occasional dental problem like a cavaty or something. However, after getting married I embarked on a number of business ventures and was working ALL the time.
The one thing I have always said is that I only have one regret, not spending more time with family. Because of my “work”, I never took my son camping or fishing, or going to sporting events, or traveling outside of Minnesota or, well, anything and everything that I was exposed to growing up.
And as far as my marriage to my awesome wife (Teresa)… outside of one (yes one!) vacation to Hawaii back in 2004, we have not gone on ANY other “vacation” as a family because of my working so much.
So in 2012 my body finally gave up and shut me down…for good. Or so I thought. I had a massive heart-attack and needed immediate heart surgery. When the labs came back, I was sure it was gonna reveal a ton of cholesterol plugging up my arteries and a new diet would be in order but NOPE, it revealed a 100% blockage of my right coronary artery (the widow maker strikes again!) due to cortisol….the human stress hormone!
What?!? So, my surgeon said “whatever the hell you’re doing, stop it!” “….it’s literally killing you!” I said, I just work a lot…..you know, get up at 4:30a, coffee, work until 10pm, come home and eat dinner (maybe), work some more, go to bed at 1 or 2a and get up two hours later and do it all again…..every day, week after week, month after month, year after year……so, stop working?? Yes!
No! That’s not me, I’m a workaholic, coffee freak, and worst of all, a smoker!
So, how do you change all of that?? Well, I walked away from one business, sold/merged with another company and, went out and got a “real job”…..for the first time since 2001.
Well, I quit smoking, went from 4 pots of coffee a day down to one and started having fun (ie: family time etc) with family and friends.
This time I actually held onto this job for a few years and was able to save up enough to build a new home for my wife and son in southern Minnesota but as luck would have it, I lost my job soon thereafter and was forced back into starting up a new business SoMN Consulting Group LLC and I went back to my old habits.
So, back to the daily grind! And then all of the sudden I began having the classic symptoms of colorectal cancer only, I didn’t know that, obviously and was misdiagnosed with having an internal hemorrhoid and put off any GI (colonoscopy) work since I was too young for cancer and was told that it was NO big deal, people get hemorrhoids !
But then one day (a full year later) I thought I was having another heart attack and went into the ER. Only this time they said (after multiple tests) it was no heart-attack and that it must be something else. I told them that I had a cardiologist and that I would follow up with him the following day so, they cut me loose and I tried to setup an appointment with my cardiologist who wanted to do an immediate angiogram.
Instead, after a lengthy discussion (story for another article) he ended up sending a GI my way who did some CTs and eventually, an emergency colonoscopy (after seeing a large mass punching a hole through my rectum) which finally revealed the real issue, full-blown cancer!
Needless to say, I was shacked as hell and simply didn’t know what to say (or do). My wife and family were just devastated. Being told you have 6-9 months to live is, well, numbing to say the least.
So long story short, I decided to fight for my life and began a long and painful war against the second deadliest cancer in the US, colorectal cancer (CRC). At the end of the day, I beat cancer and have decided to also quit smoking…..that’s all I need, to beat colorectal cancer and develop lung cancer down the road.
So all in all it’s been one hell of a ride and I wouldn’t wish cancer on my worst enemy and now that I have beatn’ it, I will spend all my free time helping others, encouraging CRC screening and providing valuable information to cancer patients, caregivers and healthcare providers
I have also become much healthier but still need to work on my working habits as well as putting down the cigs once and for all. Maybe next week. 😉 At any rate, thanks for tuning in and, I hope all is well with you and your family and…..have yourself a wonderful day! Take care. –JR