Anyone wondering about my training and running? Did you think I was only reading books these days? I think part of me was thinking if I didn’t post it here, it wouldn’t be real, but it’s real, folks……..
If you know me personally (and not just virtually), you know some crazy stuff has been happening in my life. If you follow me on social media, you may or may not know, but if you read my blog, then you really don’t know, so I thought it was time that everyone was on the same page so to speak.
So back in February, I posted about training because I was actually “all in” (see post HERE). I had been keeping up with training for several important races, especially my annual trip to my hometown, Cleveland, Ohio to participate in the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon Series. I was slated to do the 8K/Half Marathon and training looked good despite a lot of messy “life” stuff going on. I’ve been selected as a Race Ambassador for 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, and when I was chosen again for 2019, I was so honored!
As I shared in my previous post, my spouse was diagnosed with cancer in August of 2018. After the first round of chemo, we found out that it didn’t work – it suppressed the cancer but didn’t kill it. We’ve been to Moffitt Cancer Center hopeful for available clinical trials, but that isn’t in the cards right now. Now we are on the second round of chemo and we are boldly praying and so is almost everyone we know. I can assure everyone that I know that God does miracles for ordinary people because it has happened to me TWICE. Once was when I lived through a car accident in August of 2012 reported as a fatality. (See that news HERE).
So here’s the latest miracle – on Friday, March 15, 2018, I came home from work a little cranky from a long week. Our sweet pup couldn’t seem to make it outside and she dropped a small load on our lanai (enclosed Florida patio). I bent over to pick it up and my neck seized up and it felt like someone was boxing my ears over and over and over. Somehow I ended up on the couch sitting there and I began sweating so much that I could hear it dripping on my blouse. I remember saying something about throwing up but then I didn’t move, and then I was cold — I mean freezing cold — so I covered myself with a blanket. I have no more recall of anything else that transpired until mentioning to my spouse how glad I was that I had another day before I had to return to work on Monday and was informed it was Sunday. I promised if I wasn’t over this “flu” by Monday, I’d go to the local urgent care facility. My neck still hurt and my ears still felt like someone was boxing them, so I finally went to the urgent care center on Monday about noon. They did a flu swab and somehow they must have known, because they immediately sent me to the local hospital emergency room for a CT scan, where I was diagnosed with a subarachnoid hemorrhage — a brain bleed!!! This is what Google reports:
“Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a life-threatening type of stroke caused by bleeding into the space surrounding the brain….. One-third of patients will survive with good recovery; one-third will survive with a disability; and one-third will die.”
Needless to say, I was immediately transported by ambulance to the main hospital where they stopped the bleeding. There’s a whole lot of other stuff that happened while I was in the hospital for a week, but now that I’m released, I’m under strict orders to rest and do nothing strenuous. I have a crazy strong headache almost every morning, but by noon it’s tolerable and I’m back to work. They assure me as long as I don’t overexert myself, everything will resolve in 5 to 8 weeks. That obviously puts a screaming halt on any running or training.
There’s my other miracle! I didn’t die, I’m not disabled, and I’m alive!!!
When I got home, I reached out to the race folks and since it was still in the time frame where people were allowed to switch races, they very kindly changed my 8K / Half Marathon Challenge registration to the 5K / 10K Challenge. I’ve also reached out to my family to see if they have any interest in joining me for the challenge because I’ll only be able to participate if I walk. That means a HUGE CALL OUT right now to all you folks out there that say you can’t do these events — come walk with me! We will get it done and we will get our medals, have a great breakfast and maybe we can go throw axes or something else cool!
Come on!! Register for the 2019 Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon, Half Marathon, 10k, or series using my discount code, DL2019 for 10% off at checkout! Here’s the link: REGISTER HERE
See you in May!
It would be great if you would stay connected with me!! You can follow me on Twitter @DebiL1611, like me on Facebook at 2014 and Beyond, circle me on Google+, follow me on Tumblr, Instagram and Bloglovin’, subscribe on YouTube, or connect with me on LinkedIn and Pinterest.
Please make sure to visit my homepage and subscribe to my blog for more great posts on running, fitness and lifestyle topics as well as food, product, music and book reviews, and more!
