Detox

What I am about to share is a true story. It’s the reason you haven’t seen my Tuesday posts in almost a month. And, if it hadn't happened to me, I may have found it hard to believe.

Tuesday, October 26, 2021 at 2:28am

I am burning up, yet I’m freezing. My bed is drenched from cold sweats. My body is trembling violently. My heart is pounding so hard that it feels like it’s beating outside of my chest, with each heartbeat sounding like drums blaring in my ears. Screeching pain is shooting through my muscles and joints. In between the screeching pain is a numbing throb. My brain fog is only interrupted by fits of pain and waves of nausea. It almost feels unbearable. My entire body is betraying me. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I am in detox and experiencing the full range of withdrawals.

For those of you who found the opening paragraph shocking, trust me, I understand. I, too, was shocked to have experienced it. But, let me explain. I have battled asthma since I was a little guy. Thankfully, my asthma has been well maintained over the past two decades. In the past twenty years, I have only had a few major bouts that have required the hospitality of emergency room stays. Well, almost a month ago now, I ran into major breathing problems. Unfortunately, you can be doing all the right things and asthma still strike unexpectedly. While there are known triggers (with allergies, sinus issues and the changing of seasons being big ones for me), most often these bouts come out of nowhere. And, sometimes they can really wreak havoc. Such was the case beginning a few weeks ago.?

I have been in and out of the hospital 4 times in the past month because nothing was working. I was on 8 different medications designed to help fight allergies, thin mucus, arrest cough, and open my airways. This included round-the-clock breathing treatments, steroids and antibiotics. Unfortunately, nothing was working. I was on the strongest stuff that I could take and I still wasn’t getting the relief that I needed. As you can imagine, this was really tough because asthma is life-threatening. I lost a younger cousin to asthma. It has to be taken seriously. What really sucked is the fact that it was totally debilitating. For a guy who is used to gettin’ after it, it was challenging. This is especially because the doctors really didn’t have a solution other than to just keep doing what I was doing, hoping that the medicine would eventually help things relent. This went on for weeks.

The medicine I was on had me like a zombie. I hated it. It was so strong that I was asleep most of the day for three weeks. I was weak and brain fog was the norm. But, although I hated the medicine, it did eventually help to open my airways in the third week so that I could breath. But, just as breathing improved, new issues arose. After noticing a rash all over my chest and back, and experiencing severe discomfort and bloating in my stomach, I discovered that I was having an allergic reaction to my medicine, which was completely new. I am thankful that my breathing was almost back to normal because I stopped taking everything immediately other than my normal, daily meds. This is because I didn’t know which medication was responsible for the reaction.

Here is the real kicker. After only three weeks, my body had become dependent upon one or several of the medications. I am a pretty healthy and disciplined guy. I am in the gym daily. I follow a strict meal plan. I don’t drink. I don’t smoke. I don’t engage in “risky” behavior. Yet, it was deeply humbling to learn and experience that in a very short period of time, I, too, am no match for the physiological impact and addictive nature of legally prescribed drugs. My body had become dependent upon the drugs and it reacted violently when I removed them cold turkey. It has taken over a week of detox for the withdrawal symptoms to stop and for me to begin feeling normal again.

It is close to impossible for me to have gone through such an ordeal without reflecting upon some key take-aways. I may add to this list below. But, for now, I hope that the following encouragement proves helpful:

1. Don’t waste time. To my knowledge, there is nothing that I could have done to prevent my last bout with asthma. Such is the case with life. There are certain challenging seasons that can’t be avoided, where we can’t be as productive as we’d like. So, we need to make the most of every moment.
2. Find a healthy focal point. When we go through challenging times, it is easy to focus on the problem. But, focusing on the problem only amplifies it and causes more distress. Instead, create and focus on a vision that excites you. In our toughest moments, focusing on where we are going helps to give hope, courage and energy for the battles we face. While it was really tough and mildly depressing being on bedrest for weeks, I constantly reminded myself of all of the things I had to be grateful for, including the exciting stuff that I am working toward.
3. ?Be kind. You never know what people are going through. I am amazed at how God works. I am in the process of opening an Opioid Treatment Program and acquiring several others. I had no idea that my sensitivity level for those I’ll serve would be heightened by having a personal bout with breaking a chemical dependence (that I didn’t even know that I had developed).

I am grateful to report that I can breathe. Today was my first day back in the gym in almost a month. I am operating at about 75% of my normal energy (I’ll probably take a nap today!). But, I’ll take it. I made it through to the other side. And, making it through this battle has given me greater strength for the next and a greater sensitivity to those who are currently battling. To those who are in a tough season, be encouraged. You can make it. You got this. If you are going through hell, KEEP GOING!?

#Asthma #Addicted #Recovery #GoodHealth?#Grateful #Seasons #BeEncouraged #Blessed?

#Dreams #Vision #Goals #Success #Grit?