Life is Precious....Make the Most of
Rod Pike, FRI, RE/MAX Realty Specialists
A New Year and Reminders of Years Past….What matters to me today
?I have been so blessed during my lifetime to have had relatively great health, amazing family, a supportive and loving wife, two terrific sons, a wonderful daughter in law and 2 wonderful granddaughters, a home to live in, and never without food and shelter.?
During my 70 years I’ve also been to too many funerals of friends and family.? Some were of those that have lived a long, good life and others were gone way too soon. Some were from sp called natural causes and some were from the most extreme violence. ?I’ve come to realize that we really have no idea of what today or certainly tomorrow will bring.?
When I was in New York City a few years ago I was in a cab and the driver was pretty engaging with his conversation.? He had come to the US some years ago from Cuba and in the 20 minutes or so we shared the cab he told several interesting stories.? He said maybe he should write a book one day before he dies.? I asked him had he started it yet and he said he hadn’t.? I then asked him if he knew when he was going to die and he laughed and said point taken.? He would start his memoirs soon.?
I’ve been fortunate to be involved with the ANE running club.? As you can surmise from the name this is a group of dedicated runners who always impress and inspire me with their dedication to the sport of running, but also their willingness to give back to the community.? They are a selfless lot who despite the gruelling races and runs somehow always are smiling and happy.? They remind that you can make it to the finish line if you are prepared and willing to put in the work.?
Another group that I have been privileged to be part of is the RCMP Veterans Association.? These are retired members who have served for 30+ years and yet continue to give back to the community and the people selflessly and without any need or want of recognition.? They again inspire me to be better and to serve others.? We have a son that serves with the RCMP which entitles me to be an Associate member of the Vets.
When I reflect back on the past few years I am reminded of an incident in 2018 that brought me to the Emergency Room and showed me the fragility of life and health.? Early one morning on July 26th that year I dropped my wife at work.? She was an RN working at the Janeway Pediatric Emerg.? I told her I was feeling a bit off and would go back to bed for awhile. When I awoke a couple of hours later my bed was soaked with sweat and I was feeling miserable and cold.? I took a hot shower and felt just as cold, except now I was also shivering.? I later came to find out that this was probably rigor, which is associated often with a marked rise in body temperature.? It may be described by some as an attack of uncontrollable shaking.
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?Knowing something was clearly wrong I called my good friend Bill to drive me to the ER.? My wife met me there and after going through the procedures of getting ‘checked out’ I was kept for observation.? Within a few hours I went from relatively healthy to having full blown sepsis.? A strep A bug made it into my system. Over the course of that day and the next I teetered on the brink of making it through or not.? If it wasn’t for the grace of God, the determined efforts of the medical staff and the unwavering support and presence of my wife I would have been one of the casualties for 2018.? After 5 days I was able to return home and start a 10-week recovery period.
Marathons are tough and they can be a real test of one’s endurance and ability.? Earlier in 2018 I ran the Vancouver BMO Marathon on May 6.? Yet 81 days later I was in Hospital fighting a different fight.? When I finally was discharged on August 1, I told the Doc that I needed to recover earlier than 10 weeks but she was adamant that I needed that time to recover.? When I then told her I was registered to run the USMC Marathon in Washington DC on October 28 she said that wasn’t the best plan.
Well, the Doc was correct in that my recovery would take a long time and I managed only two runs of note between the beginning of August and the run on October 28.? But I went and plodded my way through and finished it to show myself that I was able to do it.?
At 5AM on Dec 23rd 2024 I made another trip to the ER at Health Science with some type of GI bleed and was admitted for a day or so and returned home early afternoon on Christmas Eve.? While there I noticed how many people were going to be spending their Christmas in hospital and possibly ending their lives there.? I was reminded of how fortunate I was to be going home.? I also was reminded of the dedicated staff and personnel at the hospital that give such stellar service to the people needing their care.? I was again blessed to be the recipient of that care.
The attached article provides some insights from a Doctor who works in an ER setting.? His points are from this perspective as a Doctor but I believe we can all learn from them.?
This is a lengthy post but it is what is on my mind today, January 1, 2025.? Life is short no matter how long we live.? As I start this New Year I want to focus on living each day to it’s fullest, being aware of those around me and how I can contribute to them and my community. I wish you all the very best for 2025!