Warning: Graphic Content

Warning: Graphic Content

7 years ago today.

I thought I was dying and I’ll never forget it.

I was working at Dealer.com at the time.

I was a Senior Support Analyst taking calls and helping new reps.

July 19th, 2016 started like any other day.

I had gone to the gym in the morning, showered and went to my desk.

Around 11, I started randomly sweating.

I chalked it up to being hot in the building, but this sweat was more than usual.

I sweat, it takes me a while to stop sweating from working out, but this wasn’t it.

I also had no idea why it was out of control sweating.

I went to the bathroom, got some paper towels and tried to wipe myself down, didn’t help.

I went back to my desk to start my phone shift.

I took a call, connected a dealer with a 3rd party, and then I remember feeling dizzy.

It must’ve been written on my face because I remember a coworker asking if I was ok and I couldn’t answer.

I passed out in my chair only to come to and vomit blood.

I did that three more times, I've been told there was A LOT of blood.

I was at a standing desk and was eventually able to put myself on the ground.

I never really saw what my desk looked like, but I heard it looked like a crime scene.

I know they ended up putting tarps around it, had to remove all the carpet and everything on my desk was pretty much thrown out.

I remember the paramedics showing up and seeing and me on the ground and not having a clue what happened.

I remember them removing my shirt, feeling for pain points, getting me on a stretcher, and wheeling me through the building as coworkers looked on in horror.

It was a bad day for me to pull a stunt like this.

I was single guy and my family were all my ICE contacts in my phone.

My mom was at a retreat in middle of nowhere Vermont so her phone call was "Blood....Mike....hospital.", my brother was working in Barre, my dad was at our family land in Alburgh, and my sister was at work, but luckily not too far way.

One of my mom's coworkers was the first one to show up and I was on a stretcher, shirtless, bloody in the hall.

Everyone eventually showed up and freaked out because they didn't know any backstory.

My dad told me when he went to Dealer to get my wallet and keys to my truck, the manager who was also a friend was still white from seeing everything go down.

My body had emptied out as much as it could, so after that I felt fine and kept telling doctors that, the ER was busy because there had been a bad accident, so I wasn't operated on for a while.

It turned out to be an ulcer that had cut a blood vessel and I been internally bleeding for hours without knowing it.

The surgery went fine, and the funny part was that at 6'2" and not a small man, the ER was so busy that I was put in a children's room and could only eat very specific foods, so I was given a popsicle and a flat Fresca.

I can't thank the hospital staff enough who took care of me and the coworkers who acted fast to get me the help I needed (even though I told my mom I was too embarrassed to ever back to work).

So it's been seven years and each time the date comes around, I don't do anything special, but I do think about how thankful I am to still be here. Even if I wasn't maybe as close to dying, it felt like I was and I know I still had a lot of life I wanted to live.

It's a big part of why I try not to take days for granted because had that been my last day, there was a lot of unfinished work to be done on my part.

So as someone who has seen his life flash before his eyes, I can only say to enjoy the little moments, love the people in your life, and don't spend too much time dwelling on the negative.

#grateful #coworkers #family #emergency #vermont