Just a few short months ago, I suffered a fairly severe injury to a vital organ (my kidney) while playing in a playoff soccer game. Myself and a competitor were challenging for a loose ball, when all of the sudden I was cleated rather forcibly in my left lower back from behind. I immediately knew that this was a potentially serious injury; however, my competitive nature got the best of me, and I finished the play.
At the moment of impact, my body compensated for the massive blow by releasing a surge of adrenaline straight out of Pulp Fiction. Surprisingly, the one thing I did not feel was pain. As the play continued, I felt as if I were Neo from The Matrix; everything around me unfolded in super, slow-motion. It was as if I had complete control of game. Here is a synopsis of the ensuing events:
I maintained possession of the ball just outside of the 18-yard line. I spotted the opposing goalkeeper off his line, so I fired a quick shot to his left. He misread the shot was going in the opposite direction and desperately laid his body out making an unbelievable shin save. Upon being deflected, the ball rose approximately 25 feet in the air in the backwards direction, providing me ample time to run around the downed goalie and jump to my maximum leaping ability in order to head the ball just prior to the arrival of two challenging defenders. The ball ended up striking the far post and calmly rolled into the back of the empty net. I was so furious with the referee for not citing a foul that I fiercely pounded the artificial surface with my right palm twice. The referee did not appreciate this gesture and sent me to the sidelines with my first yellow card...
Upon reaching the sidelines, I laid my body on the ground in the horizontal position to try to regain my composure and assess my physical condition for the remainder of the contest. After a minute or two, my competitive nature, again, got the best of me and with our season on the line, I re-entered the game. Shortly upon re-entering we had a solid goal opportunity that simply didn't materialize with my teammate's shot narrowly missing the left post. We lost the game by the score of 2-1 and our season was over.
As it turned out, a lasting side effect (or so I thought?) of the rapid adrenaline release was the absence of pain, which led me to believe I was capable of meeting the team for a shot and a beer at the local tavern. This was a poor decision in hindsight. After my 2nd beer, I immediately felt a sharp, shooting pain in my left lower back in the exact location of my opponent's cleat marks. Fortunately, a close friend of mine lived several blocks away from the tavern, and I was able to transport myself back to his condo.
I explained the situation to my friends, and they recommended that I go to the nearest acute care facility, which just so happened to be a children's hospital. Upon arriving at the hospital, I received immediate care in the form of 4-5 IV's of Morphine, which made me severely delirious to say the least...
Being a pediatric facility, it was recommended that I transfer to a nearby hospital where I could receive proper care. At this facility, I underwent several X-Rays, CT Scans and other diagnostic testing. I was fortunate to have a close friend and "flesh and blood" (in the form of the woman that brought me into this world) by my side throughout this process. My body being dehydrated and feeling weak to the point of exhaustion, I wondered if I was slipping away, with the threat of my kidney bursting at any given moment. I was scared. I was sad that I was not able to be with the one that I esteem as the "love of my life." But I was encouraged to know that I was in good hands with such close, comfort at my bedside.
As I closed my eyes wondering if I would ever open them again on this earth. I saw anything but darkness. In fact, I saw an intense glowing light, which reassured me that everything was going to be alright as a wise man once hummed.
As these words provide living, breathing evidence, I did in fact survive. As a matter of fact, I am feeling healthier than ever with a renewed vigor for life.
The purpose of this passage you ask? Please do not fear death. As mortal human beings, some matters are simply out of our control. All we can do is live each day to the fullest, surround ourselves with people that we love, people that love us for who we are despite our shortcomings and past mistakes and in return, hope for the best.
John Lennon once wrote:
"I'm not afraid of death because I don't believe in it. It's just getting out of one car, and into another."
So before I depart I must ask, have you seen the light?
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