A little more than 12 years ago, my wife Elaine was newly pregnant with Joey. Unfortunately, I lost my job after a workmans comp claim that resulted in a botched surgery that lead to deep vein thrombosis and nine months of blood thinners. (I was fired for a high cell phone bill. BS.) I was facing a higher than average possibility of death at age 26 for months, especially the first nine days. It didnt help that I had a terrible death anxiety while my 10 month old son Kurtis climbed all over me in my hospital bed while he wore his infant scrubs. (I am now thankful for this early confrontation with death in the face of so much life, as was displayed by Kurtis and his voracious curiosity.) The scientist MDs (6 in all) worked together to increase my chances of living, successfully - obviously. For that, I couldnt be more grateful. I chose not to sue the workmans comp doctor for his negligence. I knew I had a good case, and could have used the money, but something in me couldnt bring myself to sue him. I was wary of a litigious society and didnt want to be that kind of person. All I wanted was to make sure my medical needs were met in perpetuity. I still take daily meds to keep my blood thin, as I have had many additional superficial clots, post-phlebitis syndrome, and run a constant 20% risk of recurrence, indefinitely. A couple of weeks after getting the clot, now two months pregnant, Elaine lost her job after Harrahs bought out Players Island Casino, and decided they didnt need her marketing staff. We now had no-to-little income for several years following, yet had a new house in Oakville and two car payments. We had many very hard years and difficulties, many of which still linger today. The 2000s was a lost decade for us, as it was for many others - especially following the Great Recession of 2007. However, much was looking up, even then. Family and friends were bountiful, society had a safety net for us, Costco hired Elaine, (where her good, hard work continues to be rewarded) we learned a lot about life, both through experience and self education, and business for KFJ Computers has been growing again. Today, 12 years post blood clot, we have a solid family of 6 after adding Adelaide in 2008. Everything is finally settling down and looking up. I couldnt be more proud of my family and am endlessly thankful for all those who helped us make it this far. This glimpse of time between two eternities, while tough at times, has been exciting, to say the least. Dull moments are far and few between, and thats just the way I like it.
Posted on: Mon, 29 Sep 2014 03:38:18 +0000
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