The glass is half full

[AFI]

Ive read about death & cancer on these boards for the last few days. Im here to tell you there is another side.

When I was 2 years old I used to turn blue in my pram, my mother has since told me the only way she could get my face back to its original colour was to slap me. I have this wonderful vision in my head of my mother slapping me in the front street, trying to explain to the passers by that its okay!! LOL

Anyway it turned out my aortic valve was narrowing & the only course of action was to operate. So at the tender age of three they sliced me open and attempted to stretch my aorta (oh one of the main valves in your heart) Im please to say they were successful, well almost.

Sometime during my 11 year I coughed up a wee bit of blood & before you could say foos yer doos, I was hooked up to someone elses blood & various machines. My arota had split, bad luck or whatever but I once again went under the surgons knife, so 11 years behind me and 2 major heart operations.

Even to this day I can remember my parents sitting beside my bed crying, funny how you can remember the sad stuff and never the good things?

My mother told me much later that they had been infomed by the surgon that I would be lucky to see 21.

With 11 years on the clock and two ops behind me they sent me home, I have to say all the time I wasn't scared, perhaps because I didn't understand what was really going on. Boy was I in for a shock.

One of my first jobs after leaving school at 16 was humping big theater lights around, my mother was horrified but I knew better by then, (every 16 year old knows better) I had been doing the job for 7 odd months, when coming home on the bus, once again I coughed up a wee bit of blood, by the time I reached home I had coughed up enough to fill an egg cup, by the time I climbed up the three flights of stairs in the flat where we stayed I had coughed up enough to fill a pint glass, this is the point I can rememember being scared, not just scared but really scared.

So once again I was to go under the surgons knife, I was only 17, I have to admit its at this point I thought "Im dead", the surgon who had spoken to my mother was right, I wouldn't see 21. The operation was a long and difficult one & I spent a long time recovering, but I was alive & thats all I was bothered about, sure I couldn't play fitba with my pals anymore, yes I'd have to give up my job and find something more suitable, but I was still here.

I can remember the day I left hospital, my first port of call was our local pub, stupid I know, but it was something I had to do.

I lead a normal life, well as normal as it could be, and then disaster struck, I had just got married and had passed the promotion board at work, life couldn't get much better, that was until, yes you've guessed it I coughed up blood once more, I didn't even bother going to the hospital or see a doctor I just waited to die. My wife found me sitting in the kitchen covered in blood, pure white & terrified, if she hadn't come home when she did I would not be here to tell the story.

Operation number 4 took place 4 days away from Christmas 1989, 11 days away from my 22nd birthday.
This one was a biggie, it took me years to recover & Im not the same person I was, but once again Im alive.

Im happy to say Ive reached 34 & when I look back I wouldn't change a thing, having all the surgery has made me who I am, I learned to appreciate the good stuff in life, when I see a sunrise or a sunset I can see more than just he beauty of it,it seems to have a whole new meaning to me.

What Im trying to say is, hold on to every second, don't make your wishes for yesterday, your too late. Live life to the full because you never know when it will run out on you. The glass really is half full.

If you or a loved on is going though something similar, I hope this helps. If you've been told you or a loved one only has a short time cherish each and every day, but never give up on life, who know you might turn out like me, the boy who was told, "you'll never make it to 21 kid".

Cheers Al

sorry this was a bit long!

[crying-charlie]

Your some boy Al, and one to be admired! Your strength and character is one to be proud of and you are right, we take life for granted till something like this happens to ourselves or a loved ones. There is more to life than money, cars, house's and the 2 holidays in Spain every year.

I hope people will take strength from your experience. My 59 year old aunt, has not long had a tripple bypass op. and now she is so full of life. A new woman and a new life!

Good luck Al and I wish you and your family good health.

[AFI]

Thanks Charlie but Im just like you and me, wish your Auntie good health and good luck from me.....Just tell her, a bypass is a bit like a MOTm, once every three years

cheers Al

Take care

[crying-charlie]

Well I understand that you are going to visit a real healthy place in October.

I looking forword to meeting you!

[Robin]

Thanks for sharing your story with us Al. But I always knew you had a wonderful heart. It hasn't let you down yet, thank goodness for all of us who know you and love you! I hope your little 'adventure' in October makes it grow even stronger!