104 - How a Random Case of Vertigo Changed My Perspective on Life
Explicit content warning
09/01/20 • 17 min
Last week I got sick. Really sick.
It was the worst I've ever felt and a day I won't ever forget.
We were out on our new boat and while fishing, I suddenly lost my balance. We were in dead calm waters so it was odd.
A few minutes later I was on all fours trying to focus because everything was spinning like crazy and I was intensely nauseous. So much so that I couldn't even pick my head up or open my eyes.
I figured I'd had too much caffeine or was dehydrated and it would pass quickly, but it didn't. After 45 minutes of lying on the boat floor trying not to move at all, we decided to call 911 for help.
My girlfriend and I had no idea what was wrong as I'm in excellent health. Was it a heart attack? Was it a stroke? Was it something else? I literally had no idea and have never had this happen before. I don't even get sea sick.
At this point I could barely move at all and as our police boat escort took us to the dock, all I could hear were sirens and people talking.
I remember being pulled off the boat by two paramedics and wheeled into the back of the waiting ambulance. They ran every test they had on me and came up with nothing. All my numbers were excellent and they strongly recommended I head to the hospital immediately.
We made the hour-long drive home and I was dropped off at our local hospital ER and was met by a nurse with a wheelchair.
For the next three hours I underwent more tests, blood work, CT and chest scans, and dexterity tests to check for a possible cerebellum stroke.
I was still unable to open my eyes or walk and was freaking out because this wasn't passing. I was just as sick as I was initially and 7 hours had passed. Not good.
Finally the meds they gave me for anti-dizziness started to work and I was able to stand on my own. A few hours later, I was feeling well enough to go home to sleep.
Three days past and I was still unsteady on my feet and I met with a few doctors and physical therapists who thought that it might be the "crystals" in my inner ear that were out of alignment and causing this vertigo.
But after a series of tests, the crystal theory was ruled out and I was left with no answers again.
I recorded this show 6 days after my initial incident and although I don't feel dizzy anymore, I'm overly tired and sluggish.
I don't know what it was or why it happened. I guess it was just a random thing. But whatever it was, it scared the hell out of me and made me realize I'm far from invincible. That day on the boat could have been my last and I have a newfound respect for what my body can and can't do.
It also served as an incredibly important reminder of how fragile life is and to cherish each day I have.
Last week I got sick. Really sick.
It was the worst I've ever felt and a day I won't ever forget.
We were out on our new boat and while fishing, I suddenly lost my balance. We were in dead calm waters so it was odd.
A few minutes later I was on all fours trying to focus because everything was spinning like crazy and I was intensely nauseous. So much so that I couldn't even pick my head up or open my eyes.
I figured I'd had too much caffeine or was dehydrated and it would pass quickly, but it didn't. After 45 minutes of lying on the boat floor trying not to move at all, we decided to call 911 for help.
My girlfriend and I had no idea what was wrong as I'm in excellent health. Was it a heart attack? Was it a stroke? Was it something else? I literally had no idea and have never had this happen before. I don't even get sea sick.
At this point I could barely move at all and as our police boat escort took us to the dock, all I could hear were sirens and people talking.
I remember being pulled off the boat by two paramedics and wheeled into the back of the waiting ambulance. They ran every test they had on me and came up with nothing. All my numbers were excellent and they strongly recommended I head to the hospital immediately.
We made the hour-long drive home and I was dropped off at our local hospital ER and was met by a nurse with a wheelchair.
For the next three hours I underwent more tests, blood work, CT and chest scans, and dexterity tests to check for a possible cerebellum stroke.
I was still unable to open my eyes or walk and was freaking out because this wasn't passing. I was just as sick as I was initially and 7 hours had passed. Not good.
Finally the meds they gave me for anti-dizziness started to work and I was able to stand on my own. A few hours later, I was feeling well enough to go home to sleep.
Three days past and I was still unsteady on my feet and I met with a few doctors and physical therapists who thought that it might be the "crystals" in my inner ear that were out of alignment and causing this vertigo.
But after a series of tests, the crystal theory was ruled out and I was left with no answers again.
I recorded this show 6 days after my initial incident and although I don't feel dizzy anymore, I'm overly tired and sluggish.
I don't know what it was or why it happened. I guess it was just a random thing. But whatever it was, it scared the hell out of me and made me realize I'm far from invincible. That day on the boat could have been my last and I have a newfound respect for what my body can and can't do.
It also served as an incredibly important reminder of how fragile life is and to cherish each day I have.
Previous Episode
103 - 5 Toxic Lies You Tell Yourself That Keep You From Being Happy
The next time you’re out in public, take a look around. Notice the look of indifference on people’s faces as they shuffle their feet, put their heads down, and pretend not to see you. Sadly, most people will walk through life with a sense of hopelessness and incompleteness.
It’s because most of us are living by society’s standards and not our own. We do all the things that are expected of us without much thought as to whether it’s actually right for us or will make us happy.
After all, life should be a happy experience, shouldn’t it?
You don’t have to live this way, but you may be choosing to. And a big part of the problem is that you are telling yourself the following lies that you have come to believe as truth.
1. My past defines me.
I had a crappy childhood. I was small, weak, picked last in gym class, didn't play sports, date in school, and was bullied for an entire year.
I could have easily crawled into my shell and withdrawn from life, but I didn't. I chose a different path and so can you. 2. Work is supposed to suck, that’s why it’s called work.
I have no issue with hard work and in fact, I advocate it. But working for the sake of working doesn’t make sense. Sure you have to pay your bills, but so do all the small business owners, online entrepreneurs, and people who are happily pursuing their dreams. The only reason you may be working in a job you don’t like is because you’re afraid of change. You are scared that you will fail, be broke, lose your house, wife and family and it will all be because you took a chance.
3. I don’t deserve to be happy.
Unfortunately, this is a deeply ingrained lie that can cause you to spend your life living just above average. From early childhood, you are led to believe certain things about yourself and many times, it’s negative.
Many of you falsely believe you are not good enough to be/do/have what you want in this life. And I’ll tell you with absolute certainty- it’s complete bullsh*t.
You are far more powerful than you believe.
4. I can’t change.
Of course you can. It’s very challenging to change, especially permanently, but it needs to happen if you are going to improve your life. Doing the same things and making the same decisions every day and thinking something new will happen is madness. Being unhappy can be caused by a number of things, but chances are, it’s your negative, self-defeating habits that are the culprit.
5. Things will get better.
Things won’t get better until YOU get better. The world doesn’t owe you anything, you have to work hard to get what you want. Hell, you’re already working hard now, you just may be directing your energy in the wrong places.
Next Episode
105 - Why Motivation Doesn't Work and What To Do Instead
Anyone can get motivated for a short period of time, especially if you have a very specific reason or goal.
But motivation doesn't last and if you rely on it solely to get you through the ups and downs of your fitness program, you'll likely end up failing.
Much like willpower, motivation is a finite resource, and the rush of adrenaline you get after watching Rocky 3 or watching The Iron Cowboy doing 50 Ironman Triathlons in 50 days, will wear off pretty quickly.
Instead, I propose using two things to help you stay focused on your goals and that's inspiration and habit.
Inspiration is the thing that lights you up inside and resonates with you on a deep emotional level. Maybe it was your father dying in his fifties from diabetes and you're scared it might happen to you.
Maybe you've always been the "fat guy" and it's shaken your confidence in yourself. Or maybe you're a former athlete and want to feel strong and athletic again.
There is no right answer for this and you'll have to look deep to find what truly inspires you but once you find it, you can use it to keep you pushing forward even when you really, really want to stop.
I've spoken with hundreds of men about this and sometimes inspiration is deeper than one is willing to look. And in that case, I'd tell you to rely on good old-fashioned habits.
Habits are nothing more than the things you do on a day to day basis and unfortunately, many of ours aren't conducive to optimal health.
Most of us have habits that have been part of our lives for a long time and things like eating snacks late at night or drinking that early morning Red Bull are very hard to just stop cold turkey.
In my experience, taking small steps is the best approach and replacing one unhealthy habit with a better one every 7-14 days is a great start.
The key is not to overwhelm yourself with trying to totally revamp your entire lifestyle because that always almost ends of crushing failure.
Take it one day at a time and remember, you're in this for the long haul.
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