Friday, December 30, 2005

I HATE to Exercise I LOVE to Tap

So last night I finally went to the gym. YAY! They have these flat screen TV's there each playing a different channel, one sports, one news, one prime time, etc. Well, I started watching E.R. and it was so engaging that I ran for an hour without even noticing. I could have gone longer, except the gym was closing! It was about this woman in her early 30's, she suddenly collapses at home after sending the kids off to school. Turns out she's had a stroke, due to a blood clot traveling to her brain. The scary thing is, something similar happened to my friend Melynda just recently, except it was a blood clot in her lungs, also potentially fatal. Anyway it was that chick from Sex and the City, the short-haired one, and the whole thing was from her point of view, like her internal monologue and what you see from her, the patient's, eyes. She couldn't talk because of the stroke so it was all what she was thinking and trying to say. It was very disturbing, clearly gave you the picture of what it would be like to experience that, the helplessness and fear, etc.

They told her husband that they could either do a procedure where they try to suck the blood clot out of her brain, which could reverse the stroke but also might kill her or put her in a coma, or leave her as is, and she may be able to live indefinitely. He was thinking about letting her live indefinitely so as not to risk her life, and in her head she's like, 'no! i can't live like this! this is worse then death, i'm awake and aware! i consent! i consent!' but of course no one could hear her... so then she raises her good arm, and he notices and comes over. It was so touching i almost got choked up when he said, 'ok, lets do it' because he knew, just by looking into her eyes, what she was trying to communicate.

It made me feel really good about being at the crappy gym, running on a crappy exercise machine, because like, this is one of the things you have to do to minimize your chances of ending up in a situation like that. You *have* to take care of your body in order to enjoy life later on after the years haven't been so kind to you and your youth seems so far in the past.

Also, from a vanity standpoint, everyone wants to have a hot bod! But seriously, after 30 your metabolism starts to slow down, and if you don't double your efforts and really make a commitment to have fitness be part of your life, you will turn into every other 30-something-- you know, the ones you would look upon disdainfully when you were in your high-metabolism-20's, those old, shapless, kind of blobby lumpy unattractive middle-age looking people who look like they just-- gave up? which is kind of my personal nightmare.

So, let this be the first day of the rest of my life, and not a 'new years resolution' that will fizzle out in a few weeks. I'm back on the wagon, er, elliptical machine! Who's with me!!

7 Comments:

At 9:30 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

wow - you ran for an hour??
you are in better shape than me :(
that er episode reminds me of my experience a little- just because i remember laying there asking God to give me more time- so that I could see my kids grow up.
I am so excited I finally made the topic of one of your blogs! too bad I had to have a blood clot in my lungs to get me here :)
It was actually a blood clot in each lung- blocking arteries from my heart, and it was by the Grace of God that it was caught in time, and I didn't have a major heart attack from it and die! a nurse told me that when you have a clot it can either go to your lungs, or brain, I was very blessed I didn't have a stroke like that lady.
Anyway i just felt like commenting on your blog- since it mentioned me, because you never know when this sort of thing can happen to you . I was 30, in good health, i had just had my third healthy baby, been home from the hospital for 4 weeks, felt good, no probs, starting to exercise again, etc. It was the last thing i expected. It is worth taking time to figure out if you are prepared to die, because we are not garaunteed another day here, and you never know! Anyway i felt prepared to die, I knew that I believed in Jesus and that He would take care of me, either way- I think what bothered me the most was the idea of my kids growing up without their Mommy, I thought about the 4 week old who wouldn't even remember me, and that made me very sad, for them. So I prayed for more time. I think that is also what is really important when it all comes down to it- the relationships we have with people, you can't take anything else with you and all those material things become very unimportant. ANyway this is a long post, and maybe the only one that gets left- but i hope someone will read it and it will make a difference. Jesus said 'I am the way the truth and the Life, no one comes to the father except through me'- If i didn't belive that and had died recently- I would have had a very bleak eternity, that I don't wish on anybody. SO i hope this story will make someone consider these things :)

 
At 11:08 AM, Blogger Noam said...

I like to think that I inspired this resolution.

An eternity you wouldn't wish on anyone? If you believe God is just, then you *should* wish hellfire on everyone who doesn't believe. If it wasn't a good thing, wouldn't God save the people consigned to hell? If you trust God's judgement, you should be happy about all your friends ending up in endless hellfire, I'd think.

Then again, every suicide bomber is certain he's going to heaven. Do they wake up in hell? Lesson: there is no certainty, no matter what we believe, we're only human, we make mistakes, full of false beliefs, imperfect and utterly devoid of certainty. Alas.

Maybe in your next life you will be your child's best friend :P

 
At 1:08 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I believe God doesn't want people in Hell either, it is their own choice to reject Christ, he gives us free will- but yes if someone dies never having made that choice, then He is just and there is a punishment!
Bottom line is I believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God, and it is the only certainty there is. Yes, we are all imperfect, I include myself in that- but Christ was perfect and so is His word. Choosing to follow Christ, is the only thing that has made a huge difference in my life, I have peace, and forgivenss and assurance for the rest of eternity that nothing else could have ever provided me. not money, not relationships, material things, etc, It completely changed me, and I would like evEryone I know to not have to live in a depressing, sinful world, without any hope, and then face an eternity apart from God, we are all consigned to hell unless we ask for Jesus to save us- so there is nothing wrong with me wanting to see the people I care about not have to suffer for eternity- it would be absurd not to care about it!

the child's best friend thing- i guess is a nice thought if i believed in reincarnation- which i don't, the Bible says it is appointed for a man to die once.
so thanks, i think?

 
At 1:54 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Me and my cottage cheeseyness is with you!

Maybe I will let you feel my hard muffins tonight!

 
At 11:48 PM, Blogger Evil Genius said...

what about Lazarus, he probably died twice, right? :P

 
At 11:39 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

lol
yeah but when Jesus raised him from the dead he was still Lazarus- not his uncle's butler or anything! :)

 
At 6:30 PM, Blogger Spider Girl said...

My gym doesn't have any TV's (drat it) but I'm sure it would help me exercise longer. I get my best work-outs when I'm mulling over something or listening to good music and just spacing out.

I'm working hard to get motivated and back into shape. Just last year I was in pretty good shape and then I had surgery and I slacked off. Oh...its HARD to get back on the wagon.

Good luck in the New Year to you and me both!

 

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