Thursday, October 23, 2008
The scariest moment of my life
"You know that feeling you get when a thousand knives of fire are stabbing you in the heart?"
- Homer Simpson
"I felt like a thousand knives of fire was stabbing my insides"
- SBP
I've been scared a few times in my life, most of the time the sensation passing as I either fast forward the movie I'm watching or punch the guy in the head who jumped from behind the curtain. But there was one day I was so scared I thought I was going to die.
Picture it: Ottawa. Early 2005. I was minding my own business when it started. It initially felt like someone grabbed one my organs and just squeezed really hard. It last a few seconds, then subsided. But it returned again. What on earth was it? Initially, I thought it could be food poisoning. Back in 1998 while traveling Australia, I woke up in a sweat from so much pain. I walked to the local chemist (pharmacy) which was closed and promptly hurled behind the store after almost starting to cry because it seemed no help was coming and the pain was so unbearable. After speaking to a few people the next day, we figured it was likely food poisoning. So it sort of felt like that, but much, much worse.
After about 15 minutes it went away again so I thought it was over, but it returned with a vengeance (like Die Hard 3) and wouldn't stop. It was like, well, a thousand knives of fire stabbing my insides. And what was scary, was that I HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS WRONG WITH ME. I tried lying down, walking around, splashing water on my face...these remedies may sound stupid, but what else could I do? I literally thought I was dying. And when that thought ran across my head, I kept thinking to myself, "What have I accomplished in my life? How have I made the world a better place? Will anyone remember me when I'm gone?" The pain was that bad. Not wanting to call an ambulance to pay the service fee for pick up (we're aren't 100% socialized in Canada), I called my mom up to take me to the hospital just up the street, and it turned out to be nothing more than kidney stones.
I got a 2nd round of the 'stones a couple of years later but since I recognized the pain all too well, the fear of death didn't overtake me and I was not wondering if my legacy on earth would be remembered. But geez, that moment in 2005: I don't think I'd wish that upon my worst enemy.
- Homer Simpson
"I felt like a thousand knives of fire was stabbing my insides"
- SBP
I've been scared a few times in my life, most of the time the sensation passing as I either fast forward the movie I'm watching or punch the guy in the head who jumped from behind the curtain. But there was one day I was so scared I thought I was going to die.
Picture it: Ottawa. Early 2005. I was minding my own business when it started. It initially felt like someone grabbed one my organs and just squeezed really hard. It last a few seconds, then subsided. But it returned again. What on earth was it? Initially, I thought it could be food poisoning. Back in 1998 while traveling Australia, I woke up in a sweat from so much pain. I walked to the local chemist (pharmacy) which was closed and promptly hurled behind the store after almost starting to cry because it seemed no help was coming and the pain was so unbearable. After speaking to a few people the next day, we figured it was likely food poisoning. So it sort of felt like that, but much, much worse.
After about 15 minutes it went away again so I thought it was over, but it returned with a vengeance (like Die Hard 3) and wouldn't stop. It was like, well, a thousand knives of fire stabbing my insides. And what was scary, was that I HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS WRONG WITH ME. I tried lying down, walking around, splashing water on my face...these remedies may sound stupid, but what else could I do? I literally thought I was dying. And when that thought ran across my head, I kept thinking to myself, "What have I accomplished in my life? How have I made the world a better place? Will anyone remember me when I'm gone?" The pain was that bad. Not wanting to call an ambulance to pay the service fee for pick up (we're aren't 100% socialized in Canada), I called my mom up to take me to the hospital just up the street, and it turned out to be nothing more than kidney stones.
I got a 2nd round of the 'stones a couple of years later but since I recognized the pain all too well, the fear of death didn't overtake me and I was not wondering if my legacy on earth would be remembered. But geez, that moment in 2005: I don't think I'd wish that upon my worst enemy.
# posted by SBP : 10:43 PM
Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]
