The day surfing saved my life

[willli]

I’ve had this running battle with cancer for some time. I’ve had some pretty massive surgeries. This one instance was an operation that required collapsing my lungs in two separate operations 30 days apart. The first one went OK but the recovery phase was real difficult and in the intervening 30 days I struggled to get the once deflated lung up to snuff so it could handle the load in phase two. I can say emphatically that hospitals are real good at getting patients into surgery. They give you a huge shot of Valium to make you passive and compliant and usually the last thing you remember is sitting your bare butt on a cold grounding plate, then its never-never land till surgical recovery room. In recovery they have to time your emerging awareness with the removal of the artificial airway. Patients survive surgery and are sometimes lost in recovery.
Well my awareness was more like a dream. I was reliving a day I remembered well cause Long Island doesn’t get THAT big that often and on this day only three of us made it out, jimmy, raz, and myself. The waves were spectacular lefts reeling for 100 yards with massive stand up tubes the whole length finishing with a 25yard dumping section closeout. Well I was laying there on the gurney just enjoying this whole session and every time one of us pulled in all the bros who pulled onto the beach would honk their horns in appreciation. Time is of no consequence to the human brain … all I can say is suddenly I couldn’t breathe. Everything was knocked out of me and I was pinned on my back in a terrible blackness. I could feel everything slipping away and smiled at the ironic thought that I was about to drown … but I fought. I swam and struggled and kicked and swam till I caught a glimpse of the surface and I pushed and pushed myself to break the surface and when I did oh what a sweet wonderful breath.
I fully expected to see the next set bearing down on me so you can imagine my surprise when I saw all those white coats and felt these hands frantically trying to stuff the airway back down my throat and other hands hovering with crash cart paddles … Oh yeah, I flatlined … totally freaked the recovery staff … but they never used the paddles and there was some debate among themselves as to how someone in my condition could revive himself. I pulled the one who was most distressed closer, the one who probably pulled the airway in the first place and told him “That was some wave. The guys on the beach said it was a two wave hold down and when I took the third one on the head they thought I was dead” He looked at me kind of funny and said “You were”

[crox]

A great story Willi - found myself holding my breath - wishing you all the very best for the future.

[DavidW]

Willi, that was heavy. I hope you won the battles and the war.

[Jeff Ommen]

Willi,

Moving story and keep fighting the good fight.

Jeff in SoCal....

[DarcyM]

Willi -

cool. Keep coming up for breath.

thanks for sharing the story.
dm

[Jack Beresford]

Awesome story - keep coming up for air!

[Jafo]

Rock on, brother. Rock on.

[southpeakbrad]

Willli,
As a hospital pharmacist I've been on the other side of these emergencies many times over my career, often praying under my breath. It was so interesting to read your great story!
Brad

[hart]

Willi,

I can't let your post go without saying how humbled I was to read it..and how stoked I am for you.

Keep surfing, Mate. Good on you.

Bruce.

[scoop]

willi

go for it matee
kneeling isnt just for preying hey....though it does help at times

tony