pre-coma

How did I get myself into a coma in the first place you ask?


Well it all started when I moved to Toronto. Things were going good, I had just quit smoking and was enjoying what was left of the nice weather. No job meant no money though, so in October I found a job at a pet store as the Reptile Manager. Job was great, payed about as much as you can ask for retail. Unfortunately retail is stressful, and any ex-smoker knows what happens when new stress comes around. So I'm back to smoking a pack a day.

With all the bills, getting to and from work, my outrageous video game addiction and those damn cigarettes I had no money for my asthma meds. I wasn't worried though because I felt great, my breathing was fine, and besides I had the emergency one (ie cheap one) on hand at all times so what could go wrong. (Lots apparently)

So December came and went and the new year began. Early on in January I started getting a cold. I get the same one every year so I wasnt worried. There was a nagging voice in the back of my head saying I wasnt on my meds and I should get that taken care of but he would ussually shut up after a smoke or two.

So life continued as normal, I went to work everyday came home and relaxed. Then one day my parents called me to help the move, I agreed being the good son I am and went back to my home town. That night at my parents my cold got much worse. Thinking it was all the physical labor I cut my visit short and went home.

Now is when my memory starts to go. I think I continued to go to work and pretend everything was fine meanwhile my breathing was getting very very bad. After having walked to the Eatons center the day before and being constantly struggling to breathe I decided to head to Emergency for a quick Ventolin mask as this always fixed me before.

It didn't work this time. After trying several different medications and machines (including a ventilator I apparently called the death machine) I agreed to be intubated. This is when I was sedated, for the next ten days my body literally fought to survive. My C02 levels were sitting dangerously high and nothing the doctors could do would take them down. I was about as close to dieing as possible without actually having my heart stop.

Wow did not expect this to be this long, if you read all of that then you deserve a cookie. I promise the next post will be one of my funny delirious stories.