Blog

Today is the first day that I’ve run for almost three weeks. Early on the morning of May 14, 2013 I ran with a friend on Spanish Banks, near where the photo on the left was taken. As I got in the car, I was a little dizzy. I drove through a parking lot next to the beach, which started to feel like it was undulating underneath me. I drove another block before my whole world felt like giant ocean waves were moving the car and me in dizzying circles. It was all that I could do to safely pull to the curb and park.

When running, I like the feeling of being disconnected, so I don’t take my phone with me. On May 14th, while my world spun around me, it was a half hour before someone came by whom I could call out to for help. A woman walking her dog was kind enough to stop and call my wife Karalee Greer, who came and got me in our van. Karalee parked the van within an arm’s reach of my car and it was all that I could do to hold on to her, my car, and the van to make the transfer.

After both doctor and hospital visits, I was diagnosed with vertigo induced by an inner ear viral infection. While I have sailed over 13,000 nautical miles and experienced seasickness numerous times, suffering vertigo in a perfectly still car both scared me and let me experience true vulnerability. Almost three weeks later, I am only able to do a short run/walk on the beach and continue to experience mild forms of vertigo every day.

This experience has taught me that there is much that I take for granted and that I have an incredible support network that surrounds me. Other things that I’ve learned from this experience:

Power: I am blessed with powerful energy, coordination, and physical strength. Most often, I take all of these for granted. This experience has taught me that these are amazing gifts that I am given and which can be taken away at a moment’s notice.

Support: I have the loving support of Karalee and my three children Jocelyn, Kevin, and Allen. All shared their strength and presence with me as I’ve healed from this experience. Everyone at Webtech Wireless stepped in and looked after things for me while I was getting better. We are also fortunate to live in British Columbia with a publicly funded healthcare system. When I needed the system, it was there, in spades, to look after me.

Vulnerabilities: We are human and as human beings we all have our vulnerabilities. When we are vulnerable, we rely on others. As a driven individual who often tries to “do it all myself”, it has been good for me to have to ask for and rely on other people. We all need to rely on other people, whether we admit it or not.

Healing: As an individual who often lives for the next action, I have had to learn to stay out of action in order to heal. Work had to be put on hold, I needed to stay still and rest, and my need for the next goal had to be tempered with listening to my body and staying in the moment.

I am still trying to drive myself too far, too fast. My vertigo comes back and let’s me know that my inner ear virus will be healed on nature’s time, not mine. Patience must be my watch word as I continue my healing and learning.

What do you take for granted?