“Making it to 27 and never being in the ER is pretty good,” I told Sera over the weekend  as I showed off my first IV. The sickness my lovely wife wrote about in her guest post last week had clearly taken a turn for the worst. In a very non-dramatic emergency room trip, we loaded up the SUV and leisurely made the trek across town where medical professionals determined I was desperately dehydrated from a flu-like bug or reaction to antibiotics. I felt awful and extremely grateful for their ability to make me well again.

Well, close enough to well again. All of us are still sick, but slowly improving every day. This whole experience has opened my eyes to how quickly life can force you to slow down. Barely getting by can become a run-down routine that is completely out of your control. Where I work, we often reflect on how it only takes one surprise to alter someone’s life path from well-planned to instability.

Sera and I are both blessed with jobs that are flexible. If we need time off, we can normally get it at a moment’s notice with no questions asked. With the past four weeks or so of illness, I’m not sure other employers would be so understanding. I can’t quite imagine losing a job during this challenging time, but I guarantee it wouldn’t help anything. With insurance tied to employment, and hospital and clinic bills attached to our illnesses, our jobs are pretty important.

The other day I was visiting a group of people to learn their aspirations for my community, and I was reminded how important a person’s health really is on their success. We had reached out to this group for a work conversation because the participants all had some form of a disability, and we know these voices are often silenced, whether intentionally or not. Surrounding our table were people hoping to contribute to society who often felt regulated to the sidelines. Some were born with their disability, while others had a life-changing incident that brought them to their new-normal.

One woman particularly touched me as she shared her life story with us all. A nurse of 14 years, she daily cared for those in need. She understood the importance of health and how it takes a community to care for those going through times of illness. One day, she simply woke up unable to walk. It wasn’t a slow battle she valiantly fought against; it was a sudden, unexpected lifestyle change thrust upon her and her family. As a single mother of multiple young children, a role reversal found them all caring for each other. It was their only way to get by.

What really stuck with me though was when she reminded us that any of us could have been at that table, sharing our stories of having a disability. It could be that tomorrow, due to some unknown illness, I could not be able to stand. Perhaps it’s not an illness, but rather an accident that leaves me unable to use my body or brain at its full capacity. It takes just a moment for your world to change.

When my wife proofreads this (as I always allow her to do before sending in my article), she’ll undoubtedly be filled with worry and/or fear. That’s not what I’m hoping people take away from this though. As Sera, my daughter, and myself finally begin rounding this corner around whatever this particularly strong illness has been, we should come to appreciate our health even more. Four weeks is a long time to lose, but we haven’t lost our “normal” for forever. Yes, our lawn is unmowed, our garden is unplanted, and I’m three weeks behind in my plans to get in shape by running more, but I’ll be more appreciative of reaching those milestones when I’m healthier. This week, take a moment to appreciate what you’re doing now while you are healthy. It’s a lot more fulfilling to appreciate life in the moment instead of from afar.

 

Rochester resident Matt Knutson is the communications and events director for United Way of Olmsted County.