Summer Greetings!
Here is hoping that this post finds you enjoying the summer doing whatever is that you enjoy
You know that BLOOD CLOT SURVIVORS CAN DO ANYTHING!!!
It is hard for me to believe that next month this blog will be turning 15 years old... Can you believe it?!?!
I am not sure how this is happening but here we are looking at this milestone that is been one of the most rewarding things that I have ever done. Getting the opportunity to keep this up and make a little difference in the lives of people looking for answers along with some inspiration to keep going after a clotting incident has been a thrill so far.
Over the years I have come across a lot of people with stories that continue to impress me to this day.
But to be perfectly honest the most amazing thing of this process has been getting to see and follow the evolution of recovery of the people who have been willing to share their stories. I am talking about the evolution over the years and all of the incredible things people are doing even after suffering from their clotting incident. I am not just BLOOD CLOT SURVIVORS CAN DO ANYTHING just to say it... I see it happening over and over everyday. This is truly inspiring and blows me away every time I get to see it.
Over the 15 years of the blog I tried my best to get a new story every single month. I am not sure if I was able to succeed on the repeating side of the equation but I am certain that I have not missed a single month...
But this month of July I wanted to make an exception because there is a blood clot survivors amongst us who is doing some truly mind bending stuff that I can't even comprehend is possible.
I got the chance to feature this individual back in September of 2014 so he is been at this endurance running thing for a long time.
You can see the post I did about him here >>> https://clot-buster-triathlete.blogspot.com/2014/09/september-athelter-of-month.html
No doubt that you are going to be impressed by what he was doing then... almost 10 years ago...
But you are not going to believe what he is up to now...Truly some epic stuff that you will need some time to process.
MARTIN is truly an example that BLOOD CLOT SURVIVORS CAN DO ANTHING!!!
Please checkout this update he put together about celebrating the 10th Anniversary of his clotting incident...
Read on and Thank You in advance for helping him celebrate that he is alive inspiring us all!
STOP THE CLOT - SUPPORT THE SCHNEEKLOTH
Exactly ten years ago, I felt a slight pain in my rib cage while in my office at work. I wrote it off as a strained muscle ma kept working. An hour later, I felt worse and decided to call it an early day. I headed home and messaged my wife that I didn’t feel well, but I want really concerned. An hour later, my wife arrived home to see me hunched over on the couch barely able to take a full breath. She drove me to the ER immediately. I limped inside complaining of chest pain and was immediately admitted for an extensive battery of tests that finally revealed the cause for my serious condition. My legs were covered in DVTs and I had pulmonary embolisms in both lungs. I received serious pain meds to allow me to breathe and I spent the next week in the hospital receiving books thinner injections and more tests. The first 3 days were touch and go with doctors unwilling and unable to confirm whether I would make it. These were the most emotional and scary days of my life, for me, my wife, my son and my entire family. Eventually, I recovered. The cause for the blood clots was identified as a misdiagnosed ankle injury and after a year of medical procedures and rehab, I was back to my old self, more determined than ever to spend life in the now and not in some distant future.
Since then, I have tried to stay true to that promise to myself. I have challenged myself and my body more than ever before to explore the world and to stretch the limits of what I thought would be possible for me to accomplish and I have had the opportunity to participate in some truly amazing adventures that challenged both my body and mind.
To celebrate these last 10 years, I am facing my biggest challenges, yet. Yes, I have completed nearly 150 ultramarathons as a blood clot survivor and I have run, walked and crawled distances on up to 240 miles in one go, but this year is even bigger. This year, I intend to complete the 268 mile Spine Race on the Pennine Way Trail in the UK in June (also coined as Britain’s Most Brutal Race) followed by the 200 mile Tor des Geants race in the Italian Alps featuring nearly 80,000 feet of vertical elevation gain. Before, in between and after, I have lined up some of the tougher 100 mile endurance events to make it even more challenging, all in an effort to celebrate the life I’ve been given and to raise awareness and funds for this often silent and overlooked killer.
I am targeting to raise at least USD 5,200 for the NBCA to mark my 52nd birthday on May 1, the kickoff date for this campaign.
Please help me support the National Blood Clot Alliance by making a donation through my page. The process is fast, easy and secure. Thanks so much for your support... and please don't forget to send this page to any friends you think might be interested in donating!
