Living With Sarcoidosis – Part 3
Filed Under: African American Health · Baby Boomer · Black Health and Wellness · Black Men’s Health · Black Women’s Health · Sarcoidosis
Filed Under: African American Health · Baby Boomer · Black Health and Wellness · Black Men’s Health · Black Women’s Health · Sarcoidosis
My Symptoms
Lethargy consumed me. I could not wait for the others to go off-campus to lunch, which I always refused, because I needed to sneak in a nap.
This was unusual behavior for me, because at the time I was an active, athletic, health conscious, 40-something, 130 mile a-day commuter, who played Racquetball every day at lunch-time and had plans to celebrate my 110th birthday.
Suddenly I’m sleeping all the time? Something ain’t right!
I’d sleep through lunch, stay late and sleep for a couple of hours, but not charge over-time. My supervisor thought he was getting extra work out of me, for free. Hah! As the ex-prez, (you know who you are) has been known to say, “Not gonna happen!”
The reason I mention the commute aspect is because it was during one such commute that I began to suspect something was terribly wrong.
That day I had worked the 10 am – 6 pm shift. After contributing a much needed few hours of nap time, I’d left work around 8:30 pm.
For many years my route on the commute home was to drive west on highway 580, to 13, to east 24, through the Caldecott Tunnel in Orinda, Ca. I used to jokingly say I could do it in my sleep.
I must say it was a bit of a surprise, when I actually did it.
The first time it happened, I drove into the tunnel in the fast lane, as usual. I noticed a big, brown, Ford Crown Vic’ next to me in the right lane. It was veering real close to the center line, so I eased to my left just a little bit. Figured he was probably afraid of hitting the outside railing and would prefer to tangle with me in my little commuter.
Next thing I remember, I looked up and had traveled about a half-mile beyond the tunnel, still in the fast lane. I remember swerving slightly toward where the Ford should have been, but it was nowhere to be found. Did I dream the Ford part? I can’t say.
Realistically, I must have gone into a zone of some sort, still holding on to a consciousness, but as far as I was concerned, I had fallen asleep.
After that first time, it happened many nights in a row. It got to the point to where I looked forward to it, and yes I know that’s crazy, but I craved the rest.
Every night for weeks I was God’s co-pilot. Something else had to be lighting my path. Like clockwork I’d wake up a half-mile out of the tunnel, roll down a window, take a breath and thank God I made it.
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It became my new normal.
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See Part 1. Living With Sarcoidosis
See Part 2. What’s Wrong With This Picture! I’m Not Lazy!”
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“Good Health and Success are a Lifestyle . . . Let’s Choose to Live Well,”
CK Dillon
Contact: Charles@CreateVitality.Com
On the Web: Http://CreateVitality.Com
