07/22/2016
Hey Seltza Gang - Its your admin Nate. Today I posted something on the fb page "I Love You Hashem" that I wanted to share with The Seltzas. Tom'w is one year since the day I got sick... Here is the story I posted there with a slight little edit.
I have decided that today I will share my story here....It all started a year ago tom'w - Thursday July 23, 2015, when I woke up shaking. I had no idea that I was actually running a high fever and was suffering from the first signs of Sepsis brought on by a bad Diverticulitis attack that strangely was causing me no pain. I'm the single dad of a beautiful boy who is now almost 3 and he was still asleep. I somehow managed to get the shaking to stop and got my son out of his crib, dressed, got him down the stairs, and into the car and to his local day care. I ran into a friend who is a single mom and asked her how she takes care of her son when she gets sick, and she said she gets someone to watch him and she lies down for a couple of hours. I went home and took her advice and lay down ... and I woke up 3 days later. I went to a local Sunday Dr. and she said it was probably a virus.
I felt well enough to go back to work the next day but still wasnt 100% so I went to my dr for blood work. I knew something was wrong because Id fall asleep at work, needed 2 naps to get through the day and was constantly getting the chills. Finally after 3 rounds of blood work, and 4 wks since the shaking, my Dr called me and told me to drop everything and get to the nearest Emergency Room. He told me exactly what to tell the ER. My buddy took me to the ER where I was promptly admitted.
As it turns out I was diagnosed with a form of Abdominal Sepsis , which unbeknownst to me at the time, apparently only 30% of people survive. I needed a life saving operation and as I lay on the table that fateful day realizing this might be it and I might never wake up again, I tried to fight off the anesthesia. But after awhile I realized i couldn't fight it anymore, I said Shema and hoped for the best. And then.... I woke up and began what turned out to be a 7 month recovery with 2 more major operations. However that day on the table G-d had already decided that my work wasn't done yet and He allowed me to live so I could raise my beautiful son Simchala who really needs and deserves to have his Abba. And that is why I survived.
I have a lot of people to thank including the Doctors and Nurses who got me through this ordeal. I feel bad that people worried about me, my ex wife who worried more than a married wife, and Marla Zirin who coordinates the Choleh Misheberach list who was so upset when I asked to be added to the list. Countless friends helped me through including some wonderful people who showed me what real true friends are. Many cooked for me. And my buddy Mike, came over Erev Rosh Hashana and sat with me while I was having a terrible day, totally physically and mentally drained, and repeatedly questioning why G-d wanted me to survive, just to suffer from some very difficult medical challenges. That day, he talked to me and made me realize that I needed to be here for my beautiful son. And since that day I have never ever questioned G-d again.
Today I am fully recovered and I feel great. And tom'w I plan to wake up and the only shaking I plan to do is of hands when I wish people Shabbat Shalom. Thank You Hashem for getting me through this, and turning me into the happiest person in the world!
