Saturday 23 March 2013

New Blog

Hey guys I've been busy working on my other group blog so it hasn't really give in me too much time to post hear. I will try to post as much as I can, but for now check out my new blog on self-help my group and I created.  http://smallslicetoday.blogspot.ca/

  I also came across a video of a real survivor that went through what no body can imagine. Nick is not only a inspiration but a hero, a hero for those that need a inspiriting uplift. Check him out.

Friday 8 February 2013

A New Course of Action

After yesterday’s confrontation with an old friend I soon realized that a new chapter in my life was emerging. We all try and hold on to the past when really we should focus on our future and the new adventures ahead. Changing our lifestyle will open new and exciting opportunities and ultimately will make you feel better for yourselves. Being friends for over a decade made it tough to drop and forget. This was once my “best” friend so the process of completely changing may take a while to get used too.

 For teens the transition from high school to the work place can be down right rough. Life changes and friends disappear. The process may result in times of stress, so it’s best to follow a well-planned direction to make the transition easier. When placed in confusing times I found it best to create short and long-term goals to stir me in the right route. Again this may be very difficult to overcome. I’m not saying to drop the ones you love, but if they only create problems it’s time to reconsider your options.

Monday 4 February 2013

Challenge Yourself!


 Today I want to shift my attention to someone that many admire for his hockey plays. Max Pacioretty has gone through so much in his personal life. As fans we often only pay attention to athletes on their play and frequently forget that they too have lives. Max has only been playing in the NHL since 2009 and already has a medical history including:  facture cervical vertebra (C4), and recently had surgery for an appendectomy. Two major health issues in such a short period of time, and yet Max is still playing the game he loves with passion. He never seems to show a conservative side to him. These are the athletes that need to be looked up to by kids- the athletes that go through so much and never give up, or slow down on their dreams.

Having challenges can be very tough for most. To some it can be a breaking point in their lives, but others use their struggles as a motivation to get stronger and to succeed at whatever cost. I know for myself finding a way to move on is extremely difficult. At times I almost gave up, but alternately I became stronger as the days passed. I can only guess what Max went through. Every man starts out equal; it’s the great ones that succeed through tough times. We all go through difficulties. How will you handle it? 

Wednesday 30 January 2013

Better to be Safe than Sorry


Last week I read an article on the near death experience of Glee star Matthew Morrison. After reading, memories of my own near death immediately filled my head. We are always optimistic that tomorrow will always be a better day, but never can imagine that the possibilities of danger are a reality. I believe that the year was 2008 when my mother came home with a package of goodies from her work. Her work held a draw and she was the “lucky” winner. The package contained coupons to various stores, a carbon monoxide detector with other items as well.

I was visiting my friend’s house at the time of the incident. It was a Saturday night when my mother felt sleepy and decided to crawl into bed. Only minutes later while lying under the blankets she looked at the clock to read nine-twenty. She forced herself out of bed, as the night was still young. She went downstairs to watch television with my father. Within half an hour she felt dizzy, and decided to go back to bed. She asked for help to get upstairs, due to how dizzy she felt. As soon as she started to rise, she passed out in my father’s arms.  How we made it through that night is unexplainable. The next day was just an ordinary day, I wasn't even told about the incident until later. The next few days passed without any signs of danger. We continued to live our lives obliviously not knowing what was about to happen. It was morning time, approximately just after ten, when I was downstairs dancing and listening to music. Soon as the song finished I heard a ringing sound coming from upstairs- I ignored it thinking that it was just another pesky sells man at the door. I then resumed listening to my music. Fifteen minutes later the irritating sound continued. I suddenly ran upstairs to find my carbon monoxide detector reading very high levels of toxicity in the air. I turned off the furnace, opened all the windows and proceeded my way outside. I spent the remainder of the day at my grandfather’s house until I went to work. I remember coming home that night on my lunch break to find a couple of people scanning the area for the poison-apparently my house was very highly toxicity. We were informed that if not turned off, the furnace would have blown up. The room I was listening my music to was right next to the furnace. We were in luck that day. Thinking about the incident now, if had been working a regular shift from 9 am- 5 pm what would of happened? I have learned to be more aware and cautious about the dangers of life. 

Monday 28 January 2013

Remembering the one's we love


Over the last two weeks I journey back in to my life and talked about the unsettling moments and times that I had to go through. This week I wanted to talk about someone that has inspired me and has given me the strength to move forward in the dark times – my mother. Now I know, a lot of people recognize their parents as an inspiration in life, but this special person has gone through so much. She’s the one person that taught me about the important values in life and learned not to take anything for granted.

My mother grew up in a small town in Montreal with two loving parents and two sisters. She met my father at an early age and fell in love instantly. My parents got married and soon moved to Toronto to start a new life and family. As an adolescent she lost both her father and sister which left her devastated. She, along with her family slowly moved on and became stronger than ever. At the age of 21 my parents were coming home from a long day of skiing when somebody fell asleep on the wheel and crushed the vehicle my parents were driving. My father only broke his nose, but my mother’s case was severe- she fractured her c2 and c3. For those who are unfamiliar with the seriousness of the injury the c2 and c3 bones are located in your neck and if broken it will leave you either paralysed from the neck down or dead. This was truly a miracle. After years of therapy my mother finally was able to use her full ligaments again and pursue her old life. My mother has overcome deaths and adversity even when the odds were against her. I look at her life and really feel inspired and proud that I can call her my mother. 

Tuesday 22 January 2013

The Opportunity Holds


Life holds endeavors many that become failures but also opportunities to succeed. We wake up each morning hoping the day ends quicker than when it began. It seems that instead of looking at the glorious opportunities that got us where we are, we instead move on with our day wishing we were somewhere else. From the moment you get in your car think back to when you passed your driving test and the happiness you felt, and when you arrive at work think about the hard work and dedication it took to land that job. Know that your past has created a future that will open up exciting opportunities for you and your family.

As mentioned before, my path towards school was challenging. As a child I was diagnosed with a learning disability. I transferred to another school midway in the third grade. My first day came and went and that year I started to meet new friends. After graduating, I along with my fellow classmates began our journey to middle school- Hillside. I arrived for my first day only to be greeted by some of my old classmates except they weren't as enthusiastic knowing that I was ‘unlike’ them. Throughout the years I can only remember certain memories: memories of being picked on due to my disability to learn. I believe that it was the last year of school (grade 8) when I decided to become more athletic and joined various sports teams- I didn't make them, not because of skills lacked but I was just not that popular back then. I don’t want to portray myself as one of those kids without any friends; I met a few of them which I still keep in contact with. After graduating I arrived at what was to be the most interesting years of my life- High School. The moment I opened the doors, to what was my home for the next four years, I automatically was a no-body in society. I was now known as “somebody without a future”.  My infamous school, West Credit, was among one of Ontario’s most violent schools. Students attending were always picked on by others and parents in the community listed us as a pariah in society. Throughout my four years I tried to stay under the radar and tried to just get by. The twelfth grade was the best year, the year where we emerged into the darkness to only find a “gloomy” light. It was the end of the year and my friends and I were all excited about the upcoming prom. Most of the assembly wasn't important. The only thing I can remember was when the discussion about our future plans was brought up- Employment. At the time it didn't matter to me as I was only looking to escape, but our counselor made it quite clear that after graduating, we will all be looking for jobs- so I did. I found a job quite quickly and moved back and forth in the work environment for a few years. After numerous low- pay jobs I up-graded. This process took two to three years to complete. Finally after completing all required courses I then applied to college and against all odds I became a Sheridan student.

I wrote this blog today not for sympathy, but to help you realize that life can get hard, so go through it with confidence, hard work, and drive. Many will tell you that all dreams have a limit. They told me that I will never succeed in college- I’m a B student.  

Sunday 20 January 2013

Which Piece Do you Prefer?


As a growing society, life takes us in many strange directions. We often forget to stop and realize that we are better off than what we think. In my younger days I too took every life benefit for granted. I would wake up in the morning, open my eyes, stretch, and then jump out of bed and smell the fresh smell of bacon and toast laid out on the kitchen table.  Throughout my life I enjoyed the little things in life but never appreciated them, as many do, and had huge dreams of becoming a rock star or hockey player for the Montreal Canadians. Like most dreams kids have, reality kicked in and I soon realized that my skills in those traits don’t exist. As a teenager my focus was on everything except school. Through my eyes school was only a liability and my lackadaisical work efforts sent me straight to the work place instead of going to college.

At the age of nineteen my life turned upside down. This was one of the scariest moments of my life. I can only remember glimpses of that horrific day but all I can remember was working at Canadian Tire, my shift was almost complete and I volunteered to help stock some merchandise with my fellow co-worker. Suddenly I became dizzy, disoriented, and lost my speech- I passed out. When I woke paramedics were staring in my face- I just had my first seizure. I soon found out that I had been diagnosed with an AVM ( http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001783/) in the left side of my brain. I went through a hefty process of doctor appointments to figure the best method to cure this malformation. We determined that radiation would be the most effective, efficient, and safest procedure to take- I had radiation treatment months later. I was on the verge of recovery (at least what I thought). In December I finally smartened up and started to upgrade my Math and English skills. I quit work and pursued my education.  A year after I soon enrolled in two courses, math grade 10 and English grade 12. I was finally back on the road until disaster struck again. A month left into my studies I became very sick and had to drop out due to another seizure. In the span of four months my brain had swollen, had multiple seizures, my immune system failed and I lost the functions of my right side of my body including speech I mean my entire speech- have you seen the movie ‘the king’s speech”? I was in pretty bad shape.  A few months later the swelling started to decrease and yet again I was recovering. Later on my enrolled into a correspondent program and finished up my upgrading.

From my experiences of life it changed my perspective on what’s important and what’s irrelevant. I have not only witnessed the good but also the bad. I have seen patients at the hospital with “real” issues such as not being able to breathe without support or not fully understanding who or where they are. Life has many benefits and values starting from tying your shoes or communicating with friends. It’s when we really start to appreciate the little things in life in which we really feel blessed. I ask what piece of the pie would you prefer?