I continue to “tread” along after another morning on the mouse wheel, keeping my 3,673 day running streak intact. At least, I was able to read another few chapters of The House Next Door by James Patterson. I’m nearing the end of the second in the trilogy of crime stories. It kept my mind off the fact that two days ago I got dizzy during my morning run and staggered uncontrollably before stumbling to the pavement. I ended up in the ER without any answers from attending doctors on why this happened? The last two days, I’ve spent on our upstairs treadmill in case it happens again.

I remain convinced that it was inner-ear related, affecting my balance, but my wife claims I’m in self denial. I’m taking Mucinex and squirting Afrin up my nostrils, hoping to relieve an annoying sinus headache that I’ve experienced since the incident. I refuse to believe that it’s anything serious:

I’ll live many more years,
If I had to bet.
Despite this set-back,
I’m not Dead Yet.

Life goes on…regardless. I have my weekly “Leadership Meeting” today, and my wife has a rare three-day weekend. Coincidentally, she did have me complete some paperwork on a life insurance policy that she took out on me. It was a work perk that she signed up for a few months ago. Ironically, one of the questions was “have you had a stroke or TIA?” I answered NO, since there was no evidence of either and numbness or speech was never an issue throughout this ordeal. At least, I’m now worth something if “yet” finally happens. Hopefully, it won’t!

Anyone can suffer a stroke at any age, so it’s nothing to be ashamed of, yet I refuse to believe that it could happen to me. I run to help prevent it from occurring, but you can’t outrun what’s in your genes. It’s the mystery of life that’s locked inside you, and is often more powerful than eating right or exercising more. I go back to the doctor in a few days, and hopefully after that visit I’ll be able to get off the treadmill and hit the streets again.