Westside Story – Grim Reaper – Part I

Two thoughts motivate me to write this story. One, what I have to share could save a life, yours or someone you love. Two, if my story fails to save any lives, it is my hope my tale will be entertaining.

Publisher Ben Sclair and I reviewed the oral version of my story, and we both agreed it would be better if I serialized the story in order to tell my tale in bite size pieces.

Let’s start.

For the past five years, as I pushed through my 60s towards age 70, I noticed while I could keep up with the younger guys at work, I had lost a significant amount of my industrious energy. I was thankful to just be able to complete my ten hour shift each day. No one called me lazy; but upon returning home, I was exhausted. In the old days I could work seven days a week, 16 hours a day. There were times I worked all nighters.

As I slowed down over a period of years, I attributed the phenomenon to getting older. It did not occur to me I might be suffering from a medical malady that was overtaking me.

I later learned the Grim Reaper had been stalking me for a few years. I did not know the Grim Reaper was closing in. When I looked over my shoulder, I did not see him, because he was hiding in the shadows.

Around the beginning of September 2014, the Grim Reaper began to gain on me. For two weeks I suffered from what I call positional and exertional dizziness. If I crouched down low and stood up quickly, I was dizzy. If I exerted myself by wheeling the garbage cans out to the street, I experienced dizziness. It was happening every day.

On a few occasions, I ran out of breath and felt the need to lean up against the barn which meant I had two problems. One, I had trouble breathing. Two, I do not have a barn to lean against. I leaned on the garbage can instead. I thought I might pass out.

Not wanting to be a complainer and thinking the problem would pass, which was not really the safest thinking, I did not say anything to my wife for a couple of weeks.

One day we were working with some grass. I am not talking about marijuana. She had some tall grass plants she wanted help moving to a new location. During the move, I got dizzy and ran out of breath. Thinking this was not going away, I finally told her what was going on. We decided I needed to consult a medical professional.

Because this is a serialized story, this is a good place to break until Grim Reaper – Part II.

The questions you should be asking yourself as we finish this first cliff hanger chapter are, 1) Does Joe go to the doctor? 2) Will the Grim Reaper try to recruit Joe for the great beyond? 3) Does Joe’s wife call 911 to have Joe jolted back to life with the electric paddles? 4) Does Joe die before he can bring you Grim Reaper – Part II?

Until next time, if there is a next time, enjoy the blessings of each day you are given.