Have you ever had a life wake-up call?

[Rain Man]

The Rashee Rice thread makes me wonder how often people might have a "wake-up call" to change a behavior. And then I wonder if it's ever permanent.

So...in thinking about things that you might have done that were risky in a bad way, did you ever have a wake-up call that made you permanently change a behavior? If so, what happened and what behavior did it change? And was it a permanent change?

Similarly, have you ever had a temporary wake-up call on something, but then slipped back into the bad habit?

This can be any bad behavior. Maybe it's drugs or alcohol or eatting fatty foods or not wearing a seat belt or engaging in unsafe sex with third-world bargirls or robbing convenience stores or kidnapping hitchhikers or hitchhiking or starting fires by spitting gasoline out of your mouth or doing tightrope walks over deep canyons. Use your imagination.

[scho63]

I should be dead.

Massive DVT blood clot in my left leg in Oct 2019 that ran from my ankle to halfway in my thigh along with 4 pulmonary embolisms.

The clot was about 10 days old before I went to the ER and I could barely walk. It was a whisker away from completely closing off and stopping blood flow to my heart and killing me instantly.

I spent 5 days in ICU as they performed a thrombectomy with TPH clot busting drug that turned my blood to water. They had nurses monitoring me 24 hours to make sure I didn't bleed out.

They did genetic testing and screened me for cancer as to the root cause but they have no idea why I developed the clot.

Today I wear compression socks, don't fly over 6 hours straight, move around often and continue to work to turn my health around. On 5mg of blood thinner Eliquis twice a day for the rest of my life.

[digger]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

The Rashee Rice thread makes me wonder how often people might have a "wake-up call" to change a behavior. And then I wonder if it's ever permanent.

So...in thinking about things that you might have done that were risky in a bad way, did you ever have a wake-up call that made you permanently change a behavior? If so, what happened and what behavior did it change? And was it a permanent change?

Similarly, have you ever had a temporary wake-up call on something, but then slipped back into the bad habit?

This can be any bad behavior. Maybe it's drugs or alcohol or eatting fatty foods or not wearing a seat belt or engaging in unsafe sex with third-world bargirls or robbing convenience stores or kidnapping hitchhikers or hitchhiking or starting fires by spitting gasoline out of your mouth or doing tightrope walks over deep canyons. Use your imagination.

I did have a wake up call when was 22... permanent change...

[Hog's Gone Fishin]

My daughter actually had an assignment last week with a similar question about if there was any event that changed your behavior as a family.

So, when I was about 8 years old my mother had set the dryer to run at night and went to bed. Well, it caught fire. It was at the other end of the house but it filled the house up with smoke while we all were asleep. My dad awoke and got us all out, each bedroom was luckily equipped with big sliding door windows you could just open and walk out of.

The fireman told us the smoke level was within 7 inches of our nose while we were asleep and only a few more minutes would have been death.

SO, we NEVER start our laundry dryer at night. Laundry has to stay in the washer or be completely done when we turn in. Also I keep a spare set of truck keys at my bedside.

[Mile High Mania]

Originally Posted by scho63

I should be dead.

Massive DVT blood clot in my left leg in Oct 2019 that ran from my ankle to halfway in my thigh along with 4 pulmonary embolisms.

The clot was about 10 days old before I went to the ER and I could barely walk. It was a whisker away from completely closing off and stopping blood flow to my heart and killing me instantly.

I spent 5 days in ICU as they performed a thrombectomy with TPH clot busting drug that turned my blood to water. They had nurses monitoring me 24 hours to make sure I didn't bleed out.

They did genetic testing and screened me for cancer as to the root cause but they have no idea why I developed the clot.

Today I wear compression socks, don't fly over 6 hours straight, move around often and continue to work to turn my health around. On 5mg of blood thinner Eliquis twice a day for the rest of my life.

A good friend of mine died with that about 3 years ago. Good for you on catching it in time.

[In58men]

Took my gun to a bar because I knew there would be some dudes there I didn’t like.

Long story short, my friends and their friends all got into it. Two of them started walking towards me, I opened my truck door to get my gun. I pointed a loaded .45 at one of the guys, but held back.

We didn’t like each other because we got into a fight at a party.

Very pathetic, could have been very bad.

[Jewish Rabbi]

Originally Posted by In58men

Took my gun to a bar because I knew there would be some dudes there I didn’t like.

Long story short, my friends and their friends all got into it. Two of them started walking towards me, I opened my truck door to get my gun. I pointed a loaded .45 at one of the guys, but held back.

We didn’t like each other because we got into a fight at a party.

Very pathetic, could have been very bad.

You ever learn anything about smoking meats?

[notorious]

Searching for my first post.

[BigRedChief]

As I said in the retirement thread, most thought I’d be dead by 25.

At 25, I’m in Jerusalem in the old city. The Arab part of the old city. The Israelis patrolled the area to make sure the tourists didn’t go into the Arab quarter. I wanted to go in there. Went to the top of David’s tower and figured out a path through the Israeli soldiers.

It worked I’m in taking some pictures. I see a real old man leading a donkey through some of the old arches and took the pic. He was pissed. Starting yelling at me flying his arms about etc. a group of young men were suddenly by me. I’m saying all I did was take his picture. They said something to the effect the old man wants $100. I told them to **** off turned to leave and got busted in the head with something and the fights on.

I took out 2-3 before they got me on the ground kicking the shit out of me. I was thinking laying on the ground getting the shit kicked out of me that this was a stupid way to die. About that time the Israeli patrol had heard the commotion and came to investigate. The attackers scattered and the Israelis got me off the ground and outta the Arab quarter.

Didn’t get into any trouble because I got my ass kicked I'd probably not do that again. Went to the hospital and I had a preferatted stomach, burnished kidneys and a concussion.

Within a month I was back in the states. Decided I wanted to live, have a family, fall in love and raise the kids.

33 years later I’m still madly in love with my wife. Son is in NYC pursing his dreams. And now, I’m retired comfortable enough. Wife retires in 3 weeks. Time to show her the world as just a regular tourist doing tourist things.

And yes, I still have that picture of the old man in Jerusalem.

[Chief Pagan]

When people wonder:

How can a pro athlete risk his million dollar career engaging in stupid X behavior...

Meh, what's 50 million here or there.

Almost killing myself in what most would probably consider a stupid recreation didn't get me to change my behavior.

[BryanBusby]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Did anything in particular happen to get you past the tipping point? Or was it just an accumulation of straws on your camel's back?

I mean there was an accumulation of things but not one specific trigger. Literally just woke up one day and said I never was going back and I didn't.

[BWillie]

After the 9th DUI I finally stopped drinking and driving. Started drinking before I drive.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by Jewish Rabbi

Stopped doing drugs after I posted a thread on CP saying I needed money because I ran out of gas at the beach

That was the most obvious con ever. Felt bad for the guy that sent him money. Twas a better person than I.

[Jewish Rabbi]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

That was the most obvious con ever. Felt bad for the guy that sent him money. Twas a better person than I.

Believe it was eDave that sent him the money, so don't feel too bad for him.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by Hog's Gone Fishin

My daughter actually had an assignment last week with a similar question about if there was any event that changed your behavior as a family.

So, when I was about 8 years old my mother had set the dryer to run at night and went to bed. Well, it caught fire. It was at the other end of the house but it filled the house up with smoke while we all were asleep. My dad awoke and got us all out, each bedroom was luckily equipped with big sliding door windows you could just open and walk out of.

The fireman told us the smoke level was within 7 inches of our nose while we were asleep and only a few more minutes would have been death.

SO, we NEVER start our laundry dryer at night. Laundry has to stay in the washer or be completely done when we turn in. Also I keep a spare set of truck keys at my bedside.

My wife rolls her eyes sometimes at my refusal to turn on appliances when we're leaving to go somewhere. But when I was 12 or 13, a seal in the family dishwasher broke and dumped a bunch of water onto the motor. It didn't actually start a fire, but there was a lot of smoke and bad noise. I don't know what would have happened if we weren't home, but I don't want to ever find out.

[Dark Horse]

When I was young I did stupid stuff to entertain people. I tried a 2 1/2 flip from about 25 feet up in a tree into a rock quarry and cracked my skull on impact.
What’s worse I had a sinus infection at the time which entered my brain.

Long story short I decided those ungrateful bastards could entertain themselves from then on