By: Chris Gordon
Five years ago (March 2015), I almost died…but I got better. I contracted necrotizing fasciitis (NF, or flesh-eating bacteria), which started in my hand and ran rampant through my arm, shoulder, chest and back. I spent 65 days in various hospital beds, endured over a dozen surgeries, lost a left thigh muscle due to a skin segment extraction, and had about 25% of my original skin removed. That said, because skin grafts have very few nerve endings, I can now polar plunge like a champ!
Throughout my experience, I employed a certain mindset so I could not only survive my ordeal but thrive after it was over. I currently am finishing my studies for my Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do, consistently finish in the top 10% of any race I run, and now perform motivational speaking engagements where I share my message with others who could benefit from my story. Though I didn’t have a name for this process at the time, I now call it the 4Cs: Clarity, Confidence, Control, and Compassion.
Clarity
It was first predicted that I only had a 30% chance of survival. Then doctors speculated that I would only be able to feed myself with my right arm. Neither of those mattered to me, though, because they weren’t factual.
I focused on the facts at the time they were relevant. When I could start walking again, I focused on increasing my walking stamina. When doctors removed my soft cast and I could start using my right arm more, I focused on increasing my shoulder and arm strength. As long as I stayed clear on the facts, I wasn’t distracted by the negative predictions. As of now, I routinely run 100-meter striders at the end of most of my daily runs, and I usually break 10 mph.
Whatever your goal is, stay clear on the facts at the time you collect them
Confidence
During my hospitalization, most of my muscles atrophied to the point where I lost much of the definition that I had worked hard to achieve throughout my adult life. Looking in the hospital room bathroom mirror, I resignedly sighed more than once. However, I knew that my athleticism had not betrayed me; it merely lay dormant until I could reactivate it.
As soon as I received the go-ahead to commence physical therapy exercises, I started on my modified workouts (shoulder raises, forearm and bicep sponge squeezes, chair squats, walking). I latched onto what I knew I could do and worked towards progressing from my current level. Ten minutes after I signed off on my final home nurse visit, I took off down the run for my first run in three months.
Spoiler alert: It was awful! However, I needed to log that first one so I can build upon it. Five years later, I don’t give a second thought to IF I can run; I just follow my workout plan and do it!
Whatever you’re facing or planning for, anchor yourself to what you can do well, and start there.
Control
As I stated with Clarity, you can’t control anything except for what you can affect. When I was rebounding from my surgeries, I had heard about other patients with NF who had died or whose quality of life had diminished greatly. I prayed for them and reached out to those on social media, but then I focused on what I could do for my own recovery. I couldn’t do anything else for them, and worrying that their fate might become my own would not increase my progress. Therefore, I channeled my energies into working out, drinking my protein shakes, and getting enough rest (rest is very underrated).
People’s opinions don’t matter. Even your own doubts don’t matter. All that matters is what you can control. Once you direct your attention to what you can do, perform every task to the best of your ability.
Compassion
No matter what happened to me during my hospitalization and recovery, I extended kindness and compassion to everyone around me. While medical professionals served me because it was their job, I was raised to treat others as well as I could, so I learned the name of everyone with whom I interacted and at least one or two things about them. As a result, I had (mostly) pleasant encounters every day of my hospital stay; when you’ve been filleted and had parts of your body relocated to other sections of your person, you’re going to have a couple sour moments. I even received a DVD copy of Blazing Saddles (my favorite movie).
Because I chose to be kind and compassionate, every time I visit the hospital wing in which I spent the most time, I am welcomed back with open arms and smiles. Also, throughout the five years since my hospitalization, I’ve been told that my compassion has helped others deal with their own struggles, and it has assisted me in crafting speaking presentations that I use to reach those who need my message.
Being compassionate to yourself and others will help you in any situation you face. Even if you are healthy and training for a race, the kinder you are to others, they more apt they are to give you their best. Also, be kind to yourself; you are not perfect, so don’t expect perfection. If you choose to give every effort your best shot, you might reach perfection, but you’ll at least reach greatness.
Using the 4Cs has not only assisted me in recovering from my battle with NF, I have also reached greatness on my terms and (hopefully) been a pleasant person in general to be around. While spontaneity can bring some fun to the monotony of everyday life, having a solid plan helps me deal with mostly everything that comes my plan. I hope you experience the same success.
Please reach out to me with any questions you may have at chrisdtgordon@gmail.com, @christdtgordon, and/or https://chrisdtgordon.com.
