Many followers of this blog have heard me speak of my friend Scott. We happen to share the same office, which is the local Starbucks in West Allis were we live. This gentleman is always a great source of conversation. Although this may limit the amount of progress I can make in a given evening, I always leave with an inspiration for a future endeavor. Such is today’s post. In case this is the first day you happened upon this, we are spending the first week of July refraining from posting anything negative online and instead finding at least one thing positive to share.
Today’s post was inspired by the previously mentioned gent. We were discussing the changes in the world we have noticed since the beginning of the corona virus. We discussed the new set ups in places we visit and then the subject turned to masks and the wearing or not wearing of them. Some stores require them, some do not. As we were having this discussion we made mention of the fact that the employees at this Starbucks had to wear them. As they worked behind the counter in a very hot environment, wearing a mask must have been a little south of torture. What we both found fabulous is that you would not have known it by their attitude. Each person who worked there was friendly and helpful. I am sure the amount of tips they are making has declined and they must have their share of disgruntled customers, but still they remain friendly.
The subject turned broader to mention of the employees at gyms, restaurants and other places. As the meat-throwing ladies or viral videos of customers screaming about having to wear a mask for the brief time they are in a store is what seems to capture our attention, it would appear we are missing a large segment of people who actually are appreciating and understanding each other. Our focus should go to that. It may not sell or create viral videos, but it is a great display of humanity.
We have all heard of the examples when altercations and disagreements can turn physical with people of different beliefs both of the virus and politics. What I have witnessed on a greater scale is people being understanding. Some of this can be attributed to the media coverage, some to us living more of our lives online. Here in the everyday real world I find things to be much different. At the gym where I work out people are all very careful to make sure they wipe down each machine before and after use. I see people letting people go ahead of them and doing their best to respect each other’s space. If there is a positive side effect of all of this craziness, I hope a new appreciation of one another’s company and the treasure that is becomes part of the ‘new normal’.
It’s time to go to war! That may not sound like something you would hear on a website dedicating to living an amazing life, but then again it is exactly the thing you should read on a site like that. Any site that provides a ton of sunshine and rainbows can only help you so much. Life does not normally find us riding a unicorn to our wonderful job as king or queen of the kingdom of Happyville. There are challenges that we face every single day. In short, sometimes life sucks. That is not being negative, it is just being honest.
If we were to stop there and whine or just say to ourselves (or everyone around us) “My life sucks.” and sit on our butt doing nothing about it, there is a 100% chance two things will happen. 1.) we will feel terrible and like we have no control over our lives. 2.) our lives will continue to suck. These are not a maybe, but a certainty. If we do a few small things every so often, there will be a small chance every so often that things will get better.
If we want our lives to change we must go to war with whatever is challenging us. We must face it head on and attack it with all we have. Words like ‘war’ and ‘attack’ may bring up violence and lots of other negative thoughts, but that is not what we are talking about here. We are talking about using every possible resource at our disposal to address and correct the issue. It may also involve gaining new resources that we can use to further attack the challenge. We cannot stop until we have won the war.
I am going to give you two quick examples to help better explain the concept. On Easter I injured my back. It was so bad I was unable to even walk the following day. This happened right after I recovered from the coronavirus. I could have sat there and said, “It is just one thing after another!” or asked, “Why me? Why do things keep going wrong?” I could have taken a few pain pills every so often and hoped for a miracle. No! I wanted my back better and wanted it better now. I contacted my doctor and asked a million different questions. He recommended rest and anti-inflammatories. As I followed those instructions I also read articles online about helping back pain. Advice about applying both ice and heat and when to do both. I also watched videos and stretches that might help and positions to sleep that may ease pain. In other words I did everything I could think of to tackle the problem.
Let us say you find yourself looking for a new job currently. You put your resume on a few job sites and wait. How likely will it be that you will get hired in a hurry to a job that you enjoy and are good at? I would say slim to none. While putting resumes on job sites is a very good idea to do, I would continually look at other means as well. Stopping in places you would like to work and inquire on employment opportunities. Learn different ways you could update your resume and make it more attractive to potential employers. How about brushing up on your skills and knowledge to make you more attractive to employers? Reading publications in the field in which you would like to be employed. Networking with professionals in that industry. Which one of these should you do while looking for a job? The answer is all of them if you really want a good job and want it soon. Don’t just whine about your unemployment, go to war with it! Do everything in your power to tackle the problem.
As you can see, going to war can be one of the most powerful and positive things you can do. Next time you have a challenge you’re facing, ask yourself, “Am I just whining about this problem, or am I going to war with it?” Your honest answer should tell you how to proceed. One last reminder. In war they are constantly inventing new and more lethal weapons. You should do the same in the war you are facing. Find new and inventive ways to tackle the problem. They might not all work, but there is 100% chance that sitting on your butt whining will not improve your situation at all.
Today was a great day for me. As soon as I was diagnosed with the coronavirus, I decided I would use it for whatever good I could. As I was going through it, that became sharing my journey to help eliminate a good deal of the fear that was associated with the condition. I did that with posts on my website as well as my YouTube channel (Neil Panosian). I was able to discuss things I was going through with several news agencies as well as individuals across the globe.
While going through recovery, I saw on the news that people who had recovered were able to donate their antibodies via their plasma. In return, doctors were able to give those antibodies to 3 critically ill patients in an effort to assist their own immune systems. I knew right away that this was something I wanted to do. The way that I looked at it was if I was fortunate enough to make it through, it would be my responsibility to do what I can to help others still struggling. I would love to share my journey with this process as well as some advice and words of wisdom from the wonderful folks at the Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin, where I donated.
As soon as I discovered that I would be able to help others out by donating my blood, I reached out to Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin. This began what turned out to be a far longer journey than I anticipated. The first thing that I was told is that I could not sign up to donate blood, rather it had to come through my doctor. I quickly sent an email off to my doctor and asked him if he would speak to the blood center about taking my blood once I had recovered. This was around the 20th of March. My doctor placed a call and waited for a return call. In the meantime, I focused on getting better.
After a week of recovering I placed an additional phone call to the blood center as I had not heard back from them, nor had my doctor. I was assisted by a helpful lady named Jamie. She informed me that the information must not have been properly recorded the first time around. She also explained that in order to donate one of two conditions had to exist. Either I would have to be symptom free for 14 days and then be tested again to make sure I was negative. This was toward the end of March when tests were not really available. The second option was that it would have been at least 28 days after I had been declared symptom free. She also sent me a form for my doctor to fill out and return as well as one for myself to fill out. Being that my doctor was not open for seeing patients, I had to get this form to him virtually. This was turning out to be a bit more of an adventure than I thought.
After much back and forth with forms I was cleared to donate. The scheduling department called and we set it up for the first Monday available. That is my day off from the Post Office and I decided it would be best in case I needed to recover. It was recommended I have someone drive me in case I had a bad time with the procedure. I had donated plasma once before and became light-headed. My mother, who donates blood regularly, volunteered to go with me. When we entered the building we were greeted by what I can only describe as a stern woman. She informed us we were not wearing masks. ( a fact we were already aware of) She looked dismayed and informed my mother she would either have to wait in the car or put on a mask. I was provided with one and told to wash my hands before signing in.
From there on the procedure was really a breeze. A young lady named Natalia took me to a room to get some vitals and answer some personal questions. Not only was this lady very high energy, she was extremely nice and helpful. The questions were designed to make sure I was able to donate. They were given on a touch screen and only took about 3 minutes. Once I was finished Natalia took me to the chair I was to donate my plasma in. Very comfy and in a slightly reclining position.
From here on out I was to be assisted by a wonderful young lady named Marie. I could not ask for a more perfect person to help me. Not only was she helpful and reassuring, but explained every thing that was going to transpire. I am not sure if she was aware how eager I am to know what things are happening to me in a situation like this, but it was very interesting to me. Marie explained that throughout the procedure blood would be taken out of me, the plasma spun out and the red blood cells and other material pumped back in. This was good to know as last time I donated it happened all at once. She explained what everything on screen meant. This included whether the machine was drawing blood from me or putting it back into me. Other information such as how much plasma had been donated, and long I had been there and how long was left to go. Having all of this information made the procedure a lot easier. As far as actually being hooked up to the machine, Marie took care of this flawlessly as well. The needle being stuck into my arm really didn’t hurt at all and was taped up and ready to go in what seemed like an incredibly quick amount of time. Roughly 40 minutes later I was good to go. Unlike the first time I donated, I felt ready to go as soon as the needle was out of my arm.
Some words of wisdom from our friends at Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin as relayed to me by Marie. Yes, you should come with a mask, although one will be supplied if you do not have one. The secret to donating and being ready is hydrating properly the day before. It also is advised to eat a good sized nutritional meal before hand. A few weeks prior, a coworker of mine was told his appointment to donate blood was canceled. I asked Marie about this and she informed me that due to elective surgeries being postponed or canceled, the need had dipped at that time. I inquired where the need stood now. I was informed that surgeries were starting to be scheduled once again and that they anticipated needing 900 units in the coming weeks. It goes without saying that if you are able to donate blood it is one of the greatest gifts that you can give to your fellow humans.
In conclusion, I wish to thank the wonderful folks at the Greenfield location of Versiti Blood Center for being so helpful and informative. The procedure was as close as you can get to being painless. Other than having to use the restroom from over hydrating before my arrival it was comfortable too. They had ESPN on the television and plenty of fun music playing in the background. I encourage everyone to seek out a location to donate if you are able. I ask you encourage friends to do the same. If you are someone who has recovered from coronavirus or COVID-19, please consider making a plasma donation. It is painless for you and each donation can help the lives of up to 3 critical patients.
As you can see I got this picture from a website I follow called Metal Motivation. I highly recommend you check them out. A lot of good material there. This photo brings to mind a good counter to fear – hard work. When I find myself in a situation that brings a fair deal of uncertainty to my life, I immediately get to work. Not in a crazy random fashion, but by taking steps to either address the fear, or at least improve myself and my situation. Tony Robbins once said “Progress equals happiness.” Not only is that true, but it does a hell of a number on fear too. Let us take a look at a few examples.
Today people have a great deal of fear about the coronavirus. While most of us cannot get to work on finding a cure or vaccine, we can get to work on improving our situation and ourselves. One of the best things we can do is work on our health and strengthening our immune system. Ways we can tackle this are making sure we do our best to maintain our physical fitness, eat healthy and make sure we are getting the proper nutrients. Although this will not make certain that we do not contract COVID-19, it will provide us with a better chance of making it through. Combine this with the recommended safety measures and you will take a great deal of fear out of the situation. After all, fear compromises your immune system.
Another situation many of us are rightfully concerned about is employment. Will our job be eliminated? Maybe it already has been and we are worried what happens when the unemployment runs out. As we wait for the world to reopen, and the economy to get back to fully operational there are many things we can do to put ourselves in a prime situation to thrive once it does. There are plenty of places offering free courses to help expand our knowledge base. If logging in to an online university is not your style there are plenty of free videos on YouTube to aid us in learning a new skill. Perhaps brushing up our resume and applying for new jobs is something we can put our time to use. Networking, making connections, exploring employment sites. Working hard on all of these things can give us a little more feeling of control.
Lastly, after spending some time in quarantine with our significant other, we may worry they might become disenfranchised with us. If this time together has you concerned about your relationship in any way, there is one solution. GET. TO. WORK. Yes, relationships are work, but that work pays some of the highest wages. Keeping the one you love happy will ensure that your castle remains a sanctuary and not a battlefield. There are many books, cds and even DVDs you can pick up to give you some pointers to improve your relationship. Still, with all of the media and online tools available, relationships are not ‘one size fits all’. That is why my main suggestion to anyone looking to help their spouse fall in love with them all over again, or even just to strengthen the love they already have is to listen. This may not sound glamorous, but it is a golden ticket when it comes to love. You can learn so much when you listen from a position of seeking to understand and learn. Perhaps you wife mentions loving fresh cut flowers, pick a fun and cheery bunch up on your way home. Maybe your husband mentions his favorite kind of beer…you are getting the idea. People will generally share their likes, dislike, wants and don’t wants if we just listen closely. Then there is the ultimate, the gift of truly being heard. Just pausing to listen without any other purpose than to let your partner be heard and understood.
Whatever element of your life you may be feeling fear in, combat it with a lot of hard work. It will offer you a feeling of control and you will end up a better person at the end of the day.
In case you missed it, or were unable to view it,below is a link to the news story on CBS 58. This story not only covers my recovery, but highlights the ability to donate antibodies.
I recommend checking it out. It is both interesting and informative. Thank you to Cearron for doing a great job. Thank you toy lovely Margie for her support and encouragement.
This is me holding a copy of my book during a video shoot for a position I am applying for. As you can see I am also wearing the amazing smiley face shirt that my lovely Margie bought for me. The attention to happiness is not only for the video I was shooting, but it is also because I believe my journey with coronavirus is almost at an end.
Tragically, I heard the news was not so good for a different local family. A young lady lost her battle with this virus. It really touches home when someone in your community loses their life to the very condition you also have. I am so grateful my symptoms did not develop into something more severe. As I forge ahead with finding out the details on where I go from here I will make sure to keep all of you posted.
The health department told me I would be cleared 3 days after displaying no symptoms. My primary care doctor has cleared me to go back to work on the 31st. It is strange that there is no actual test to clear you. Instead we are to rely on time elapsed since my symptoms were first shown (14 days) and since I last experienced them (3 days). I have also learned that 2 of the countries who displayed some of the lowest mortality rates with the virus (Germany and South Korea) have done so through extensive testing. On a personal level, I find that our country being one of the wealthiest in the world has no excuse for not having more tests available. It is my sincere hope that we have all learned something very valuable with this crisis.
On a professional level, I hope we have learned to take care of health care workers by making sure they have the right protective equipment and medicines they need to diagnose and treat those infected. In the same light, I hope we come to better appreciate the ‘essential’ workers such as grocery store employees, gas station workers, people involved in the shipping industry and others who still had to show up when others were at home. Next time we go out to eat or even just for a drink or cup of coffee I hope we leave a little extra tip for these folks whose income was eliminated when businesses shut down.
On a social level I hope we better appreciate the time we spend with friends. Going out for coffee with those you enjoy will become something you treasure instead of something you take for granted. Seeing the smile on a friend’s face in person and being able to give them a hug will feel more like a gift and less like something that happens every day. May we take the time to gather more often and relish those times more when we do.
On a personal level may we have come to discover, or rediscover the beauty and wonder of those we share our house with. Not only does this strengthen the bonds of our relationships, but it certainly beats being cast for a reboot of The Shining. In my quarantine with my beautiful Margie I have been reminded what an amazing cook she is. I have enjoyed some of the most tasty dishes as she helped me regain my strength. I also found so many different ways in which I find her beautiful to me. Just last night she demonstrated what talent she has at drawing. This is something she rarely has time for. Even the frustration of having to maintain ‘proper social distance’ from each other made us appreciate how much we enjoy each others touch.
I hope when we look back on this period of time years from now we remember the many things we learned. It is my sincere hope we also reflect on the appreciation it gave us for the many things, and people, that we might have taken for granted. It has taught me that even having a potentially deadly virus can be turned into the blessing of helping others if you approach it the right way.
Today’s post was scheduled to be about appreciating all of the things we took for granted before this coronavirus started. Can you imagine walking into a store and not having to worry about what was in stock? How much thought had we given to toilet paper before this? All of this will be touched on Monday.
Reason being I discovered that I, myself, have the coronavirus today. I want to share with you a sort of day to day production of what happened in hopes it will help put to rest a lot of fear that is out there. I will share with you my journey through this crazy condition. With that in mind I put on my Winnie-the-Pooh onsie and a mask and went to work typing this. So, sit back and I will tell my tale thus far.
The first thing people ask is usually “How did you get it?” If I knew that I would have chose not to get it I suppose. As far as I knew I was around nobody who had symptoms or who had traveled. Between the work at the Postal Service and being a DJ not to mention just being out and about I could have picked it up anywhere. What made me get checked was this. It began with sniffles, which actually went away quickly. It could’ve been part of it or not. Really not too sure. Then I began to feel run down. It is really important to stay rested and well so your immune system stays up. Something I should pay more attention to. Then on Monday I took out the garbage and was out of breath. It is like 20 feet from the house to the dumpster. I knew something wasn’t quite right. Being that I have asthma, I took my inhaler. This normally helps but only seemed to make things worse. I called the doctor who told me because of my bad heart and asthma I was too much of a risk to come in.
The next day was more of the same. A second call to the doctor yielded the same results. “Just stay home and see if you feel any better.” I was told. By then I had to call into work. I did so out of concern for my coworkers. If indeed I had anything I certainly wouldn’t want them to get it. Somehow our complex automated system of 25 questions you have to answer when you call in sick (because there is nothing one wants to day than shout “YES!” to an automated system when you are ill) scheduled me for having the following day off as well. I decided to take this as I was still not feeling better. I would feel tired walking from the kitchen to the living room. Finally my doctor gave in and told me to go to urgent care.
Arriving at urgent care I asked for a mask as I was instructed to do. Ironically, I was the only one in the waiting room with one on. When I finally was called back the nurse in what looked like a hazmat suit took my vitals. She was very nice and informed me everything looked good. No fever, blood pressure normal etc. Then I went for a x-ray on my chest. This was given by a lady with a face shield and other protective equipment. This also came back looking great. They were about to send me home when I mentioned I knew someone who had been to California. They seemed healthy but it was enough to give me the test.
Early this morning I was greeted with a phone call from my boss chastising me for making people nervous about me being sick. I never mentioned being tested for the virus but I guess a silly picture of me in a mask in the waiting room was a bit much for people. There was no wishes for a speedy recovery, just complaints that I shouldn’t make people nervous. This was followed in 30 minutes by a call from my doctor informing me I tested positive. I guess people had a right to know I was sick. I thought long and hard about how best to inform everyone I had been around without causing too much more panic. In the end I decided to post on social media.
Despite the misgivings of my boss, I felt this was the responsible thing to do. That way those who have come in contact with me could get tested if they had symptoms as well. I was truly thankful I had not returned to work after I had begun to feel under the weather. I received helpful information from my doctor as he was able to provide. I have also received many well-wishes from those I am friends with on social media which I am truly grateful for. On top of that, I am at home with my lovely Margie, the most beautiful woman on the planet to nurse me back to health.
I decided to share my journey here so all of you can know what it is like and perhaps I can help to remove some of the fear behind this virus. One very important note is that I have not had any digestive issues, so you can all stop buying so much toilet paper now. I did, however, purchase a water filter pitcher and am very thankful as you are supposed to consume a lot of liquids during this time. There will be daily posts to keep you up to date as to what I go through. If any of you have questions or may have gotten it yourself I welcome you to reach out in the comments below. We will all get through this together~ Keep your heads up my friends.
With all of the recent issues to become concerned about it is understandable that people are upset. There is the coronavirus, the stock market taking a tumble and even people running out buying more toilet paper than they will use in the next 6 months. A lot of this fear is fed by mass media. There are sensible precautions to take such as washing your hands, staying home if you feel sick and exercising some common sense. It is good to see major sports are taking precautions as well.
The trick is not to go from precautious to living in fear. If you are running low on toilet paper or even think you may need to spend 14 days at home, but enough for 4 weeks just to be safe. If you are feeling ill, call your doctor and tell them your symptoms. Remember the chances of us getting this terrible illness are slim. Even if you are unfortunate enough to contract such a condition, remember that fear and stress lower your immune system. It is best to confront any illness with a positive attitude and thoughts of healing while taking the necessary steps to heal. I have 2 conditions (asthma and a bad heart) that make me a person who could have problems. I am aware of that. I take precautions and live my life accordingly.
What about the financial fallout of this virus? Yes, stocks are falling. However, now is a good time to invest. Prices are low and as the formula goes – “buy low and sell high”. As Napoleon Hill once said, “Every adversity, every failure, and every heartache carries with it the seed of an equivalent or greater benefit.” Invest in toilet paper companies. Invest in airlines and the travel industry, their prices are also taking a hit. Most of all, look for opportunities to serve. When people are struggling it is when we can help the most.
When you turn on the television to hear how the sky is falling or some other crazed chicken little statement, turn off that television and remember to take care of your corner of the world. Feel free to look up such information as How to protect against the coronavirus. Then take those actions and know you have done the best you can do. Do not become part of any mass hysteria. Instead, take a calm, sensible approach to protecting yourself and others, look for ways you can help and remember to keep a positive outlook. We are all in this together and that is the only way we will make it out.
SECRET 2 AN AMAZING LIFE 