Back in March I suffered a devastating injury and was rushed to the hospital for emergency open heart surgery. Since then I’ve spent every waking hour working my way back to you folks. Hi.
As our Editor-In-Chief documented in an April post filled with comments I cannot read without tearing up, on March 22 I experienced an aortic dissection, a relatively rare injury in which the aortic wall splits, allowing blood to go where it shouldn’t.
It’s caused by high blood pressure (which I am taking care of now), smoking (which I’ve quit) and genetics. It’s the same thing that killed my biological father 20 years ago. It could very well have killed me, but I still function.
Complications from the event have left me paralysed from the chest down, but I have an awesome electric wheelchair and have started financing a special ramp-equipped van. I like to pretend my transforming cog has been lost and I am stuck in vehicle mode.
There are many reasons I am alive today. My family was extremely supportive through my months of treatment. My wife, Emily, is the strongest woman I’ve ever known, taking care of our twin seven year olds and me at the same time.
My coworkers rallied for me time and time again, keeping my spirits up as I celebrated my 45th birthday in the intensive care unit at Kennestone Hospital, unable to eat solid food or even speak (I wish we could share the happy birthday video, it was glorious).
And then there’s you, our readers. Your encouragement and well-wishes in comments and on Twitter filled me with joy during times I didn’t have much to be joyous about. Generous donations to the GoFundme set up by one of my wife’s friends allowed me to focus on recovery without worrying about Emily and the kids being able to eat and pay bills. You people are amazing, and I love you all.
So, where were we? Hatsune Miku? Digimon Plushies? What’s that, there’s a new World of Warcraft expansion coming out? Well then, it’s time to get to work.
Comments
19 responses to “I’m Back”
Welcome back champ. Place hasn’t been the same without you
What about all the weird Oreo flavours? how will we know that they are disgusting or not? Welcone back
The more Hatsune Miku representation the better Mike!
Welcome back mate!!!!!
Bloody great news to hear you’re up and about. The relief for you and your family would be indescribable.
…I blame the Switch cartridge taste tests 😛
Welcome back! Sorry to hear about your paralysation but it sounds like you have a fantastic support network. I wish you and your family well.
Oh man… That’s brutal. As a dissenter of dance/anime/snack related posts, let me say “welcome back!”
Glad to hear you had such a devoted support network. Here’s to them and you.
Good to see you well again!
Welcome Back Mike! please take care of yourself!
Welcome back sir! An amazing story – great to hear you are well. Looking forward to you telling it like it is for all in the gaming world…. Now get to work!
Welcome back dude.
This is awesome news and I love that you worked in a Transformers ’86 reference also!
Welcome back Mike. Good to see you’ve pulled through everything. Look forward to reading more of your content in future.
Very happy to see you back with us, mate.
Welcome back dude, sounds like a bloody rough go of it but so glad you can keep going and do what you love!
welcome back! Good to see you’ve pulled
Welcome back Mike, great to see you back.
I do believe I read you were in the middle of a Sea of Thieves review at the time. Ever finish it? The review that is, not the game. You’d have finished that in inside of an hour…
WELCOME BACK and so sorry to hear what has happened. I hope that you have many happy memories to come and looking forward to reading anything digimon related 😀
Injury?
Welcome back.
Just take it easy and don’t push yourself. Your wife and kids need you more than Kotaku does.
Wishing you all the best for a steady recovery, mate. And compliments to Emily, she sounds like a keeper.