According to my M.D., on or around this date, my liver was supposed to begin failing as a result of the damage I was doing to it. This would be the first day of a two to three year long sentence of in-patient care. Testing, waiting and dying. That about summed up the rest of my life, beginning today.

But, I decided to change my life style, per his advice and instruction, and today my liver is 100% healthy.

Sounds easy when you say that out loud. But, let me tell you, it hasn’t been easy at all. And, I took the easy route to a healthy life style. Prescription anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medicine, regular counseling and a complete change of my daily routine. That is the “easy way” to give up booze, stress and the rest of the flotsam and jetsam that follow one down the whirlpool to rock bottom.

I have great respect for those that chose the more difficult paths such as cold turkey, Alcoholics Anonymous and Prison. Yeah, prison is actually an option people pro-actively to choose in order to clean up their act. As a matter of fact, all of the above are the only options for people with no money and no health insurance. This is something that many people who oppose a generous health care reform seem to over look. There are people out there not working because they are sick. Mentally and physically. And, the only medicine they can afford to dull the pain of their disease is the poison that causes it. Drugs and/or alcohol.

Anyways, today was the day I was supposed to start dying. Two to five years in a hospital if I was “lucky”. Since alcoholics and drug abusers are last on the list for donor livers, and transplants rarely succeed with patients who have done damage directly to themselves; I was going to die in two to five years. No miracle cures. No lucky breaks. Just inevitable death. And plenty of health care bills for my fiance and family to be burdened with after I’m gone.

So, today I woke up and thought to myself, “Today is the first day of my second chance on life”.

I’ve got a great life right now. And, I haven’t taken a single thing for granted since the day I left my doctors’ office determined to change everything. I no longer have a reason to avoid responsibility or conflict. Everything I do in my life is for me, my Jenny, my family and my friends. And what ever is left over I share with those I have not yet met.

I’m still a real asshole. But, that is just one of the things that make me interesting.

Until next time…

Put your faith in to yourself as well as your ideals. If there isn’t enough to go around, give up the religion and make more room for your own dreams and ambitions. Life has enough rules enforced by Man and Nature to abide by. Why weigh yourself down with more rules written by men over 2000 years ago?

- Christopher “SpyderBite” Whalen

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