January 1, 2026: The Almost Goodbye

On this day, 26 years ago, I almost died.

The night before, I didn’t feel well. Little red spots appeared on my body. I went to bed thinking about a doctor appointment the next day.

But that’s the last I remember.

In the middle of the night, Jess found me on the floor, shivering and confused. A hot shower was on, and the oven door stood open. She called an ambulance.

Over the next few days, while I lay in a coma, the medical staff told my family to say goodbye.

I had come down with meningococcal spinal meningitis. Basically, flu on steroids. A severe bacterial infection, leading to inflammation of the membranes around the brain and spinal cord.

When someone contracts meningitis, they usually face two outcomes: amputation or death. Yeah, not good. And I was on track to becoming a statistic because tests showed no brain activity (insert your joke here).

To make things worse, Jess was six months pregnant with McKenzie.

But friends started praying, and a miracle happened. I woke up almost a week later.

My first groggy thought was, “Why is everyone dressed like NASA astronauts?” Folks needed hazmat-level protection just to enter my room.

On the 8th day, I walked out of the hospital. From there, it took about a year to regain my full weight and strength.

So… that’s what I think about on January 1st.

Happy New Year. Stay safe out there.