what goes up high comes down hard

brooklyn hospital

as soon as my plane from london landed at jfk, a great sense of excitement and energy filled the body. i had again witnessed a different world for 4 and a half days. i was a changed man. a man on a mission. not to mention a man with the remnants of some british accent which lasted for 2 days. screwed up the brain that trip. i was acting like a man possessed, feeling as though there were no second of life to waste. once i got home, gave the people i stayed with in london the message that i had gotten back safely. then with utter disregard to jetlag, hopped on the bike, off to get my 4 rolls of holiday film processed. to make things even much better, checking my email gives me the great news that my green card application has been approved. gives myself an added extra high (not that the alcohol and cigar fumes weren't enough to make me float in cloud 9).

the morning after the return was no different. i was up early. quick shower. then without the usual second thoughts, hopped on my bike. it was as though the decision was made by itself. i was biking to work. in the office, i was a madman sharing my adventures. did not spare even the most inappropriate ones, and with a funny accent at that. like the fact that i shit in the niarchos home, one of the most expensive homes in london, twice. in the span of 10 minutes. by afternoon, i was at the gym trying to get the blood flowing back. the next morning, i was at the medical center, giving blood to get some medical tests done as part of my green card application. by afternoon, i was back on the wine in the office. back from the trip, i was on auto-pilot. running from one inspiration to the next. one instance to prove (to myself) that ive changed to the next. one errand to the next. one good thing to another.

the lights from ground zero

and then i got sick. between the jetlag, lack of sleep, blood i had to give for medical tests and that last cuban in the balcony, my body had shut down. i still did go to work though, but one afternoon, wednesday the 10th, my body had had enough. no big collapse though so no worries. i just thought i had to go home and rest. well actually, still on madman mode, i decided to head straight to the brooklyn hospital to get myself 2 vaccines (that i needed for my greencard application). which served the double purpose as well of getting myself checked (the very very first time ive really seen a doctor in my 6 years here). as though i werent in a bad enough state, they took more blood for testing, and apparently getting vaccinated leaves you all the more aching. but i rested myself that night. took my tylenol every 4 hours.

by the next morning, september 11th, i was at least up to 80% again. by nighttime i fluctuated from getting chills to feeling better (coz of tylenol). which was good coz i had met up with 2 filipino friends for dinner and desserts. by dinner's end, whether because of the company of familiar faces or those 2 lights that shone in the sky (as a reminder of that fateful day 7 years again), i felt so much alive again.

i no longer run like a possessed person. the illness definitely forced me to slow down and get settled back in. BUT thankfully, what the temporary setback did not take away is the will to push myself further. saturday, i booked myself the flight to san francisco where i'll be spending a week and new year's eve in. sunday, i got back to my capoeira classes and realized ive gotten a bit better at it. monday, though i had to stay late in the office, pushed myself to not miss my spinning class, sweat buckets and pedal through already sore legs. and today, biked back to brooklyn hospital, to get the results from my blood test. all my kidney, liver, cholesterol levels are in healthy form. but it turns out, i did have some viral infection last week. the doctor was supposed to give me some antibiotics but since im a-OK already, decided that there isn't any use for it.

all is well then. at least, for now. coz we all know things will even be better.