One Year

1 Year
366 Days (Leap Year)
8,784 Hours
527,040 Minutes
31,622,400 Heartbeats

My pacer is officially 1 year old. It’s been with me through a job change, a relocation, a bunch of dates, and more miles on the road than I can count. In fact, I probably trained more miles last year than I have in the previous 4 years combined.

I’m amazingly thankful for this "new life" that’s been given to me. I was handed lemons for a heart, and trying to make the best damn lemonade I can. The technology certainly helps, and I’m amazed by it on a daily basis. My new job in the medical device field only helps to reaffirm my utmost faith in the technology. A big thanks to all those engineers who have come before me.
I look back a my first few weeks after the surgery, and I see how far I’ve come since then. Using Chop Sticks is no longer a problem. Running longer than a mile is a daily occurrence. And yes, my sex life has definitely improved. :) But, even with all the changes I’ve gone through, all the experiences I’ve had, I still think about my pacer on a daily, if not hourly basis. Yeah, some days I forget it’s there, but more often then not it’s in the back of my mind. I can feel it when I sleep on my left side, I can see the scar in the mirror, and I still take a step back when I use the microwave. It’s a part of me. It’s a small metal chunk that resides in my upper chest, and it’s pretty obvious when you run you hands over it. But, I can’t imagine being here without it... I sleep soundly at night and I no longer feel the bed shake with every heartbeat. It’s put me at peace, and I’ve never felt more relaxed.

My pacer doesn’t define me. I try not to bring up the subject, but it seems like everyone wants to know about it, or my health issues, or whatever. I’m just a guy, a brother, a son, an engineer, an athlete... and hopefully some day a husband and father. None of this would be possible without my pacer, and for that, I am forever grateful. From an old Nissan commercial, "Life is a journey, enjoy the ride." Last year was 31+ Million heartbeats, here’s to the next couple Billion to come. Enjoy life!
BEN