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The original was posted on /r/tifu by /u/Relaxocet on 2025-08-05 21:37:46+00:00.

Let me start by saying I am terrible at judging my own physical health. I never recognize the level of illness I suffer, partly because I am retired military and only the “sick, lame and lazy” seek medical treatment and the mindset that pain is a sign you are still alive,

I have a type of blood cancer called Amyloidosis. I have been under treatment for a year and a half and will be doing chemotherapy for the rest of my life. I am fortunate in that the biggest side effect I suffer is fatigue. I also have COPD which has never affected me, it seemed a remote worry.

I am considered immuno-compromised and am careful about washing my hands and lately I have been wearing a mask when I expect to be in proximity to crowds. I have never been overly cautious in general and am taken by surprise by illness. My cancer makes my blood produce too many proteins which then lodge in organs. In my case they are affecting my heart, specifically my left ventricle which is like a crusty old baseball mitt, thickened and cannot function as needed instead of being a flexible, smooth muscle.

The fuck up begins with having a three year old grandchild visit on Saturday, two weeks ago, she had quite an impressive cough which alarmed me for her, I didn’t think of how it may affect me. That very night, I awoke with post nasal drip and thought nothing much of it.

Over the course of the week I developed congestion, a cough and felt worse day by day. What is important was another granddaughter’s first birthday on the Friday following the visit I mentioned earlier, This birthday was a family event, I would have four children, their wives husbands and six grandchildren in attendance. Every one was camping together in a multi family site with its own beach.

It was extremely important for me to attend this event, Friday was the first birthday of Evelyn whose Mom is my step daughter. I have been in Mom’s life since she was 12 or so, and she had resisted allowing me to be the father I wanted to be to her, although I think we are over that. This made me determined however to attend her birthday, Her blood grandfather said he couldn’t get time off work to attend, but manages multiple trips to Disneyland, Vegas and Palm Springs yearly.

I live 12 hours and a ferry ride away from where the party was. Feeling like crap, I traveled with another of my daughters and had her drive the entire distance. She tells me now, she didn’t think I was going to be alive to make a return trip home. I thought I just needed rest,

We arrive Thursday evening, meet up with my wife who was on a business trip and travelling separately, She is alarmed at how I look, feel and breathe. I insist I’ll be fine. By Friday morning, 4 AM or so, I cry uncle and consent to going to the ER.

They admit me, start me on IV antibiotics. Over the weekend I begin to feel better, I am wearing a monitor with six leads tracking my heart, getting an EKG twice a day, blood tests twice a day, had a chest x-ray.

Then Afib (atrial fibrillation) begins. Monday morning the doctors decide to do a cardioversion on me. I had never heard of this, they put you out and use electrical shock to stop the fibrillation. Sweet Propofol slumber ensues while they do the procedure. I go under while they apply a mask to my face. At some point they put an airway in my mouth, I awake, tasting blood with an ice pack on my lips.

My skin is fragile, I bruise easily. When they removed the airway, both my upper and lower lips were torn, I ingested and inhaled blood. So for the next four days I hack out clots of blood, first bright red, then darker red, gradually going to brown and then to normal phlegm colour. I of course am not going to be released from the hospital, which was the original plan.

Finally Tuesday I convince the doctors to release me in time to get a ferry home that won’t put me arriving at midnight.

Bottom line is I was so determined to attend this birthday I might have risked my life to do it. I spent four days in the hospital instead of celebrating with my children, their spouses and my grandchildren.

TL;DR: Ignoring good judgement possessed by the majority of humankind, I travelled to attend a party and instead spent four days in hospital while my loved ones thought I was dying.