Going to the emergency room is never fun. In fact, it's scary as hell, but on Thursday I came face to face with it once again.
That morning, I had passed out and was having extreme chest pains, something that concerned both me and my loved ones, so I was taken to the emergency room to see what was wrong.
When admitted, I was forced to witness the stresses and sicknesses of others in addition to my own worries, but I soon realized that what I was going through wasn't nearly as bad as what others had to go through that day.
Between getting tests run on me and my body, I saw the distraught faces of other family members waiting for their mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters to be released. I saw them wide-eyed and worried, hoping that nothing was too terribly wrong—hoping that they would hear good news rather than bad. I saw so many faces that day—faces that were tired and possibly fighting sleep from hours before I had arrived.
And that's when it hit me, how lucky I was to be in the position I was in. Yes, I felt terribly sick, and I was worried myself that I would be given bad news, but I didn't have to worry about where I would get the money from to pay for my tests because I was fortunate enough to have health insurance—something that not everyone can afford.
Sitting in my bed, after being released with test results that came back 100% normal, I was forced to think about my experience in depth. I was fortunate beyond measure. Not only was I fortunate to be healthy, but I was fortunate to get treated without worrying about how I would pay for it.
Of the many faces I saw Thursday morning through afternoon, I know that not all of them received the same good news that I did. Some of them may have had extra weight on their shoulders because they didn't know how they would pay for their treatments, and more than that, some of the people I saw that day could have been fighting for their lives.
Spending 10 hours in the ER taught me to be more grateful for the life I have.
It taught me to not take anything for granted, especially my being fortunate enough to have health insurance. And most of all, it taught me to never go a day without telling those who are close to me how much I love and appreciate them, whether it be friends or family.
It's easy to take things for granted, but we only have one life to live, so we need to live a life of gratitude and appreciation because we never know when our last day may be.
