Hey, he’s like, just this guy, you know?
Ronald Reagan was President for 8 years.
At the time the doc said they could do a laminectomy, which is removing some of the spine material to prevent the spinal cord from being crushed. But it’s expensive, would require I be off work for 6 weeks, and wouldn’t be super effective.
So I told him “Ok, pretend we did that, because pretending doesn’t cost anything, not super effective, still in pain, now what?”
“Well, we can do cortizone shots into your spine…”
“Gee, that sounds pleasant, but I’ve heard you can only have so many of those and you’re done, you can’t have anymore. I’ve got, maybe, what another 40 years? Let’s not burn all the cortizone shots now… What’s next?”
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ “Vicodin?”
Feb. 2008 my spine tried to kill me. Lower lumbar spinal stenosis.
Did a bunch of stuff, winded up on vicodin. At my peak, just to function as a normal human being, I was taking 10 a day.
2 when I woke up.
2 when I got to work.
2 at lunchtime.
2 when I got home.
2 to be able to sleep.
For a year, it felt like my head was stuffed with cotton.
I got tired of not being able to think so I stopped the vicodin, managing the pain with stretching, breathing exercises, and meditation.
The pain never left, but I could “distance” it, like shouting from the house across the street.
I would not wish stenosis pain on my worst enemy.
Kind of sad if you think about it… After my heart attack and open heart surgery, I had considered setting up a bot to randomly send an /r/aww or /r/funny link to my wife every day after I die. Glad I didn’t now. :(
Quick reminder about the rules around wishing death and destruction on people.
Don’t make me tap the sign.
That being said, yes, McConnell is one of the key architects of how dysfunctional our system of government has become. From using the filibuster more times during the Obama administration than all prior administrations COMBINED, to blocking a legitimately named Supreme Court Justice, not by allowing him a fair vote, but by denying him a hearing AT ALL.
BUT…
Now hear me out… BUT…
He does have three daughters, Porter, is actually an activist:
https://www.thelist.com/257172/the-truth-about-mitch-mcconnells-daughter-porter/
You can make fun of the guy, you can hate the guy, but before you wish death on the guy, take just a moment to consider his family and how they must feel watching him break down like this live on camera, not once, but twice.