That part stuck with me, because in the last couple years I’ve known multiple people who died or nearly died because their symptoms were dismissed by medical professionals who assumed they knew what was going on. It’s disturbing to wonder just how many deaths each year can be directly attributed to doctors who form an…

A couple years ago a friend came to visit me in New York, and as the next to last day of her trip progressed, she felt worse and worse. We wound up going back to my apartment fairly early, and she was sick all night. She hadn’t had anything to drink, because she’d felt off all day. When she was still feeling awful the…

Thank you so much for this. I recently became disabled (within the last 2 years) and while I’ve been dealing with some debilitating chronic health issues all my adult life, suddenly losing the ability to walk unassisted and do little things like meet a friend for coffee, take myself to an appointment, or buy groceries…

Make a habit of it. Some of the comments are pure gold.

You didn’t have to do any of this for The Internet, and I’m sure you know that full well, but I hope writing this helped you in some small way. Glad you’ve made it back (mostly), and hope you continue to get better. This certainly was another reminder for me to treat life better. Godspeed.

Believe me when I say I sympathize. Back in August 2017 I went in to have a small growth taken off the nerves by my right ear—they’d irradiated it three years earlier but the bastard continued to grow. They got about 99 percent out and to their delight I was actually up and about in two days. Things looked good.

I was diagnosed with cancer at the end of February, had surgery in March, and am now basically back to normal. Reading this was scarier than dealing with my own shit and as odd as it sounds since we don’t know each other, I was so worried about you while you were gone, I questioned my own sanity.

I’m glad you’re okay, Drew. Thank you for sharing your story. I went through a vaguely similar situation with my husband. He had prostate cancer that spread to his brain (very rare). We found out it had spread when, one bright, cheery Saturday morning in January, he had a seizure, which is terrifying to witness, by…

Glad you’re doing well. Brain injuries are terrible and terrifying.

Like hundreds of other readers, I was worried about you to the point of being mildly embarrassed; we are total strangers. I’m glad you’re ok.

This is just spectacular.  I rarely scroll this far down, but I am so glad I chose to eat at my desk today and take a five-minute break. This is a work of art, and it will soon take its rightful place at the very, very top of this otherwise refreshingly warm and heartfelt kinja.

When I walked through the door after more than a month away, my dog—who had no idea what happened to me and no idea if I would ever come back—was shaking with joy. I sat down and he immediately leapt into my lap, like he’d been waiting a lifetime to do it.

Oh man, I’m reading this and the tears are coming down. So glad you’ve made it, I’ve enjoyed your writing since you came to Deadspin. As a wife and mother of 2, during your ordeal I was worried sick about your family. I put myself in your wife’s shoes and a chill would run down my spine every time.

Many years ago, during a hockey game, I was a 14-year-old idiot on ice skates. I took my eyes off the puck for a moment. My coaches always told me to never do that- as a goalie, they kind of want you to know what’s going on with that thing. But I did- it was to see where a particularly problematic opposing winger was…

Not going to belabor things, just glad to hear you’re back on your feet. I too had a brush with death many years ago as the result of a nasty case of meningitis that probably came within 6 hours of killing me, and I suffered some not terribly dissimilar lasting effects because of it. Things will never be the same, and…

What a fantastic piece, and thank you for sharing it. To echo everyone else, you don’t know us, but because of your writing we know and care about you.

Get well Drew.

You were kind enough to answer some written questions for my book club who read “The Hike.” You’re a busy guy and by no means had to do that. That was one of the best book club nights we’d ever had. We still talk about it. And it was totally thanks to your kindness to a bunch of dopes that live a continent-span away…

Can we all share near death experiences? Cool.

Drew, we have a hell of a lot in common my friend. I am glad your journey through the dark has as happy an ending as my journey did. It’s worse for the witnesses... our wives, friends, children, and extended family. Much worse.