“The children,” I whispered.
“What children?”
“Two little girls. One had a pink backpack.”
The nurse explained that a passerby had called emergency services after I collapsed in the park. The paramedics had treated me before bringing me to the hospital, where the medical team had continued my care.
I had experienced a serious cardiac event. My condition required further evaluation, treatment, and a period of recovery.
The doctor who examined me was direct. I had been fortunate that someone recognized I needed urgent help. I could not assume that I would recover quickly, and I needed to follow my treatment plan rather than return immediately to my usual schedule.
I listened carefully.
I had spent years studying risk in business. I knew how to calculate losses, anticipate market changes, and prepare for difficult negotiations. Yet I had treated my own health as something that could always wait until the next meeting was finished.
