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The Overdue Mortality Check I Desperately Needed

One friend’s near death experience was a clear dose of reality.

Vanessa Torre
5 min readOct 23, 2019
Photo by Aron Visuals via Unsplash

A week ago, I was sitting on a sunny patio enjoying a margarita with my friend Rhonda. She is one of the truest friends I have ever known. Today, I brought a week’s worth of meals to her house for her family to tide them over while she recovers in the ICU after suffering from a brain aneurysm.

Saturday morning, her fiance found her balled up in the corner of the bedroom, holding the back of her head, rocking herself and crying. Shortly before the paramedics arrived, she lost consciousness.

I was devastated and anxiety stricken for two days as we awaited updates on her condition and the six hour long surgery she underwent. Relief came with every amazing and hope soaked update. Then, somewhere in the middle of making a huge batch of Italian Wedding Soup on Sunday, a horrible thought crossed my mind.

I live alone without a partner. My daughter is only here half the time. Of the time she’s with me she has sports, friends and an active social life. In a few years, she’ll head to college.

If this happened to me, there are high odds no one would know. I would be gone. I’m not ready for that.

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Vanessa Torre
Vanessa Torre

Written by Vanessa Torre

Top 10 feminist writer. Writing, coaching, and relentlessly hyping women in midilfe. linktr.ee/Vanessaltorre Email: vanessa@vanessatorre.com

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