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<\/p>\nI’m back with Part 3. \u00a0At this point in the story, things start to get REALLY interesting…….\u00a0 Before I delve into the rest of the story, \u00a0I need to give you some history about myself. \u00a0First of all, up until this point in my life, \u00a0I was hardly ever sick. \u00a0I never broke a bone. \u00a0I never had to stay in a hospital. \u00a0I went to the gym regularly. \u00a0I didn’t even have health insurance up until this point in the story. \u00a0I didn’t see any need for it. \u00a0I was healthy and feeling fine (except for all the laughing……)<\/p>\n
Like I wrote earlier, I took a job during the day to make some extra money at a convenient store. \u00a0I had worked for this chain of stores back when I was in college at Berklee so I could pay my rent and eat at the finest Boston food establishments………..McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy’s, KFC, Riley’s Roast Beef, etc………. \u00a0I ended up quitting a few years after college because I had a gun stuck in my face a few too many times while I was being robbed and decided I would rather just go back to being a full-time musician (those stories are for another time).<\/p>\n
I was a full-time musician for a couple years but as I was thinking about getting married, I thought it would be a good idea to go back to work for this chain of stores as a store manager.\u00a0 A little bit later, they asked me if I wanted health insurance……..I said sure. \u00a0I didn’t really feel I needed it because I never got sick but…………why not? \u00a0 Better safe than sorry.\u00a0 I signed up for health insurance. \u00a0Looking back later, I realized this would prove to be one of the wisest decisions of my life.<\/p>\n
Back to the story………, I remember playing basketball with some friends of mine. \u00a0We were playing hard and I was sweating and really thirsty so I went into the house to get a glass of water. \u00a0I went to drink the water and it went half way down my throat and just stopped.\u00a0 If you’re a guy, you know the feeling of swallowing and your adam’s apple moves up and down.\u00a0 It happens automatically.\u00a0 (If you put your hand on it now and swallow you can feel it move.)\u00a0 In this one instance, it felt like the water got to that point in my throat and then my adam’s apple wouldn’t move. \u00a0I remember just standing there next to the sink with water stuck in my throat and trying to will myself to finish swallowing.\u00a0 The water was stuck half way down my throat!\u00a0 As a few seconds went by, and I started to panic,\u00a0 something clicked and I was able to swallow.\u00a0 I thought,\u00a0 “That was weird” and went back outside to continue playing\u00a0 basketball with my friends. \u00a0This swallowing thing occurred sporadically after this first incident but every time it happened I would think “That’s weird” and then just go on with what I was doing.<\/p>\n
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1995 Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park<\/strong><\/p>\n The next memorable moment in the story that I remember is going to a Boston Redsox game at Fenway Park.\u00a0 I was in the stands watching the game and I had to go to the bathroom very badly! (Yes, I had a number of beers).\u00a0 So I ran down to the men’s bathroom and stood in line behind a ton of guys feeling the same way I did (I could tell because we were all bouncing back and forth from foot to foot in line). \u00a0I finally get inside the restroom to the urinals and they were the kind made for mass urinaling (I know, that isn’t a word).\u00a0 The urinal was long and looked like one of those things at the farm that a hundred cows walk up to to eat their grain.<\/p>\n These are the type of urinals that are hard to use while laughing hysterically….<\/strong><\/p>\n At this point, my laughing starts kicking in. \u00a0All these Red Sox guys who have had way too many beers are all standing in a row in front of this huge urinal doing their business and I start cracking up laughing. \u00a0I remember a bunch of them looking over at me wondering what the heck I was laughing at. It was slightly awkward.\u00a0 Ok scratch that……very awkward!<\/p>\n Looking back, I can imagine that a number of them might have thought I was laughing at something of theirs that was exposed at the moment………Yes, I know…….very very awkward!\u00a0 Anyways, I try going to the \u00a0bathroom because I really have to go and………..nothing happens! \u00a0I’m just standing there waiting. \u00a0I really have to go and my brain is telling my body to go but nothing what-so-ever is happening. \u00a0I’m just standing there laughing so hard that I’m shaking and wondering what’s going on.<\/p>\n By this point, I needed to reassess my situation. \u00a0I do some quick calculations in my head……….1.) I’m standing next to all these rather large sports guys who have had way too much to drink. \u00a02.) I’m laughing uncontrollably so my whole body is shaking really badly. \u00a03.) I’m holding a specific part of my body while not doing what I am suppose to be doing with it. \u00a04.) These rather large drunk guys are starting to look over at me like maybe a solution to my problems would be a good punch in the face. \u00a0 After adding these factors together I decide on another course of action. \u00a0I decide I need to make a retreat and head for a private stall.<\/p>\n I get in the stall, lock the door and then let all my laughter come out.\u00a0 \u00a0 In front of the urinal, I was really trying to hold it in.\u00a0 I wasn’t doing a good job but I was trying.\u00a0 In the stall, I couldn’t hold it in any longer.\u00a0 I just burst out laughing loudly.\u00a0 One can only imagine what all the Red Sox guys were thinking outside the stall.<\/p>\n Finally, after a couple of minutes, I settle down and try to go to the bathroom again.\u00a0 I still have to go really really bad. \u00a0This time it is similar to the swallowing episode. \u00a0I try to go but nothing happens.\u00a0 After about 10 seconds or so something clicks and the flood gates are opened! \u00a0 I was so relieved! (physically and mentally).\u00a0\u00a0 I go back out to my seat and enjoy the rest of the game without mentioning a word to my friends.\u00a0 It wasn’t really a story I wanted to share at that time.<\/p>\n Now you would think that after these two experiences, a normal person would go see a doctor. \u00a0Well, I didn’t. \u00a0I hadn’t been to the doctor since I was a teenager living at home.\u00a0 To be honest, the thought didn’t even cross my mind. \u00a0I remember thinking\u00a0\u00a0 “I need to drink less coffee!’\u00a0 “I need to eat more vegetables!” \u00a0“I need to exercise more!”\u00a0 “I’m too stressed out!” \u00a0\u00a0 At no point do I remember thinking\u00a0 “I should go to the doctor”.<\/p>\n After the Redsox game, \u00a0 I had problems going to the bathroom for the next few months.\u00a0 It wasn’t all the time but sporadically like the swallowing thing.\u00a0 I never had the problem at home at first but\u00a0 always in public restrooms. \u00a0If anyone else was in the restroom then I couldn’t go. \u00a0Even if I was in a stall and about to go,\u00a0 if someone walked in to the bathroom then I couldn’t go. \u00a0I would have to wait until they left and then finish my business.\u00a0 I remember talking to some people about this back then and learning that this can be related to a social anxiety disorder.\u00a0 “Great” I thought “that’s all I need……”<\/p>\n Later on, I remember having issues at home also.\u00a0 I would get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom.\u00a0 I would stumble sleepily down the hall to the bathroom and on arriving at the toilet,\u00a0 I would just stand there for 10 to 15 seconds waiting.\u00a0 It would eventually happen but only after I stood there for awhile.<\/p>\n I had heard that not being able to go to the bathroom in public was something some people go through and that it could be a psychological thing so I brought it up to my psychologist who I was seeing for the laughing problem. \u00a0I can’t remember what he said but this problem being tied to the fact that my Dad never cried seemed far fetched to me. \u00a0I was beginning to wonder if something else was going on here.<\/p>\n Around this time, I remember being\u00a0 fired from the music gig I had. \u00a0I wasn’t specifically fired but I remember the band leader telling me that if I wanted to take some of the gigs off \u00a0(I think he meant most of the gigs or all of the gigs) then he had another player that could do them for me. \u00a0I’m pretty sure he was getting pretty sick of me not finishing my solos and laughing continuously on the gigs.\u00a0 Not to mention the times he would count off a tune and I wouldn’t play the melody because I started laughing. \u00a0 There are probably even wedding photos out there with the bride and groom or best man giving a speech with me behind them cracking up. \u00a0 Anyways, the gigs pretty much dried up at that point.\u00a0 Luckily, I was managing the convenient store full-time so I had an income and health insurance at this time.\u00a0 Losing the gig was rough but I would get another gig……………(IF I COULD EVER STOP LAUGHING!)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.neffmusic.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Urinals.jpg\")
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