A few days ago, specifically the 17 March, celebrated my 60 anniversary in a somewhat special way. These anniversaries that end in zero ground celebrate them in a different way, I imagine like you.
My 40 anniversary was titled "40 tacos", and all the guests had to utter insults or profanity at the entrance to access the party. The 50 I celebrated them together with my wife: we did the party of the 100 Years, in style and in our own home.
But I think this year my hand went out of hand..
If you only have a minute, here's a video-summary:
We will always have Paris
Taking advantage of the fact that my daughter is finishing her studies in Paris, a month ago we bought plane and hotel tickets to celebrate that 60 family anniversary in the city of light. It just so happens (or not) that our marriage also took place on 17 March, so Paris was presented as the ideal place for a double celebration.
All arranged, my little girl had already found the perfect restaurant for that Thursday night 17 March, By the way, St. Patrick's Day, My 60 anniversary and 24 wedding anniversary... what could go wrong?
The Perfect Storm and the Anniversary
It's not always good to wonder what can go wrong, it's like calling bad weather... and this is what happened:
Sunday 13 March: I started noticing a rather annoying low back pain. In fact, I make collection of herniated discs, a cervical (Active) and another lumbar. Well, bad luck, it seems that the pain from the lumbar hernia was reactivated, adding to the cervical. Value, sopeso, and I see that the pain threshold is at 3 About 10. P'alante with Paris.
Monday 14 March: I realize that the low back pain has increased and I can't walk. This is serious.. I need crutches, I get them, but pain is limiting. Attempt to cancel flight and hotel. Goodbye, Paris.
Tuesday 15 March: cancelled planned consulting sessions, I don't have myself standing. At noon joins the previous pains an aggressive episode of fever preceded by strong chills and muscle spasms. At night it is repeated. It's time to go to the emergency room. They do analytical and blood culture. They send me back home prescribing painkillers.
Wednesday 16 March: Episodes of fever with tremors recur. I want to see my GP (internal medicine). He tells me that I have bacteremia and that I must be admitted to the emergency room of the YA Clinical Hospital. Income, 5 waiting hours. They stay with me.
Wednesday 17 March: I celebrate my 60 anniversary with 24-hour food and water fasting in an observation room, pending to be located when there is a room available. Something different from what I had foreseen in Paris, but in this life you have to accept what happens. It's time to resist. Late in the day, they get me a room in a hospital of the same group. The two ambulance toilets come to me to look for me. New problem: a bag where it was has disappeared, among other things, my Mac Book Pro. Happy Anniversary!… But, Jesus, to be finished soon.
Facing the new situation
I wake up after sleeping like a child on Thursday 18 in the new hospital. The doctor must have seen me very bad to administer Orfidal. Good news, my dear Berta, my favorite daughter, recovered the bag at dawn with the Mac Book.
Finally human breakfast! The transfer of toilets in my room is constant. A person comes to take temperature, pressure and saturation. Another to administer antibiotics intravenously, also analgesics and anti-inflammatories. Another to take out blood cultures to see the evolution of the bacteria with antibiotic treatment. Another to do a PCR. Another for new blood tests. Another to administer eparine. Other, in equipment for personal hygiene (some saints)…
The chief doctor who directs my case passes by every day to tell me news. The culprit is identified, a certain Staphylococcus Aerus, but it remains to be known what has been its gateway to my mountain body (if you've ever seen me in a swimsuit, you know I'm kidding).
Tests, what I love you for
For medicine to be science, needs evidence. And that's what the tests are for.. Eco-cardios, electro-cardiograms (Daily), lumbar magnetic resonance imaging, hip, cervical, abdominal tag, Pet-tac (this is a show), transesophageal echocardium, hip puncture and more to come.
The goal: find the origin of the focus and end it.
Morality, Up
As usual, there are good days and bad days in a hospital. But in Barcelona, I'm lucky that public hospitals like the one I'm in (Hospital Clínic) have the best and most advanced technology in the world: it's called empathy, Smiles, good vibes, complicity, communication of the good... herself call people Wonderful.
It is very easy to manage a disease with this bella combinazione between humanity, professional competence and technology. If one of them fails, everything collapses.
A few years ago I lived the oncological process of my wife in another hospital in Barcelona, that of Sant Pau. And I'm sure the human factor was key in the survival of Mary.
I am very lucky to have been born and to live in this great little city., and I thank God.
Coming out of the clinical closet
Since I was admitted, I have communicated my situation with my closest family circles, Friends, some colleagues and my clients. The funny thing is that more than one has insisted on making my situation public. And the one who has insisted the most has been my colleague and friend. Vladimir Estrada.
I call it "coming out of the clinical closet", and it is something uncommon, but given my status as a person present in public media, I decided to access and publish this post.
It had to be noted that I stopped making my one-minute video, or that my podcast has been written and edited by good friend Celestino Martínez or like today's, my good friend Ana Reyes.
One of the first reactions to open communication, in a school Whatsapp group (approx. 40 People) it has been that, after communicating my status, everyone has been communicating their "miseries". Including, prostate cancers, Carcinomas... Go, Go. When you come out of the clinical closet it creates a knock-on effect.. Good sign.
#CollaboratingWithGuillem The great luck of having real friends
The great Josep Pla distinguished between greeted, acquaintances and friends. In 2022 we could add the suffix "digital" to the three forms of relationship. Is it possible to have digital friends? I'm sure you are., let us think that for centuries there have been epistolary friendships, so it is possible and very likely.
My analog and digital friend, Dr. Vladimir Estrada, is a specialist in many subjects, and one of them is to roll it brown. And what if you have messed it up, you have created the hashtag #Collaborating WithGuillem.
It is an initiative by which some experts and friends agree to write a post on my blog during the weeks that I am convalescing. Of course, dealing with personal brand issues.
Vladimir is in charge of convincing those friends, coordinate the contents and send them to me, and I am in charge of uploading the contents to my blog, create author profiles and, at the insistence of the Doctor, make one-minute promotional videos (we'll see how I organize it to make that possible from a hospital room).
I can only give a huge thank you to Vladimir and the authors who will be publishing on my blog (for the time being, we keep the secret, but the bar, Believe me, is very high).
I also want to thank Celestino Martinez that has lent itself to putting the voice (and editing) of my podcast episodes, To Ana Reyes, that has put the voice of this content, and a few more people to come (Surprise, Surprise).
Already, And what about the rest 98 stupid ways to celebrate an anniversary?
I propose something: Has something out of the ordinary ever happened to you on an anniversary of yours?? Do you dare to share it? If so, I invite you to do so in the comments of this post, because if you do it on social networks I'm sure I miss half.
If I can gather 99 stupid ways to celebrate an anniversary, I promise to edit an ebook and publish it. At least, we will laugh.
I send you a gigantic hug!
Well and here you have an artisan podcast, with the voice of Ana Reyes and the editing of Celestino Martínez: In iVoox, Apple Podcast, Spotify And Google Podcast
Stock Photos from mapman / Shutterstock
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The best of 2022 and trends 2023 in Personal Branding
by Guillem Recolons
Convinced that everything leaves a mark, I help companies better connect with their stakeholders through personal branding programs (personal brand management) and employee advocacy (programs of branded internal ambassadors).
Socio of Soymimarca's Integra Personal Branding, Brand Directory of Omnia Branding, I also collaborate with Ponte en Valor, Brandergizers, MoreThanLaw, Noema Consulting and Quifer Consultores.
I participate in various programs at IESE, ISDI and EAE, among others. Collegiate advertising, Master in Marketing. Humanities Degree Student.
My advertising DNA comes from 20 years in agencies: Time/BBDO, J.W.T., Bassat Ogilvy, Saatchi & Saatchi, Altraforma and TVLowCost among others.
Hey, buddy. First things first, a beset. And go ahead, that you need a lot.
And then, my story.
The 16 August 2021 we already had the car loaded to enjoy our family holiday. Carlota, my young daughter, she got up regularly and the father took her to the emergency room while I finished closing suitcases...
... but we didn't leave. Positive in Covid and ten days of confinement.
We unpacked suitcases and made them again thirteen days later. Yes there was a holiday but...
It was a great few days in the Basque Country and France. And the day 6 we come back because the day 8 classes were already starting.
That day malucha got up again.. Swollen nodes. Fever. Recovid? No, the pcr came out negative. Carlota could not start classes. They decided to let us enter for security, because it was not known what was happening.
And thank goodness. Sunday 11 in September they took it down to the ICU and connected it to all possible machines.. Voltage of 7-3 and risk of coma.
The world came upon us. And without knowing what was happening. We spent ten days in the ICU for a post-covid multisystem syndrome in healthy children. An infection in the circulatory system that caused the rest of the organs to fall to lead.
Toilets and people with gowns of all colors saved our Charlotte and us, that we learned all at once that sometimes life has other plans even if we do not stop to think about it.
I told it in my networks to normalize the disease and above all, teaching: covid is not just covid. They are the sequels that come later.
We returned home just in time to celebrate his sister's birthday on 18 October. And that day we did party in style. We celebrated life.
The same will happen with you. You will return to Paris and it will be magical.
I send you a huge hug. Take care ❤️
You have left me in stone, Sandra. When it comes to children (and more if they are yours) sensitivity is multiplied by a thousand. There's like an unwritten law that tells us that children can't get sick.. Thanks for re-sharing, and I'm glad it ended well! A big hug to you and another to the prota, Carlota, the fighter!
Thank you Guillém for this post that I think is so necessary. I hope you have a good and prompt recovery.
Thank you also for inviting me to share my experience.
The past 11 july was fulfilled the 50 anniversary of the day my mother gave birth to my older brother and that same day he unexpectedly went to heaven.
Half an hour before he put me in his arms he told me: "May God give you heaven for this day that you have given me"
That was almost his last words., he left this world giving thanks, he became loving and since then my heart is divided between sorrow and gratitude..
The next day was his godson's birthday and the day of his burial was a Tuesday and 13. Dates that will remain forever in the memory.
A Guillem Hug, everything will pass!
Hello Mary. Yes, despite the sadness of the moment, I doubt your mother would have chosen a better place and day to leave this world. I guess if one day they ask me how I want to go, I would choose such a time, in the recollection of the home and next to my loved ones.
Receive a big hug and my thanks for sharing this story!
Hello, my dear friend and colleague Guillem!
This post “Sounds” to renew the way we humans have to say about ourselves and the facts that happen to us. A whole chronology, Detailed, Accurate, very well written, with the good humor and fine irony that define you. But in my opinion, it lacks something that obviously you won't say; but I do, and many of the friends who have known you long before me could say it., and have accompanied you in this and other processes. I speak of the enormous STRENGTH OF SOUL, of MIND and OTHER THINGS, what it takes to write like this about a process as hard as the one you have been and are still living through. Because that “such” staphilococcus aureus is and represents A TREMENDOUS PROBLEM: I know that individual a little bit.. And you're facing it like the big guys., Guillem: big. And so you will beat it, you will kick him “that” 99 Times, Pa’ that hurts you and does not try to return.
I ask God for blessings for you and your family, for those around you in the hospital, for those who are there near you, and of course not, for those of us who are here, also nearby, raising every day (like everyone) a prayer for you, and ensuring that the excellent level of your Sunday blogger work does not detract much during the weeks you will be in a white coat. It is an infinite honor to have the privilege of being in my name., at work, accompany you and enlighten you with the word FRIEND.
Magnificent summary, Guillem. Heal and return soon, but not too soon. Take your time. The rear is covered, and anyway, you are still participating, hahaha. A hug.
Hello Vladimir!
I like that “renovation”. The truth is that you encouraged me to share it and finally I asked myself the three questions of rigor 1- Will it contribute anything to someone?? 2. Will it bring anything to me?? 3. Will it hurt any sensitivity? And whenever I get a Yes + Yes + No, echo p'alante.
Thank you for attributing to me a strength of soul and mind that I am not so sure I possess., it is always comforting that it looks like this from the outside.
A very strong hug and thank you for participating in my digital home!
Go ahead Guillem that this exercise is a textual challenge. Rewrite in story those critical moments that sometimes end well, or sometimes end badly. I join it with a smile and an immersion in the memory of my great and disastrous moments..
Every anniversary fills me with pressure. Gift-giving is not my thing. I'm usually late, and is usually bad. Yes, I am one of those who after 3 decades of satisfactory relationship has not managed to fit correctly the thinking with time these things, observe, detect needs and get it right. Seen this way, which is how it comes out, it's pure marketing.
But there's no point in complaining., it's not something your partner can understand. There is no excuse for someone who usually gets it right and gives everything at key moments (FAQ, there are more and more, the calendar is full of them, splashing month by month your tranquility on these fronts).
The fact is that I remember that that year I was especially calm and focused. The convulsion of my life was just around the corner, but it hadn't reached it yet.
I used to celebrate December anniversaries with a European trip, a crazy getaway from 2 Or 3 days to idyllic destinations of old Europe.
That year I opted for Berlin. German food, German beer, and that city once commander of Europe, then razed and in the 80 revitalized with the music scene. With pop echoes, rock and punk, that sounded like Bowie to me, Iggy Pop and Fisher Z. The chosen destination, although cold to be December.
These were the first years of online ticket sales, but this time (you had already accumulated several errors in this management mode) and I decided to do it right, through the big door; with a travel agency.
I went with time, I explained it well, hotel neither expensive nor cheap, direct from Valencia . All calculated. There I went a few days before to pick up the tickets.
The day of the anniversary arrived and I took out my gift: a nice "HAPPY ANNIVERSARY" card, BERLIN AWAITS US. PREPARE THE SUITCASES THAT TOMORROW WE LEAVE". My wife's smile and surprised face was worth it..
The next morning early morning. Travel and airports stress me out a lot. Later it would be much worse, for this story was not the last of my BIG MISTAKES, (GUIDE ON HOW NOT TO PREPARE A TRIP). We entered the airport warm like bears and with our suitcases ready.
I approached the OUTPUTS panel. Did not appear in destinations BERLIN. "Nothing happens", I told my wife. "must be a mistake". I approached the person at the information desk and said:
– Good morning, there must be an error. I have a flight to Berlin at 09:00 and does not appear in the panel.
– Don't worry, he said Let me see it??
I showed it to him as proof. His face changed color, he looked at me from the bottom up and with some trembling in his voice (between laughter and pity) he told me the worst thing he could have told me:
– Forgive Lord, but this flight left yesterday. Look at your ticket.
Indeed the day was yesterday's. No way, not me, to my wife less.
My wife looked at me with a face that after so many years I still have not been able to decipher. He turned around, he sat on a bench and told me:
– Nothing happens honey. Do what you want but you and I will catch a plane wherever you want before 2 Hours. So you will see, I hope. You don't give me home.
And sitting she stayed.
In those moments you want to die, but it wouldn't help at all. You have to focus, take on the problem, search for solutions, make decisions, be imaginative, and above all not to lose your cool.
It was very early and the windows of travel agencies were closed, I knocked on all the doors and at the end one opened. An angel in the form of a zafata appeared to me and after telling me "nothing is wrong"., this is fixed.... For 500€ per person...."
I don't know how but that angel managed to get me on the plane and the charge never reached my card..
All the tension passed when arriving in Berlin. The memory of how little I care about, of how messy I am, that I don't look at anything... lasted several years. Over time, that morning of terror has become a memory attached to a smile.
What should never happen again? No, but it happened again.. and worse the following year, but that's another story.
Thank you Guillem, and to all those who accumulate disasters on their anniversaries. Those are never forgotten.
Hello Paul, as gloria Estefan's song says, "There is no evil that for good does not come". Despite the moments of stress, As you say, the memory is always left with a smile. Pablo, I see that we have many points of agreement. The theme of gifts has always been an ordeal for me., is a matter of deep stress. And I'm also clueless.. Thank you for your wonderful story, give your wife a hug from me and receive another you!