My name is Thomas Thibeault and I am a Division I lacrosse player. One day I went to the gym with my sister to time her sprints, we were both training for the season ahead. I decided to get an easy run in myself. After a couple 300′s I began to feel very tired and very weak. My trainer walked by and said, “Dude, you don’t look so good”. I told him I was fine and that I had been feeling ill the last few days.
To say that I was feeling ill was a huge understatement. I had been having trouble breathing and was coughing non stop. I could hardly even lay on my back. I was also having other issues, for example after a work out one day I could not see out of my right eye for several minutes. Later that day, I had to pick a friend up at the airport and totally forgot where I had parked.
I continued to run and all of the sudden I collapsed. My sister ran for help. A trainer had to smack me to wake me up.
I was rushed to the hospital and I had to undergo a 7 hour surgery. I now have a mechanical valve and am doing okay. I struggle with depression sometimes and I often worry about my health.
The hardest part is that I can no longer play lacrosse. My greatest passion, a passion that has been my life since I was in second grade. I have learned to appreciate my teammates and my family more than ever as I go through this tough recovery.
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