Pat Lovell & The Roller Coaster that was 2009
If the year 2009 was a roller coaster, I spent everyday at an amusement park! 2009 was the best and the worst year I’ve ever experienced both personally and professionally.
We live in a Internet world that is very transparent, your entire life is public and it’s very hard to keep a low profile. That can be good, but it can extremely bad, if the wrong or misleading information is put out there by malicious, conniving, and/or irresponsible people.
This post is going to expose me and my last year, it’s brutally honest, insightful, scary and eye opening.
In November of 2008, I was in my prime, running a multi-million dollar business, traveling the world, living the dream, I had it all and the sky was the limit… or so I thought. Believe it or not, I was very unhappy and I felt terrible. I’m talking physically terrible, I was close to 250lbs, the stress was incredible, I was gone all the time and lived in airports and hotels. I lost most of my closest Internet Friends and my family was feeling the stress.
I went to my family Doctor at the beginning of November, 2008 and he told me a few things, my blood pressure was extremely high (190/100), I needed to lose a considerable amount of weight and he saw some things in my blood work that warranted more tests. So, the onslaught of testing started over the next 6 weeks. Blood tests, urinalysis, cat scan, EKG, x-rays, ultrasound and eventually a Biopsy…. yep, the one test no one EVER wants to go through, a biopsy.
A week or so after the testing, my Doctor’s office called and told me that I needed to come in and discuss the test results of the most recent blood work and biopsy. Now, for those of you that haven’t know me for more than 14 years, this wasn’t my first biopsy nor my first serious medical issue. As I drove to the Doctor’s office, I was suddenly taken back in time to 1995-96 and knew exactly what the Doctor was going to tell me. It felt very surreal and very familiar…
The Doctor came into my examination room and I could see the bad news in his eyes. The biopsy and blood tested showed that I have Chronic Liver Disease and needed to start chemotherapy treatment, immediately. For those of you that don’t know, chronic means; long lasting medical condition/disease of which there is no cure. He also said my liver showed scaring, fatty tissue and swelling.
The roller coaster continued, I was scheduled for appointments at the IU Medical Center in Indianapolis for blood tests, an ultrasound and surgery to remove a piece of my liver, when I found out my business world was being turned upside down. Would you believe, on top of this medical nightmare, I found out I lost everything that I worked the past several years to build. It was gone and I mean literally, I went to my office to find a ransacked mess and everything of value was gone, including personal files, computers, etc…
I’m not going to get into the business story for legal reasons but I will say this, if you ever partner with someone or hire people to run your business. Please, make sure you are 100% sure they are trustworthy and take the time to do background checks and your due diligence, it will save you time, money and trouble like this. Had I taken the time to do this and not go on the word of friends and associates, I would never have gotten into this situation in the first place. The writing was on the wall, I just wasn’t aware of it.
The roller coaster continues BUT….. I start to see a light at the end of the tunnel.
The treatment for chronic liver disease involves several different medications. I have to take 18 pills per day and the worst part is, once a week I have to give myself an injection of a chemotherapy drug called Interferon and the side effects of the drug aren’t fun at all. I have to give myself the injections and take the medication for 26 weeks and at the time of this posting, I am at week 13 and I am waiting for a round of blood tests to see if I have to continue for another 13 weeks.
While undergoing treatment I have good and bad days and I’ve remained 100% positive throughout this entire ordeal. The support of my wife and family have made the difference for me. I could have given up during this nightmare of a year, but while on vacation with my wife in June/July 2009 (which was right after I found out I lost my entire business) I decided this would be my crossroads in life. I could take the low road and give up or I could take the high road and use this experience to build my character.
I chose the high road.
Until this post, I’ve not discussed this year with anyone except my immediate family. My Internet friends and business associates have been left listening to rumors, putting their own conclusions together or thought I had disappeared. It’s time to stop the rumors and put some closure on the year that was 2009.
I’ve made some very important changes in my life.
The first one being, I’ve put my wife and family at the forefront of my life, I owe them more than they know and without them, I would have taken the low road. Second, I’ve put my health at serious priority. I have been exercising almost daily, I’m eating right, I’ve quit drinking alcohol and the result, I’m now 210lbs. If you’ve made it this far in the post, I’ve lost 40lbs since May and have 10lbs to go to be at my desired weight.
Third, I’ve taken a long hard look at my business and decided that money isn’t everything, yes, it’s nice to be financially secure, but I don’t need to be on the lists with Bill Gates and Oprah. I know what my comfort level is and have re-structured things to keep my Internet business going and to go back to something I’ve wanted to do forever. I have always loved photography and used to shoot sports and racing photos as a freelancer. I’m going back into sports photography but I’m also going to photograph concerts, events, weddings, portraits, landscapes, etc..
My Internet business is making a comeback and I’ve been humbled by the success of my photography business. It’s been great for my recovery and helped me stay positive throughout this ordeal.
To all my Internet Friends and Associates, I apologize for the secrecy and for keeping my distance but it was necessary for my recovery. I am working for myself and am not associated with Sean Roach, Rip2it or Rip Two It, Inc in any way. I do not condone, nor endorse that company and/or any of their products in any way. If my name, likeness, photos, videos, audios and/or material are being used in association with Rip2it, it is without my consent and without my permission. I’ve had nothing to do with them since June 1st, 2009. If you want to be a part of my authorized program you can do so by going to – NicheToolbox
2010 is going to be a great year for me both Personally and Professionally, that, I am sure of! 2009 has been an incredible learning experience for me. I’m happy for the person I have become and happy for the direction my business is taking.
I want to say thank you to my wife Alane, you have made this year worth living and been there for me through the ups and downs. You have supported my decisions and helped me make some very important decisions this year. I love you with all my heart and am blessed to have you in my life. Thank you. You are my Rock.
I also want to thank my Mom, Dad and Son Kyle for helping me through this year as well. Thank you for listening to my rants and raves and thanks for being there when I needed a shoulder to lean on. Family is very important and I’m glad to have you as my family.
To all my good friends, Thank you for all the kind words, well wishes and support over the last year. Thank you for not judging me nor making assumptions about the events that have taken place since May of 2009. Thank you for being my friends and for listening and/or understanding. I appreciate it more than you know.
I will now exit the roller coaster and enjoy my life. 
Thanks for reading and Have a great 2010!
