Exactly right. Even to this day I'm grateful for what I've been able to do. I've stood on the highest place on Earth. I dove the Bloody Bay Wall (SCUBA) in the Cayman Islands. I've crawled through caves 100's of feet underground. Crossed glaciers. Carried an M4 in the desert when I was with DynCorp. Jumped out of planes. Climbed 1,000ft rock faces. Stood on the rim of an active volcano (Mt. Baker) I've done these things all over the world. Hundreds of thousands of dollars. I regret nothing.
Could I have done those things without PEDs? I truly don't know. I'm not sure I would have had the ambition req'd.
I've never competed on stage. I'm actually kind of envious of this guy winning a show. What an amazing feeling that must have been! I still may try some senior level show just so I can say I did that.
I'm becoming an old man now. But I look back on my years and they were amazing times. I'm talking life-altering experience sorts of times. Almost spiritual. And it's still going. If I decide to do it, I can join a team to do a winter summit of Mt. Ranier in February. That's a $10k ascent. I believe I shall miss this planet when that day comes for me.
Doing these things, playing hard, not only did I spend a ton of $ but think of what else it cost me. Two skull fractures, compound fracture of the right humorous, shattered ribs, a punctured lung, three days in a coma on a respirator, nitrogen narcolepsy, I've broken nine of my ten fingers, three broken noses, frostbite, dysentery, torn patellar tendons, detached and dislocated shoulders, the list goes on.
I have little doubt I would have even survived this life without PEDs. It's taken a lot of PEDs, metal pins, stitches, and staples just to hold me together.
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