Dr. Ryan Lazarus: How to Survive a Near-Death Experience

​Have you ever had a near-death experience?

I sincerely hope not. But as long-time listeners know, I’ve had a couple of close calls.

A simple twist of fate or freak accident can alter the course of your life. But if you let them, tragedies can set us on a new path that can change us for the better.

The reason I disappeared for the past few months isn’t because I took vacation. Unfortunately, I was injured in a serious car wreck.

A speeding driver rear-ended me out of nowhere going 80 mph in 35mph zone, hitting so hard that it ripped off my rear wheel and ruptured my gas tank. I was knocked unconscious briefly, but somehow managed to get the car off the road instead of being dragged into oncoming traffic on three wheels. It was a hit and run, but good Texans who saw what happened helped me get out of harms way.

Abel's wheel gets ripped off

It only seems appropriate that this week’s guest shares his name with Lazarus, the legendary Biblical figure who was raised from the dead.

Though I wasn’t quite dead, I’ve felt no more than half alive for the past couple months as I recover from the concussion which, unfortunately is not my first traumatic brain injury. The crash also herniated multiple discs and tore ligaments in my neck, which is similar to tearing your ACL in your knee, except it’s impossible to stay off your neck so the pain is unrelenting.

You’re probably wondering about the other driver, as am I, but since it’s an ongoing police investigation i don’t have much information to share yet.

But all and all, I’m grateful to be in one piece. I have an excellent team of doctors guiding my recovery, and thank you for all the well-wishes. I’ll keep you updated.

Accidents and setbacks are common. It’s how we respond, react, and recover from them that really matters. And this ability to get up after you’re knocked down is far and away the most important quality for long term success in health or anything else. Fate is coming for all of us, and we’ll all eventually be ravaged by time, so it’s important to build in yourself the qualities of becoming antifragile.

This week’s guest, Dr. Ryan Lazarus, faced a near-death experience at age 18 in a devastating sports accident that crushed his organs. For years, he grappled with life-altering health issues, including Type 1 diabetes, digestive failure, and immune problems, each day presenting a new battle to be fought. He’s navigated through a maze of trauma, illness, confusion, setbacks, and despair, often questioning the purpose and meaning behind chronic illness and suffering.

It was precisely this burden of hardship that molded his resilience and fueled his passion for helping others. After years of pain and struggle, he mustered the courage and determination to seize control of his own health journey. Ryan delved into the realms of functional medicine, nutrition, fitness, and mental fitness acquiring a wealth of knowledge and tools that enabled him to forge his own path to recovery.

How do you transition your mindset from being a victim to a victor when life gets rough?

In this episode, you’ll hear:

Why you don’t need to take extreme actions to get extreme results
How to overcome the victim mindset
Practical techniques for reprogramming negative thoughts
the role of technology in the future of personalized medicine
And much more…

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