25 Things People Never Thought About Till It Happened To Them

When we are young and dumb we think we are invincible. We don’t think about the risks we take when driving, or how we abuse our bodies with intoxicants; we live willy-nilly as though nothing can touch us.  But then one day all of a sudden, unexpectedly tragedy strikes. A life-altering car accident, a sports injury, or an accidental OD can happen within the blink of an eye, forever changing the trajectory of our lives. Recently, an interesting discussion struck up online when someone asked “What’s the one thing you thought could never happen to you, but did?” Scroll below to read some of the most poignant answers received. 

#1 I made it past the age of 18.

Image source: the-who-hawk, cottonbro studio / Pexels I was severely bullied in middle school and was very s***idal. My parents celebrate every birthday as a huge accomplishment because it didn't seem like I'd make it. I MADE IT TO 28 YALL.

#2 Bird's s**t hit me in the mouth while driving once. I pulled over and insta-vom’d. Called my boss and told her I would be late… I was interning at a bank at the time. She told me to take the day off, but also to get a lottery ticket. Apparently, getting s**t on by a bird is good luck? Anyhoo… I bought two, $1 scratch offs.—-Won $50 on both. My grandma lived close by, so I showered there. I scratched the tickets while smoking a cigarette with her in her kitchen. Good memory.

Image source: choubledin, Sabri Çetin / Pexels

#3 Becoming homeless.

Image source: Available_Extreme182, MART PRODUCTION / Pexels

#4 Got attacked by an entire swarm of k*ller bees on top of a mountain. Almost fell off the mountain running down the trail and nearly considered jumping in my panic.

Image source: notreallywatson, FRANK MERIÑO / Pexels Was raking bees out of my hair as they tried to get to my scalp and had to cover my face with my shirt to prevent them from climbing into my face holes. Thought I was gonna die. Got pretty scraped up and stung as I clawed my way down the trail without stopping. I never knew the sound of a swarm could be so loud and terrifying. I had nightmares for weeks after! Another hiker in the same area had been attacked by k*ller bees a few years prior and they stayed on his body for 8 hours, preventing rescuers from recovering his body. I now have an extreme fear of flying insects lol.

#5 Getting a really serious case of pneumonia as an active healthy 40 year old. I went from feeling a bit ill , developing a cough to a coma in intensive care on life support in just 3 days! Spent 5 weeks in a coma with full lung and then kidney failure, and another 3 doing physio and recovering.

Image source: Brave_Hippo9391, Edward Jenner / Pexels

#6 I’ve made it to 1 year and 29 days selfharm free!! I have never been clean for this long so I’m really proud of myself. My mom and I celebrated my year clean time at Dave and Busters.

Image source: toriachip, Oleksandr P / Pexels

#7 Getting MS (multiple sclerosis).

Image source: Shniddles, Anna Shvets / Pexels I've always been the healthiest, strongest, fittest, most athletic one of all my friends and family. This can all change overnight. It can happen to anyone. Please be kind to those with disabilities, it could be you tomorrow.

#8 A tornado damaged my roof while I was trying to sell my house. Two years later, the next house burned down. Six months after that, a massive ice storm dropped four trees and completely crushed the next house.

Image source: Over-The-Ish, Ralph W. lambrecht / Pexels In that same year, I took an antibiotic that destroyed my connective tissue, my husband got third-degree burns in the house fire, and my son got bit by a copper head snake, my grandfather died of covid, and my car caught fire. I've learned to never, ever assume that something won't happen to you.

#9 Never would have thought that I would be disabled. I had a stroke from a massive brain bleed in 2020, it caused me to be hemiplegic, and wheelchair bound and unable to take care of myself. It f*****g sucks. I’m living in a nursing home in my mid thirties surrounded by elderly people who are completely unaware of their surroundings but it’s better now than it was last year and getting better because I’m moving into a house where I will receive direct support services from my state’s Choices program-10 more days, almost to single digits!

Image source: alm1688

#10 I won a full oven and top unit in a kitchen sale lottery. I was 8.

Image source: CantShakeMeoff, Alex Green / Pexels

#11 Lost myself and my life to alcoholism before hitting 30. Somehow survived rock bottom and looking at 4 years sober on Independence Day!

Image source: FroggiJoy87, rebcenter moscow / Pexels

#12 I have a few big T's like being SA'd as a kid, teen, adult... Abusive parents. Being homeless for a time. Being in a DV relationship. Lost two babies. Lots of trauma. But truly the one thing that's happened that I never thought would? Finding my husband and the happiness we have together.

There's some cheese for ya. Image source: anon

#13 I was 51. I had the day off and was feeling great. Decided to take an afternoon nap. As soon as my head hit the pillow I had a massive heart attack that destroyed 40% of my heart. I woke up 3 days later on a ventilator and had no idea what the heck happened.

Image source: TadpoleVegetable4170, Tima Miroshnichenko / Pexels

#14 Losing my mom.

Image source: MrsCyanide, Pixabay / Pexels Like yeah it’s expected to outlive your parents, it’s “the natural way”. But losing my mom last year before I even turned 21 from s***ide…destroyed me. I thought she would always be here. I thought she would grow old, be there when I get married and have kids… It still doesn’t feel real…hug your mom and tell her you love her. You’ll miss those “annoying” calls and texts.

#15 In 1996 or so, I went to my wife's company Christmas party. While there, a candle got close to some of the table decorations, and I put out the small fire with 2-3 napkins dipped in a water glass.

I never expected to do this at least two more times, each at a formal banquet, each with a candle igniting decorations. The most recent (2018), I put out the small fire with iced tea, not water, and did not break the discussion. Image source: CatOfGrey

#16 Suffering with anorexia. And recovering from anorexia.

Image source: huhshrug, MART PRODUCTION / Pexels We watched an eating disorder documentary in school and I remember seeing footage of people in hospital crying over having to eat chips and thinking wtf is wrong with them? A few years later being in and out of eating disorder units was the next 15 years of my life. I was so entrenched I thought I’d never recover. Hell, I had consultants tell me I’d be a revolving door patient for the rest of my life. As I was leaving my last hospital admission the consultant told me he’d see me back in a month. That was 5 years ago. It’s not be smooth sailing but I’m in full recovery now, with a full time job I love, able to enjoy life and eat freely. The life of hospitals is a distant memory.

#17 I was diagnosed with premature ovarian failure. And I grieved over the loss of never being a mother. My heart would melt (and break) every time one of my students would accidentally call me mom.

Image source: H3rta, Leah Newhouse / Pexels Fast forward 4 years from that point, and thanks to donor egg IVF I am currently 11 weeks pregnant. I'm so grateful for this possibility and for going on this journey.

#18 I got fat, lol.

Image source: burnfaith, Towfiqu barbhuiya / Pexels When you’re slim/fit pretty much your whole life, you take it for granted in many ways. It was very easy (at least it was for me) to fall into a rut of bad habits for a variety of reasons and now I’m in a place where I’ve got a decent amount of weight to lose and I feel like I’m back at square one when it comes to fitness. If you don’t use it, you can in fact, lose it.

#19 My husband of almost 20 years left because I was sick and needed surgery.

Image source: RinnelSpinel, Andrea Piacquadio / Pexels

#20 I slipped on a banana skin, no joke.

Image source: Hat_Potato, Tiia Monto / Wikimedia

#21 I never thought I would be 56 years old and raising my grandchildren. Surprise! I am now adopting a 13, 8, and 7 year old. They all have complex ptsd. The youngest has autism. All positive vibes, energy, and juju appreciated!

Image source: Accomplished_Body851

#22 Got cancer. Wish me luck!

Image source: hezorabora, Thirdman / Pexels

#23 I had leukemia as a child and was told I'd never be able to have kids due to radiation and chemo therapy. I have 2 healthy kids who graduated from high school. So to the doctors at mc master in hamilton thank you.

Image source: -LightMyWayHome-, Mikhail Nilov / Pexels

#24 I never thought I would lose a child, but I did. My son died unexpectedly 9-1/2 months ago. I will never get over it.

UPDATE: Many thanks to all of you who offered your condolences. Image source: Yorkie_Mom_2

#25 Bitten on the face by a wild python while trying to take a shower.

Image source: cosmictat2