I’m John Centofanti.
One day in January 2018, I went for my daily run.
Shortly after I would become a cardiac arrest survivor.
I’m a writer and creative professional, as well as a husband, father and grandfather.
When your life ends in an instant, there’s no guidebook to show you how to build a new one while you live with the effects of anoxic brain injury.
This is why I’m sharing my story of losing my previous life and my journey to build a new one I love. My hope is to help others who are learning to thrive, not just survive.
Same Run. Same Route. Life-Altering Event.
Author’s Note: I write this having suffered an anoxic brain injury. Cardiac arrest stopped my breathing for 11 minutes, and another four times on the way to the hospital. Years ago, this was called brain damage, but now the softer sounding phrase is brain injury. Same thing….
Being Grateful and Angry at the Same Time
“My response when someone tells me I should be grateful to be alive is this: “You should be, too.” Right after I survived cardiac arrest, nearly everyone I spoke to said, “You should be grateful to be alive.” I was. I am. Years later, any time I tell someone that I…
I Believe It. I Need You to Believe It.
“Past performance is not indicative of future results” is good news for anyone facing a major life setback. Any advertisement you see for an investment firm includes the required disclaimer, “Past performance is not indicative of future results.” They are legally…
Invisible Illness: How I Look Doesn’t Reflect How I Feel
I realize this might sound ridiculous. When people ask about my health, or a certain health condition, their response is often something like, “But you look great, it can’t be that bad!” As if looking good equates to good health or even feeling good. Instead of…