I Posted This Last Year For Christmas…
“Tell Me Something Good…” Good morning Ryan, Sisanie, Tanya, Patty & Tubs! This is gonna be a long one… Just a heads Up…
I want to “Tell You Something Good”… My name is Mando & I am a Strength & Conditioning Coach. My wife, Danielley, and I own a gym in Riverside, Ca (RainCross Strength & Conditioning/RCSC CrossFit). A lot has changed for our gym ever since COVID, but were making it work. Some days are tougher than others, but listening to you guys on the way to our gym always brings a smile to my face! That’s not even the good part. My wife and I recently had our 1st son, Ryker Johnnie Macias, born on Septemberr 27th, 2020. Throughout Danielley’s entire pregnancy, there were no complications. She’s was/is in great shape, took care of herself, ate good, etc. Ryker was born at 12:57AM at Riverside Community Hospital. Everything seemed good. We were put in our own seperate private room, got to hang out with our new baby boy, and every now and then the nurses would come in to run their normal tests. Basically we were just waiting to get discharged. At this point, the thing that freaked me out the most was putting him in his car seat safely and correctly!!! I take that back… Changing his diaper!!! As I have never changed a baby’s diaper before in my life!!! Anyways… A few hours later, one of the nurses came in for one final test, his Congential Heart Disease test. The nurse brings him back, then, a few minutes later burst through the door and says she has to take him to the NICU immediatley! After a few more tests, the nurses told us that he would have to be immediatly transported to Loma Linda Children’s Hospital. Dazed & Confused, we packed up our belongings and headed to Loma Linda. Ryker had one of the rarest forms of Congential Heart Defects, A Criss Cross Heart. This next part, I’m just gonna Copy & Paste to lets the experts explain what it is… “CrissCross heart (CCH) is a rare cardiac malformation characterized by crossing of the inflow streams of the two ventricles due to an apparent twisting of the heart about its long axis. The developmental mechanisms and causes of CCH are remaining unknown. Neonates mainly presents with cyanosis and a systolic murmur.” All the Doctors (He had a team of 8 total) were baffled. It was clear that he had to have some kind of heart surgery, but what to exactly do was uncertain. Now, this is not taking away from the Doctors ability/knowlegde… These Men & Women were/are geniuses!!! What they wanted to perform what not a “Short Term Fix”… But a “Lifetime Fix”. My wife Danielley & I spent the next month driving back and forth from Moreno Valley (our home) through Reche Canyon to Loma Linda. Due to COVID, only 1 of us were allowed into the hospital. Which meant one of us would just sit in our Jeep while the other was able to sit bed side with him. On the rare occasion, both of us were allowed to enter the hospital, however one of us would have to wait in the cafeteria while the other one sat bedside. The Doctors decided that form the time being, they would perform Open Heart Surgery in order to Shunt. Again, I’ll let the experts explain… “A shunt moves blood from one area to another. This is done if the open-heart surgery needs to be delayed because the child is too sick to go through surgery. During a shunt procedure, the surgeon makes a surgical cut in the left side of the chest.” However, it’s not that Ryker was too sick… It’s just that even though his heart was “Criss Crossed”, everything was working properly. They explained it as “he has all the right plumbing, it’s just in different places…”. The Shunt was just to keep everything working properly. I don’t brag about this, but, I’m a United States Marine Corps Veteran. I joined The Marine Corps in September of 2001 while still a Senior in High School.. Yes, after “9/11” happened. I served 2 Tours in Iraq (Fallujah & Ramadi). My MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) in The Marine Corps was as An Aircraft Rescue FireFighter (Crash Fire Rescue). While in Iraq, I had 4 Duties. 4 Hours of “Base Fire Emergencies”. 4 Hours of “Aircraft Fire Emergencies. 4 Hours of “Quick Reaction Force” Outside the Base Emergencies. And 4 Hours of “Rest”. And then repeat. Tough/Rough Times. However, I have never been so scared as I was walking/pushing Ryker into the surgery room. I’ve had some long/sleepless nights in Iraq… But nothing like those few hours knowing that my Little Man, just a few weeks old, was in a room getting his chest cut open and having his heart worked on. But I couldn’t show any of this fear, as I had my wife, Danielley right next to me. Thank God for private restrooms, as every know and then I would sneak away cry my eyes out only to walk out like everything was fine. In the end… The surgery went perfect! And on October 27th, I safely and correctly put him in his car seat (and correctly changed his diaper!) and all 3 us walked (got carried) out of Loma Linda and SLOWLY drove to OUR home! Though we still have a long road ahead of us, Ryker Johnnie is/has been home with us, finally home with us. Not in a hospital bed. In our arms. In his “Boppie”. In his “MamaRoo”. In the arms of his grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. He spent Thanksgiving with his family and will get to spend his 1st Christmas with his family. For the longest time, I felt coming home from Iraq was the best feeling in the world. Then, I married my wife and that was the best feeling in the world. Then, I found out I was gonna be a Dad and that was the best feeling in the world. Bringing Ryker home… Being home with Ryker… Living life with Ryker… Best… Feelings… Ever!!! That drive through Reche Canyon was emotionally rough. On the night time drives I would just listen to whatever was on. But the morning drives… I would always have you guys on and it made the start of day a little (a lot) better! So Thank You guys what you do for so many people day in & day out! Merriest of Christmas’… Happiest of Holidays… And Happiest of New Year’s (as possible) to all of you!
Mando
Since Then…
Most Of You Have Had The Chance To Meet Ryker…
And I’m Sure That His Smile Has Either Melted Or Stolen Your Heart!!!
Since Then…
Ryker Has Gone Through A Few More Procedures…
But This Lil’ Dude Always Goes In Strong…
And Comes Out Even Stronger!!!
This Post Isn’t Just About My Son…
This Post Is About All Of You & Your Families…
I Get It Now…
Running Late To Class… Having To Cancel Last Min… Not Knowing What “X” Movement Is…
Guess What?!?!
Life Still Goes On…
LIFE… Still Goes On…
Somedays… I’ve Had To Ask One/Mulitiple Coaches… To Cover For Me…
Somedays… I’ve Had To Cancel The Class…
Most Understood… A Few Got Pissed…
But Just Know That I Try My Hardest To Make Things Work…
Not Just To Make Things Work…
But To Keep You FIT & To Stay On My… What I’ve Been Told… “Military Style MindSet” Programming…
Guess What?!?! It Works!!!
But Also Guess What?!?!
I Have A Heart… A Soul…
Besides You Moving Safely & Correctly… This Is What I Look For…
Grunts… Tears… Smiles… High Fives… Hugs…
Grunts…
Grunts Mean You Know You Can Do It… You’re Just Getting Frustrated…
Tears…
Tears Mean You THINK You’ve Failed… But I’m Gonna Help You Figure Out A Way To Do It…
Smiles…
Smiles Mean When You Finally Nailed “X” Movement…
High Fives…
High Fives Means You Left Feeling Accomplished… And Ready To Conquer The Day!!!
But The Best?!?!
Hugs…
Oh The Hugs…
Hugs… Knowing That You Really Are Apart Of The RainCross Family…
Watching The 12 Days of Christmas WOD Was A Love/Hate Relationship…
I Wanted To Hop In With Everyone…
But… I Had Ryker…
Obviously… At The Top Of My List… Was Not To Let Him Get Hurt…
But It Was So Cool To See His Eyes Bright & Wide Watching… Smiling @ ALL Of You Ladies & Gentlemen… High Fivin’… Fist Bumpin’… Huggin’….
Everyone Paying Attention To Him & Not Me During The Huddle Up… Not So Much… Just Kidding!!!
I’ve Always Said It…
THE BIGGEST… SMALLEST GYM… In Riverside…
We Even Had “Special Guests”… Ari… Yez… And Some Guy… Can’t Remember His Name… Louie Or Something Like That?!?! Love Ya Bro…
Whether If You Were There Today Or Not… Just Know That I See…
Everyday… How Much You Bust Your Ass For Me… Well… Not For Me… But For Yourself…
I See How Hard Your Push Yourself… To Better Yourself…
And That I Am Very Honored To Be Called Your Coach…
But Sometimes… I Have To Close The Doors…
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ALRIGHT… HERE WE GO!!!
Merry Christmas RainCross!!!
The Gym Is Closed…
Get Out… Or Stay In…
But Either Way… Spend Time With The Ones That You Love…
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3…2…1…GO!!!
Mando
Merry Christmas RainCross…
RainCrossStrengthandConditioning 