My 9/11 Story, Coronavirus, and Staying Healthy

How I survived 9/11, and the relationship to Coronavirus and staying healthy

I’m sure thousands of other 9/11 survivors (including some of my close friends that worked in the area) have stories just like me, and while I haven’t shared mine until now, I thought it was a fitting time given the Coronavirus pandemic that has nearly brought the global economy and everyday life to a halt. 

First time I am sharing this story

It’s been nearly 19 years, but I distinctly remember the moments I started running from the giant tsunami of debris ejected from the base of the World Trade Center tower as it self-demolished due to the 9/11 terrorist attacks minutes earlier on that fateful morning that shook the world. Financial markets during that time, including foreign exchange (forex) markets, which is the industry I work in, were extremely volatile.

The shockwave

I was working at an office a few blocks from ground zero on September 11, 2001, and after going outside moments after the first plane hit, I witnessed the second plane crash from where I was standing on the corner of Rector St. and Broadway looking up at the towers at the smoke from the first plane crash when the shockwave of the second crash instantly knocked me to the floor.

Recovering from the blast and the courage to survive

At the moment I fell to my knees and hit the ground from the shockwave, in the next instance I saw people running in every direction including across busy streets with cars racing down Broadway, and the first thing I did is jump in the street and try to waive down accelerating cars urging them to slow down to avoid hitting pedestrians.

I just acted on instinct there was no thought about it, the next step was to evacuate the area so I rushed back to get my stuff from the office.

Back up to the 19th floor on Broadway and Rector Street, I urged everyone to follow me down nineteen flights of stairs, as the news was still filtering through TV as to what had happened. As the building was emptying, a large group of us started to gather, and cell phones were useless, due to signals being down.

Navigating through tough times

We were standing nearly helpless on Edgar St. just outside the parking lot on Greenwich Street where the entrance to the 1 train is for the Rector Street Station, with a clear line of sight to the towers, just a few blocks away. 

I was with a group of about a hundred people, urging those close to me to move towards the water and away from other buildings as I suspected more planes would be crashing into them and that close to the water would be a safer place to be.

But in the blink of an eye, a loud noise hit us as the tower began to fall on itself, generating a massive cloud of debris that included dust and smoke, among other particles (but at that moment you had no idea what that cloud contained). There was no time to think.

Running from the Tsunami dust cloud

I quickly started to run, at close to top speed southward, down Trinity Place to where I made a sharp left turn on the corner on Battery Place, and quickly ripped open my buttoned-down collared shirt and while trying to pull it off my arms the cufflinks were stuck on my wrists so I stepped on my sleeve for leverage and yanked them off.

All this trouble, which took about seven seconds, was to remove my t-shirt fast so that I could use it as an improvised dust-mask, as I quickly wrapped it around my face and tied a knot behind my head with the cotton t-shirt.

Breathing during crisis

I instantly put my shirt back on and suit jacket, and began to jog towards State Street, hugging the lower edge of Manhattan towards the water, right as the cloud of smoke engulfed me.

At that intense moment when visibility was brought to nearly zero from the dust cloud, I focused on breathing only through my nose, and by using the improvised mask from my t-shirt I avoided coughing.

Dealing with fear, anxiety, and panic

At that same instance, I noticed many others were low to the ground and coughing and I was telling them not to breathe through their mouth (literally was yelling “only breathe through your nose!”), as I saw many people mouth-breathing which resulted in coughing from the dust and causing them more anxiety and faster breathing and a cycle of more coughing.

Dealing with the anxiety of breathing dust and coughing exacerbated their anxiety in those moments.

Surviving while others died

Luckily, I made it out of the dust cloud that engulfed thousands of people fleeing from the scene and eventually walked up the FDR drive along with thousands of others, and over the Williamsburg Bridge. In addition to the many heroes and first responders, that day nearly 3000 victims died innocently from the evil acts of a few people and it shocked the world.

Chronic and acute stressors

While the initial stress from 9/11 was very acute, it came out of nowhere and hit everyone very hard and lasted for years and changed our lives in many ways.

And while the COVID-19 Coronavirus is a very different threat that has attacked many, it is causing pain and suffering, and in a chronic way that can affect our mental and physical health and well-being, even if we haven’t yet gotten the virus yet. 

Dealing with escalating stress

COVID-19 has come upon the world slowly then escalated exponentially. From a story that was brewing in China since the end of last year, then in early January, the world got to witness that county go on a total lockdown across its transportation systems and implementing national quarantines, along with other global travel restrictions.

Researchers are scrambling to uncover where the virus originated, analyzing the genetic makeup and comparing it to various animal genomes considered to be the potential hosts that initially transmitted the disease zoonotically.

As COVID-19 started to spread globally through air travel, and other forms of human-to-human transmissions, it quickly became a pandemic in just a matter of weeks. People globally during this time continue experiencing escalating levels of stress, affecting their daily lives and relationships.

Fighting an invisible enemy

There are also supercomputers being used to solve complex combinatorial problems such as identifying compounds that can fight Coronaviruses.

Many people are also suddenly taking sanitary measures to avoid or kill the Coronavirus with behavior that recently would have been considered akin to OCD or germaphobia but is now not only normal but expected.

I’ve always been a bit of a germaphobe (and hypochondriac), so I have nothing against washing hands (i.e., after touching doorknobs) and practicing good hygiene, but it shouldn’t be done out of fear, but rather the willingness to keep yourself healthy to enjoy life.

The media has, of course, made this story their number one focus, along with governments who are taking various extreme actions, from border closures to implementing mandatory curfews and stay at home orders. The UK was the latest to join the trend today.

And I am not trying to imply that any conspiracy theories are taking root, such as deep-state, or related to a US-China war, but simply question the many conclusions that are being drawn from projections, estimations, and other data that may or may not rely on assumptions and could be inaccurate.

Other doctors in Israel have slammed world leaders for over-reacting and causing panic. There is clearly a spectrum of opinions. And, Stanford professor of Medicine & Epidemiology, John Ioannidis, says that many decisions are being made without reliable data, and how the “one-in-a-century” pandemic may also be a fiasco. That is certainly a contrarian position to ponder, isn't it?

As people scrambled to try to make sense of all this information and data, and the various narratives, I even found myself at times, not being 100% sure of which narratives to believe. Sometimes it is okay to have a “strong view” that is “loosely held,” compared to a “loose view” that is “held strongly,” especially if we are to keep an open-mind as free thinkers. 

Personally, I am trying to keep an open mind while relying on data from the CDC, and related official sites, and listening to President Trump, and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, and New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio, who are all demonstrating leadership during the Coronavirus (regardless of politics). Several temporary laws have been enacted, such as in New York, as emergency measures.

I think most people are unaware that these extreme measures taken by Governments are simply to “slow” the spread of the virus, not "stop" or "kill it," so that our healthcare systems are not overloaded, as appears to have happened in Italy.

Although one World Health Organization (WHO) official, believes that the social-distancing and lockdowns won’t be effective long-term, as once normal life resumes the virus will spread again more rapidly. There seems to be evidence of this occurring again in Hong Kong and Thailand, where an uptick was just recorded weeks after they were trying to get back to normal from the initial outbreak.

In other words, I don’t think the Coronavirus will be eliminated, and eventually, everyone will get it, just as we get the common cold or flu, even if it never causes a symptom for you.

More people tested = higher number of reported case

In addition, the number of reported cases is rising in many major cities, precisely because they are doing more tests for COVID-19 there (otherwise no one would know), assuming also that the actual virus is already widely spread across the earth because we just don’t know how many people already have it today.

The social-distancing measures seem like a smart choice, temporarily, to avoid overburdening the health care infrastructure of each country but is not a long-term solution.

Those with compromised immune systems are of course at heightened risk, just as they would be from any infection. But even then, courage is the first step to a strong immune system, while fear can weaken it.

Courage and positive self-talk

My takeaway here and closing thoughts are how the Coronavirus pandemic has potentially already caused billions of people to have fear and anxiety over the future of life on earth, and while that can be normal in a situation like this - which has escalated gradually, like a chronic condition, courage is the real solution and positive self-talk. I wanted to share my 9/11 story to connect it with the events of today, and lessons I learned in the value of staying focused and positive.

If you find yourself having fearful thoughts about life, simply try to bring your attention back to positive courageous thoughts.

Mastering your ability to persist in the face of adversity

David Goggins, a former US Navy Seal, and ultra-endurance athlete, and author of the book “Can’t Hurt Me,” has a concept called the “Cookie Jar,” where you store all your most positive and negative memories. The good and bad.

Goggins' idea is that when you are going through a difficult time in life, you can reach into the cookie jar, and remind yourself that this is not as bad as those times, or you can reach for a positive memory that will be uplifting during times of pain.

"Hope is more contagious than the virus."

Another top Navy Seal said that hope is more contagious than the virus, in a Business Insider article.

Another quote I’ve recalled recently from Dr. David R. Hawkins is that “pain is inevitable, while suffering is optional.” In other words, we can accept the pain and observe it but try not to suffer about it, this is the ultimate human spiritual test, regardless of what religion you are.

Hawkins had devised a scale of consciousness levels that are ranked by their energy quality, where each level is a choice of how to look at the world and one's own self and life.

The level of 200 is neutral, whereas, below 200 is destructive, and above 200 is supportive of life. I highly recommend his book, "Healing and Recovery."

Immunity

This a great time to focus on building your health and immune system, by exercising moderately (too much exercise is also not good for the immune system), getting enough vitamins and minerals and learning how to breath deep consciously, including through the nose (just like I did when the dust cloud hit).

I’ve been following the works of Dr. Robert O’ Young which includes the pH Miracle book, since I first heard about him in 2000 during an Anthony Robbins Unleash the Power Within (UPW) seminar in Florida.

Dr. Young’s teachings can be considered controversial, as they are not based on the traditional germ-theory, but as someone who has followed the alkaline diet/lifestyle on and off for nearly 20-years, I am a firm believer that there is much truth to its benefits.

Even many major water companies (i.e, smartwater) are now increasing the pH of their bottled water to 9.5, realizing the benefits of electron-rich hydration, to help neutralize acids. 

Exercise and rest

Recovery and rest are also critical for health. Last week I hit four personal records, one of which I had for 10 years. I did 500 dips (on the day my gym was closing indefinitely due to the virus), the next day ran a sub-6-minute mile for the first time (5:53), and on Thursday did 1000 pullups at home, followed by a personal best solo half-marathon of 1:42:42 in Central park at midnight. I had been training for years and months towards these goals.

My resting pulse on Friday morning was 65 but is now back to 47 after getting enough active recovery (walking) and rest. Overtraining can hurt the immune system, so the resting and recovery phases are crucial. I’ve been inspired by other ultra-endurance athletes to push my fitness and health to new heights, and hope to pass along that inspiration too and inspire others.

The irony of the question: Does Corona beer cause Coronavirus?

Despite the claims that Corona beer doesn’t cause the Coronavirus, which I agree with, I have been limiting alcohol during these times, as it is known to weaken the immune system. I know many of us (myself included) who enjoy the occasional drink, will not like to hear that, but any steps you can take to improve your health will matter almost as much (if not more?) as social-distancing and staying at home. A healthier you, means fewer hospital visits.

Strengthening the immune system

I consider the Wim Hof, who holds numerous world records for his ability to withstand cold, as the leading expert who possesses the ability to strengthen his immune system through breathing and systematic exposure to cold. I’ve been taking cold showers at the end of every hot shower, for over a year now and have seen significant benefits.

Thought-leaders of today who matter most for tomorrow

In addition to some of the people I’ve mentioned in this article who inspire me, Peter Diamandis is one of our top thought-leaders of today whom I believe matter most for the future, as some of the world’s biggest problems need technology and creativity to be solved. Peter has put together some excellent Coronavirus resources, and I suggest you follow him.

I hope a vaccine is found quickly, along with other effective treatments. And as someone who has been avidly involved in alternative health, I also hope for potential natural solutions, whether the result of lifestyle and dietary habits that can increase one’s chance of immunity.

The best thing I can think about this crisis in terms of its effect is that it may motivate a generation towards healthier food, hygiene, and lifestyle choices, which will ultimately lead to increased longevity and quality of life on earth, including greater resistance against diseases and viruses.

We've been living with animals for millennia and must continue to live symbiotically, despite the occasional zoonotic virus. For example, my dog Max has nothing but love for his family.

The importance of music as a healing tool

Music is also an important tool in your healthcare kit to use, to stay positive, especially music that uplifts you or moves you deeply, in addition to relaxing music.

On that note, one fascinating piece of research headline that I saw yesterday was that humming can actually improve symptoms of a certain respiratory disease. So, yes, hum that tune you like, even if you are wearing an N95 mask, and stay courageous my friends.

The views in this article are my own, and some of which are subject to change as new data emerge, and should not be considered advice. I pray for all those affected including in places like Italy and hope for a speedy recovery there and for the rest of the world.