Post restaurant life experience...

Nicko had contacted me about continuing my blog regarding my restaurant experiences. However, prior to today, I just couldn't bring myself around to it just yet.

Long story short, after all my efforts and sacrifices to make the career change, I got blindsided a bit by a physical problem...sciatica! Basically, this is a back problem that affects the sciatic nerve that runs from the spine through your gluts, to the front of your thighs and downward.

I pushed through work as long as I could but medicine (both prescription and non-prescription) began to stop being effective.

Eventually, I approached my chef and talked with him about my pain. I tell you, I could not have ever expected a more understanding and concerned chef in my life. We discussed my options, as well as my performance up to that point.

One of my life long dreams was to cook in a fine dining restaurant. The fact that I was able to actually accomplish that goal truly was a dream come true. However, that is little consolation when physical pain completely benches the dream.

Even now, I don't even know what to say about all that happened. I tried all sorts of meds to alleviate the pain...and they all became ineffective. And, as a line cook extern, I was not entitled to benefits yet. Just trying to get in with a physician was basically off the table.

My sleep was suffering. My chef and I discussed the normal pains that come with working in such a position and that they usually subside. But it was obvious that the pains I was having were beyond the norm.

Although I was eventually able to get in with a physician, I was only able to get a preliminary diagnosis that would require further testing to confirm. And even then, there are not many options for defeating sciatica. Apparently, the back is a fickle beast when it comes to pains and remedies.

It got to the point where I had to face reality and accept the fact that, at least for now, I would not be able to do this job. Again, I spoke with my chef about everything, and we came to an understanding. I didn't leave him hanging so to speak, and he didn't get rid of me. It was a mutual understanding...and I could not be any more humbled by such an understanding leader/chef.

Perhaps it was just not meant to be, for now. The weekend when I approached my chef about my pains, the owner also announced that they would be closing that particular location and focus more energy on the two other existing locations in the higher traffic parts of the valley (in popular hotels). In addition, one of these locations was about to be reopened shortly after some MAJOR renovations. (i'll give more details later).

so I guess what I am trying to say in this re-introduction of my blog is this: I would not have changed anything in how things have panned out over this past year. However, similar to what Logan Worley stated in his career changing blog/journal, the older you are, the more pains you will have and/or the more time you will need to recover from them.

The hard part for me is that in this turbulent economy (and with my wife being in the mortgage industry) we are now in a pretty tight spot. I can't necessarily get back into a kitchen until I can rid myself of this pain. Yet, to fix the problems, I need insurance. I can try getting back into my old non-culinary industry (which I have been trying to do) but the interviewers are naturally suspicious of my recent attempt at leaving the industry. Fun times!

So now I am left with either finding a whole new industry to work in, or attempt to return to the culinary industry in some different form other than being in the kitchen. so far, little luck on either option. But I am not giving up.

And who knows, maybe one day I will be back in the kitchen. This is a setback, but not necessarily an end to the dream! My only consolations from all of this is that 1) I was able to reach my dream, even if just for a moment; and 2) my chef sincerely complimented me on my performance. I could not have asked for more than that!

Thanks for reading!