The recent fire in yesterday, May 9, 2012, which killed 17 people in Butuan City was a tragic one. It also reminded me of my personal experiences when I was still a young boy in that city. My family lived there for about 4 years when I was still a young boy sometime in 1964-1967. And during those times, we experienced several fires that happened in Butuan City. Whether it was accidental or arson intentionally started by criminal elements, I do not know. But it was a frequent occurrence during those years.

Fire in Butuan City When I was a Boy

It is interesting that this recent fire in Butuan City happened at Montilla Boulevard also, the same street where we used to live back then and where we experienced having our rented place burned down to the ground. I remember that our house was near a barber shop. We had a furniture shop. A loud explosion suddenly rocked the neighborhood and a big fire started in a nearby house. I was out on the street in front of our house when it happened and I saw the barbers and their customers scampering out of the barber shop with their unfinished haircut.

I remember my mother as she gathered all of her children to get our of the house and away from the fire, I suddenly asked where our little baby brother was. We were only 5 kids back then and the youngest was still a baby. He was actually still upstairs lying down and enjoying his milk in a bottle. And he was totally forgotten in the confusion all around us. Thankfully, there was still time to get the baby and we left the place safe and unharmed. Our furniture shop was burned down to the ground. My dad had to start another business from scratch once again. Those were really trying times of our lives.

In the featured photo above, my dad is the one with a hat talking to a man in a motorbike.

I came back to my cardiologist again last Wednesday after I had hypertension. She told me to come back after a month of medications and blood checkup. I was actually getting ready for another blood test but I was in for a surprise. It didn’t happen. As usual, she checked my blood pressure, listened to my chest and my back, and asked some questions how I was feeling since I last visited her. And her findings? She said I was back to normal. Last March 1, I suddenly got dizzy while driving along the expressway! I was not just driving routinely. I was actually driving fast attempting to overtake a car when it suddenly happened for the first time in my life! I had hypertension.

Thankfully, I still managed to park the car at the right shoulder of the road. The doctor said my blood pressure was now fine and she said I no longer need go through another blood test. Maybe after a month, she will check my hypertension once again.

She reduced my daily medicine intake and asked me to continue observing myself for anything. My wife and I went out of the doctor’s clinic joyful! Thanking God. A great feeling to know I’m well back again.

Hypertension: Learning Lessons

I did learn a lot of lessons though from this experience–a maturing experience. As the saying goes, regrets come last. First lesson: “Just do it!” Do not delay. Have the willpower to do what ought to be done! Yes, that’s right. I’m talking about exercise. My wife and I knew we were at an age–we are both over 50 now–where exercise is a must to maintain good health. With good intentions, we bought quite an expensive–for us, very expensive!–treadmill so we can exercise even inside our home. That was some 6 years ago. I must admit, I seldom used it for all those 6 years! It’s different now. I now exercise everyday and I use this expensive thing that we bought daily now–finally!

Visit The Doctor!

Second lesson learned is: Have yourself checked by the doctor regularly! For whatever reason, I never liked to have a physical checkup and for maybe some 15 years or more–I’m guessing now–I never had myself checked up. I should have done it long ago! Lesson learned. Now, I’m happy that I just had a forced checkup because of what happened to me.

Some 5 years or so ago, I actually learned already that I already had hypertension. My blood pressure was slightly above the normal level already. “Border line,” the student nurse told me. I realized that it meant something bad but never really took the effort to visit the doctor to find out what I needed to do! I always said to myself, “I don’t feel anything. I’m OK.” Until it suddenly happened to me at the expressway! All those years of disregard for my slightly higher blood pressure! I did not know that my heart was overworking–exerting more effort to pump blood than normal for all those years! Now I know. My cardiologist told me. Regrets do come last. Lesson learned.

Lifestyle Change

Another lifestyle change has just happened to me–a maturing experience. My wife and I had always been careful about our diet but we are even more mindful now about what we eat. Of course, I don’t hope to live forever in this physical body. I have a slightly enlarged heart at this time and I realize that my dad and my younger brother both died of heart problems. But this enlarged heart condition (left side only) can be “reversed”–not a permanent condition–if given proper care, the doctor assured me.

But the lesson has been learned. I should take even more care of my body even as I grow older and knowing that some parts of my body are not as good as it was when I was younger then. I thank the Lord for his guidance and loving care as I went through–and will go through–this personal health ordeal. Thank you Lord, you will always take care of me.

Yesterday, it happened again! My wife and I were at the mall to have our eyes checked for new eyeglasses. Everything went well but when we were about to leave the eyeglass shop, I felt it again. I began to sense that everything was not right. I told my wife and asked her to help me as we walked. But it did not take long before I told her we had to stop. I began to feel dizzy I couldn’t walk further without falling.

High Blood Pressure Effects

After a few minutes, I was fine again and we proceeded to the parking lot where I took a nap inside the car. But the dizziness became worse. I was now having high blood pressure again! I threw up several times and learned how to do it without going out of the car. I just opened the car door and threw up outside. It was a terrible feeling to be dizzy and throwing up. The first time I had a really high blood pressure was at NLEX but I did not throw up. I just felt like doing it but nothing came out. This time it happened. This is the second time I had a really high blood pressure. And it sure is quite a difficult situation to be in!

I thought I would be OK by just resting but after one and half hour, I decided to ask my wife to look for a driver who can drive us home as it was getting dark and the mall was about to close. There was no way I could drive and I knew it. Every time I opened my eyes, it was as if the world was turning around crazy. My wife found a taxi driver who drove us home. I thought he charged us quite high but… oh well, never mind. He got us home safe. I rested the whole time through the night and I felt better when I woke up this morning. I still feel tired a bit though at this time. What an experience!

I’m still under medication for one month and after that, the doctor will check me again. I’ve been exercising regularly and resting a lot at home avoiding going out as much as I can. I have also drastically changed my diet with the help of my wife. Thanks to my loving wife!

Despite all these measures, it happened to me again yesterday after 25 days since the first one happened. My wife and I suspect that these past few days I was a bit lax with my food intake. I had too much of the wrong food. So we decided to review my diet again and be even more careful this time. Such is my present trial at this time.

Photo credit: Google