What I’m about to tell you is personal, and something I hope I never forget. I had a scary wake up call in August that totally caught me off guard. I want to share my experience with you because it really reminded me how all too often we take for granted the one thing that we’d pay our life’s savings for in a second and do just about anything to get back if we ever lost it: our health. When our health is impaired, the only thing we can think about is getting better. Suddenly nothing else matters, and all the things we had hoped to get done that day, week, or month go up in smoke.
Your Health Is SO Precious. Don’t Ever Forget It!!!!
I’ve always considered myself to be fairly healthy. I’m not overweight, I like eating fruits and veggies, I even tried going vegan once, and usually I get in regular exercise. Sure I’m guilty of letting my workout routine evaporate when I’m working a lot of hours or feeling a bit lazy, but I’m always walking all over the city and find my way back to exercising and hiking in my Vibram FiveFingers when my schedule evens out.
I’ve also been fortunate to have a pretty strong immune system and besides having annoying allergies, I usually only have to fight off one or two colds a year. I got hit like a brick with a virus of some sort in early August though and was so dizzy I couldn’t even get out of bed. If you’ve never experienced vertigo, consider yourself very lucky.
My dizziness passed after a few days, but then I started feeling very uncomfortable and ill in my abdomen. Something just didn’t seem right but I tried not to let it bother me. I had a lot of work I was trying to finish before leaving for my scheduled vacation to Belgium and figured I would get better soon. But time was running out before I had to leave for my trip and I was feeling worse. Would my entire vacation be ruined? My system was shutting down and I succumbed to making an appointment to see my doctor. I decided to get a full physical while I was at it since I hadn’t seen my doc in two years and I was starting to worry if something was seriously wrong with me.
Having A Doctor You Trust Is Priceless When You’re In Need
When I had my appointment, I told my doctor about all my symptoms in detail and asked a lot of questions. She didn’t think anything serious was wrong with me, but she also said she couldn’t rule out anything yet either. I was sent to the lab to have a large panel of tests taken and told to wait a few days for the results. I cringed when I saw how much blood they had to draw, and when you think something could be wrong with your health, it is so hard to cope with the agony of waiting for answers.
Time was started to get tight too since I was scheduled to leave for my vacation to Belgium in less than a week. But I tried to stay calm, hoping I would get good news, or at least some sort of news, before I left. Two days later I got a voicemail that made my heart sink. Two of my tests came back abnormal, including one for my liver, and my doctor wanted me to call her right away.
Fear flooded my soul. I suddenly felt very vulnerable and scared. What did these abnormalities mean? What if it’s cancer? Or liver disease? What if I needed surgery or a transplant? My mind started spiraling out of control and I had to close my eyes and take deep breaths to calm myself down. I only held it together by telling myself there was no need to panic, at least not yet, until I knew more.
Thank God For Insurance And The Wealth Of Medical Knowledge
I got an appointment to go back in the next day to get some medication and more tests taken including a trip to the hospital to have my liver and other abdominal organs checked. All the while I’m thinking, what if I need to get surgery? I’m leaving for Belgium in a few days. It was unsettling and time seemed to stand still, but I kept telling myself, thank God I have insurance and that I have a knowledgeable doctor who is patient and actually cares.
I had to wait another very long two days to hear back, but the medicine she gave me started to help and I had hope because I felt my physical strength was starting to come back. Nevertheless I kept calling and asking the nurses if there was any update on my second batch of tests. I was down to one day before my scheduled departure for Belgium and the lab results weren’t back yet. Would I really have to leave the country on such circumstances without knowing if I was seriously ill?
And Then The Phone Rang…
As I was trying to finalize the last bits of packing for my trip an hour before I had to leave for the airport, my phone rang. It was my doctor, and thankfully she cut right to the chase. All of the new tests she had ordered for me came back negative, which is good, and although my liver enzymes were still elevated above the normal range, they had dropped down from the tests before. Her conclusion was that my body was on its way back to normal levels, that I didn’t have any serious illness and should continue to feel better, and that my symptoms were most likely just from the virus I had caught earlier in the month.
Phew! This was the best news I could possibly get before leaving for Belgium, and just in time too. Halleluiah! Even though I was still a bit ill, my body felt a whole lot better with this news and I felt I could finally relax and look forward to my vacation. Even though I was okay, I was still glad that I had all those tests taken so I could know for sure.
Why You Need To Work Hard Right Now
I made it to Belgium safely and had a wonderful time there, which I’ll be sharing with you in an upcoming post. With my immune system weakened though, I actually caught a cold while I was on vacation, which was a bummer. But after the scary ordeal I went through in the weeks prior, I knew I could handle a minor cold. I just took things slow and didn’t let being sick ruin my trip.
This entire experience definitely made me more cognizant that my immune system might not be as bullet proof as it once was, and that being mindful of my health is more important than ever. We just can’t predict when or how we will get sick, or if we could end up fighting a terrible illness. That is why we all need to make the most of now. Work hard right now while you’re still young, whatever age you define young to be. Go out there and get active and take better care of your body.
When I was sick, I couldn’t do anything except rest and hope I would get better. It was frustrating and I felt like if only I was healthy again I could be doing so much with my time. We really can make more time each week if we put our minds to it. I’m certainly going to try and get more out of each day now that I am feeling better!
Untemplaters, have you ever had a serious health scare? How would you rate your health right now compared to a year or two ago? What are your thoughts on why you need to work hard right now and how does health play a role in your goals and priorities?
Preaching to the choir, in my case. A few episodes of chest pains are enough to suddenly shift focus away from the niggly little things and into the big picture. Glad you’re OK.
Yikes that must have been scary for you too. Hope everything is alright. I don’t drink much caffeine anymore because it makes my heart beat all funny.
Hi Sydney,
Your post remind me that the most important thing in life is to live every moment to the fullest. Have fun with your kids, be kind to others and enjoy simple pleasures.
You never know what tomorrow may bring, but you have now to enjoy.
I am glad that everything worked out for you in time before your trip.
That’s right, we have to embrace the time we have right now. I’m already missing the days when I could sit cross legged on the floor for hours. I sat like that for 10 minutes this weekend and my knee hurt for an entire day afterwards. Our bodies just weren’t made to last forever. I’m gonna go do some knee exercises now!
Hi Sydney,
It must have been so scary when you didn’t know, and were wondering, with dread, what the doctor would tell you. I remember those days when my girlfriend had labyrinthitis and we didn’t know, or those times when I felt perpetually foggy, and also had elevated enzyme counts. Health is a most precious thing.
It was so tough feeling and hearing something was wrong but not knowing what the outcome was going to be. Health really is precious as you said!
Glad to hear everything came back normal and you’re getting better. Health is so important as is health insurance. I used to think I was invincible, but as I’ve gotten older I’ve realized that’s not really the case. Now I really think about what I eat and make sure to exercise throughout the week. I don’t want to be old and sick someday!
I hear ya. It’s a bummer that as we age more health issues tend to creep up, but that’s just a part of life. We can decrease our chances though by preventative maintenance so nice job getting regular exercise!
Glad youf feeling better.
Yeah, I take my health for granted. I’m one of those people that people tend to describe as “healthy as a horse” or “fit as an ox.” When things go wrong for me, it happens suddenly, like my gall bladder last year. My FIRST EVER gall bladder attack came about 14 hours before it had to be removed because it was FULL of gall stones.
But because of that, I just tend to assume I’m okay even when prudence would dictate that I should get checked out. I fell off a truck last week at work and SHOULD have gone to Urgent Care and gotten an x-ray to see if I cracked a rib. Instead I kept working!
Oh my goodness I’m so glad you’re okay. Gall stones was one of the things they checked me for when I was at the hospital. Wow I can’t believe how suddenly your attack came and thank goodness you were able to get treatment quickly!
You must have a very high pain tolerance especially to keep working after your fall! Hope you’re feeling better Edward!
Yeah. It was crazy. I went to bed feeling fine and woke in the middle of the night in the most intense pain in my life. The surgeon commented that she had never seen a gall bladder so full.
With the fall, it was really one of those cases where the pain didn’t really set in for several hours. In reality, I’m pretty much a wuss when it comes to pain.
Whew, very glad that turned out to not be more serious.
I definitely do. So many people around me have health issues (and often they’re concealed) and I know I’m fortunate to live a healthy, pain-free life.
Thanks. Yeah a lot of times we just don’t know what people around us or even what friends and family are dealing with health-wise. I told my boss as little as possible because the last thing I wanted is people around the office whispering about what I was actually going through. Glad your health is good!
So glad it wasn’t more serious — and yes, make hay while the sun shines — but also enjoy the sun on our shoulders!
Thanks Kathleen! I like your quote a lot. Make the most of the time we have while also finding ways to enjoy and appreciate our surroundings.
Wow, glad you’re okay. I’ve never had a health scare, but it seems like more and more people around me are getting seriously ill. It definitely forces me to be more thankful for what I have.
Thanks LBee. I’m glad you’re health is good and sorry to hear more and more people you know are getting really sick. It’s so frustrating and sad that we just never know when our time could come. Just yesterday I was so shocked hearing about Michael Clarke Duncan passing at 54. So young.
We gotta hug our loved ones every day, take care of our bodies as best we can, and count our blessings. Life is short.
I have to agree with the FInancial Samurai … perhaps a title could be “Make the Most of Your Health”? Seems like when you’re healthy you should work hard, but also play hard, and love hard, and have fun and cherish your family and go out and do things, etc. Not just work hard. Man, scary stuff, glad you’re okay! (and that you got to go on your trip, too!)
Yeah thanks for the tips. I was a bit too jet lagged when I came up with the original title. I changed it to Never Take Your Health For Granted and I hope I remember this experience for the rest of my life. It’s so easy to forget how important our health is when we’re feeling good, and then oh so desperately just want to feel better after we get sick.
That had to be nevrewracking from both a health and vacation perspective. I would have been so stressed out. Luckily I have never had a major health scare and hope I don’t have one for a long time. I am glad things turned out good for you and you got to enjoy Belgium!
Thanks Lance. Yeah the timing of the whole thing was crazy. I felt stressed having to take time off of work to go to all the appointments right before my trip, but I just had to do it and thankfully my boss was understanding. I’m glad you haven’t had to deal with a major health scare!
Glad you are feeling better Sydney and that it was nothing too serious!
After reading your story, I wonder if the more apt theme of the post is “Why we should enjoy every minute of life right now” instead?
We should work hard when we still have the energy, but if sickness is on the horizon, we should do more to enjoy life.
Thanks Sam. I’m so relieved to have all of those tests behind me. It was so nerve wracking and scary. All I could think about when I was sick was how I wished I was healthy again so I could get back to work and get active again!