A lesson...

I guess that I have alot to be thankful and grateful for. For the past month, since June, I had not been feeling well. Busy with work and home. Facing enormous stress due to my company's ISO 9001:2000 annual survelliance audit. Then, in the midst of it, I noticed that my heart "beating" very fast. I could almost hear the palpitation, which is worst at night. Some nights were so bad that I had difficulty falling asleep.

Desperate out of my wits, I consulted my doctor friend and she ran an ECG. The ECG showed frequent ventricular ectopics which sounded like a "big" and "frightening" medical term for a layperson like me. She referred me to a cardiologist in Kuching for further diagnosis. I flew to Kuching on Sunday and had the echocardiography, stress ECG and blood test done on Monday.

Finally, after battery of tests that lasted almost half a day, my condition was diagnosed as severe anaemic (iron deficiency) most likely caused by menstrual problems and symptomic ventricular ectopics precipitated by anaemia and stress. Both conditions are non-life threatening at the moment, which is, a big relief to me. Medications were prescribed.

Looking back over the whole episode, I must say that I learnt a very valuable lesson. In the past, I had been rather careless with my health, often turning a "deaf" ear to the advice of my doctor friend and family members. Life's short and fragile and I should learn how to contribute and count my blessings instead of just waiting to receive, whinning and complaining about my fate. It's only when one is close to losing something or someone precious that one learns to appreciate it more, and suddenly, some of the other most important things does not really matter. A simple, yet profound lesson.