New year, new life
Mr. K was 64 and loving it. He had just retired and enjoyed having time on his hands. He played golf twice weekly and enjoyed basketball with friends on weekends. Now he could watch movies for free and even received a 20% discount on parking and restaurant food. This was why people were raring to turn 60 these days and he made it a point to take advantage of being a senior citizen.
Mr. K never bothered to get a check-up – he always told his friends that he felt good, so what on earth could be wrong? He taunted friends who were taking medicines and undergoing tests regularly, saying ”that’s what you get for seeing the doctor – you get sick! I don’t ever want to be told that I have anything.” After all, he did not smoke and went easy with the alcohol. But he would get the occasional pang of anxiety because his father and uncles all had heart attacks in their sixties. So he would occasionally pop a small tablet of aspirin when he remembered. Otherwise, Mr. K went his merry way.
Christmas 2013 came with all the celebrations and fatigue that usually accompany it. Mr. K also celebrated his 65th birthday on December 24, with a large party for the birthday and to welcome Christmas Day. That afternoon, he had a very bad headache and nape pain so he decided to sleep it off. By dinner time, however, the headache was worse but he decided to just bear it. Before dessert, as his friends were toasting him with wine, he felt he could no longer handle it. He put both his hands on his head, sat down on the lowest rung of the stairs, and then, passed out.
Pandemonium struck and his family and friends called an ambulance service and brought him to the emergency room. The doctors found him in a deep stupor, snoring loudly. Mr. K was not responding to his name or even to painful pinches on his arm. A CT Scan revealed a large blood clot in his brain. Thankfully, it was within reach of the neurosurgeon’s scalpel and he was promptly wheeled into the operating room. Christmas Day arrived as the doctors were opening up his scalp.
Several hours later, Mr. K’s wife and kids were ushered into the recovery room. They saw him sleeping soundly, but still attached to a ventilator. The doctors told them that the surgery was successful and they were just waiting for the effects of anesthesia to wane. The team, which included a neurologist and a cardiologist, informed the wife that Mr. K’s blood pressure was very high, and had probably been high for quite a few years because his heart was also quite thickened. His cholesterol levels were markedly above normal, and may have been due to his enjoying the senior citizen discount in too many restaurants. Mr. K was lucky that his faint had been witnessed, because the very large blood clot could have killed him if it was not managed urgently. Over-all, it seemed that he had been blessed with a new lease on life.
Mr. K woke up to find himself in a hospital room, with bandages on his head and his sleepless family around him. There was difficulty in speaking initially and some numbness on many parts of his body but he recovered well after a few sessions of rehabilitation. Soon he was walking with assistance and able to communicate with his family and friends. He went home within the week and celebrated the coming of the New Year 2014 in the warm embrace of his family. But this time, Mr. K knew that major changes were in the offing. He had medicines to treat his hypertension and high cholesterol, and needed to subscribe to exercises as part of his rehabilitation program. Doctor visits would have to be done at regular intervals so that they can monitor his progress.
But despite all these changes, Mr. K was happy. He was happy to be alive, in relatively good shape, and in good spirits. He regaled his visitors with hospital jokes and funny little anecdotes about his doctors and nurses. But deep inside, he was thankful to God for this second chance and prayed for strength to overcome the challenges posed by his illness. He wondered what his purpose for living should be… and he realized that, at the very least, he should serve as an example for others who neglect their health issues. So, the New Year 2014 brings with it a new life for Mr. K, a life intended to help others avoid the consequences of poor health and poor judgement. Happy New Year!
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