This past November we were on a plane heading back from the Midwest. I started to feel a little off about an hour into the flight. Gradually my head started hurting, my stomach began to feel upset, I was getting dizzy. By the time the plane landed I had a full blown migraine and was feeling awful. We landed, stopped by Subway to grab something to eat and I continued to feel worse. As we got closer to home I started to throw up and barely could get out of the car. After an hour of not feeling better, my wife suggested I take my blood pressure. When the numbers stopped on the blood pressure cough they settled in at 196/125. For me I had no idea why my wife immediately said, we are going to the ER NOW!
Over the next 3 hours, I was asked multiple times whether I was feeling numbness in my extremities, where I was experiencing memory loss, and whether I could talk or not. After 3 rounds of IV meds to lower my blood pressure I started to feel better and think more clearly. Fortunately, the extreme high blood pressure had not cause any damage or triggered anything worse, but it did begin a new season of emphasizing that taking care of your health matters.
The 18 months that preceded this event had been full of stress of searching for the next position, moving, moving 2 of our kids, supporting some people close to us through a crisis, beginning a new job, getting the opportunity to work through some difficult situations, a home purchasing nightmare and a selfish attitude of I can handle this. Over the 18 months, I had nearly stopped exercising, I had chosen to avoid eating well, and allowed stress to lead my life. I kept telling myself that I would get healthy as soon as “Fill in the Blank” happened. My pride that I could handle anything without help almost created a permanent problem for me.
In this year I have learned that personal health matters. Over the next couple of months, I got on some medication, I changed my diet, I changed my work rhythms. It took some intentional work, new disciplines, and a humility that my body can’t handle what it used to. Fast forward 4 months, I am feeling a lot better, I am continuing to make a plan for healthier rhythms and lifestyle. I am learning that my personal health matters and that it is worth the focus and effort to make it a priority in my life.