Health updates

My dearest Anna,

This is primarily addressed to you, being the only person who shed a tear when i shared with you the initial findings regarding my health last week. Thank you for the tears and thank you for the continuous prayers. I did text you later that if your prayers didn't get me healed, at least, it was strengthening my spirit, di ba? I got over the initial panic ( --ala- Ali McGraw: "Who's gonna clean the toilet?" --like i'm the one who does the cleaning??) and simply got up believing there is nothing God does or allows to happen in this world for no good reason, and that our God is a good God. Putting my trust in Him has somehow lifted me up instead of depressing me. So daghang salamat.

The same goes to you---all my friends and loved ones who thought about me and prayed for me this past week. Things would not be looking up if you weren't 'lakas' up There coz your prayers were truly heard.

And by looking up, I do not mean i'm totally healed or what. It just means the Lord led me to 'Dr. Right'---in the person of Dr. Johnson Wee, a Singapore-trained cardiologist in Gensan---who was astute enough to look beyond the textbook illustration of a hypertensive patient---and discover something unexpected. Simple, but surprising. And nothing to worry about, really (i think, heheheh). After the series of tests, scans and what-have-you, at least now we know what we're dealing with, and how to go about managing it.

For starters, the initial findings were right---that i do have an enlarged heart (no wonder pala i easily love everything and everyone in sight, heheh), caused by oft-repeated bouts of raised blood pressure. BUT, the tilt testing conducted yesterday revealed that I am NOT your normal hypertensive---if one is to define that as having a high bp all or most of the time. Very sensitive lang ang heart ko to the littlest irritant or upsets or problems (of other people?) that my emotions have to react to. So whenever all these occur, up shoots my BP....or something like that.And then it goes down again--and lies in wait for the next 'exciting' event. And since i'm a highly happy, excitable, sympathetic, emotional, active person----how in the world does one control that??? Anyways, that's why my heart's got bigger than usual---it's always forced to work overtime! (Please note that my blood chem results are GOOD , cholesterol and sugar levels, included, ha?)

The simple but surprising discovery my good doctor made thru yesterday's test was that I also have what's called vasovagal syncope---nothing alarming, really---but it's an abnormal reflex (since when have i been normal anyway?hahaha) which results in a drop in blood pressure leading to decreased blood flow to the brain resulting in dizziness and/or fainting. Aside from the betablocker (Therabloc) i've been given to keep this and my bp in check, i'm not supposed to be where it's hot ( or enter a car that's been baked in the parking lot),i have to be constantly gulping Gatorade for electrolyte replenishment, i can only walk short distances and only in places where i can sit or lie immediately if need be...I can't play golf unless i have a golf car and the sky is overcast...I can't stand on my feet for a length of time (church, school, etc)...yada,yada,yada. Sheesh. I sound like a semi-retiree!

But the good news is: everything has been identified (i think) and i know now what to do and where to go. Teh? PRAISE THE LORD!! FOR HE IS GOOD!!
Again, thank you, dear Anna (and everyone) for all your prayers and comforting words. It's always good to have someone rooting for you when you're in the dumps. And to know that people care.