Powered By Blogger

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Don't push yourself to the limit, or the breaking point, this is not joke




Please, check on your blood pressure, visit your doctor.
Hello Everybody, I want to tell everybody who works hard for your career, business, school, etc.. think how important is this effort that you are doing. You may be one of those people that some times over do it, by postponing  breaks, or by delaying your own personal life. Think on how meaningless all this effort could be if suddenly you get a wakeup call in your life (heart attack, stroke, seizure, etc). 

 Well, let me tell you I was one of those who work ten hours in a row without taking breaks or delayed  breaks for the second part of the day.  I could easily accumulate projects finished one to just jump into the second one finish it and then take my break or relax. I was not aware that I had a high blood pressure for a few months, which is also called the silent killer because there are not warning signs.


What I can recall is having some minor headaches, or felling dizzy at times, which of course I just take some pain killers and keep on working. I thought by just joining the gym or playing some sports it would take care of the problem but I was so wrong. I should have made an appoint with the doctor. 



I was so glad to leave the ICU
and in my way to my own suite

Three weeks ago while at the gym, I was getting ready to play Volleyball with some friends, when all of the sudden  I felt so agitated, then dizzy, then I collapsed, and next thing  I can remember is having my friend Eric next to me telling me the paramedics were on their way.  I remember this worst ever headache. While at the ambulance I remember following some directions, to move my right arm, my left arm, to move my left arm, left leg, I remember I could not move the left side of my body, for some reason I did not worry, I was not fully aware of the situation either. Then I remember being placed into a MRI machine to check my brain.


My next memory jumped to a ICU intensive care unit where I laid down on a bed, then I saw like ten friends around me, then I felt sleep.

At the Intensive Care Unit
 Then hours later, I remember that I was going to have some kind of procedure in my brain. I have  had so many surgeries in the past, I counted the other da and they're close to 10, that I was not really scared nor impressed either, knowing I was in what it is considered one if not the best hospital in the world.
After a few hours I remember having a panel of doctors in front of me, yes I felt just like one of those talent shows, and certainly I did not wanted to be eliminated at this point.
Then I was asked a few basic questions, like my name, here I was at, the day, the time, and to move my arms and legs, this time I remember I was able to move my whole body. The only thing that bothered me was the constant headache, which was minor compared to what I had the night before.
Then hours later, I start on receiving some shocking statistics, like
“Enrique, 95% of people who has what you had died on the spot”.
“Enrique, don’t worry, you are going to live”
“Enrique, you are so lucky, you are recovering so well, and so fast, you are doing great”
“Enrique, you can considered yourself like you have a second chance in your life and you just re-born at this age”
I got most of this information while still at the ICU and when I had access to my personal computer and cell phone. I was so nicely impresed by all the get better messages from all over the world, I was like WOW bad news spread fast. I had some friends visiting me to the hospital as well, Thank you all.
Some friends and doctor family members informed me that “ Enrique, just 3 or 4 people out of 100 survived of what you had, or fully recovered, some people remained paralyzed and have to go under physical therapy to recover fully

Robert, and friends visiting me

I have a friend who  told me that I am so optimistic even at the most scaring times, I do not think of myself as that optimistic, I feel well, except by the fact that I cannot fully move my left feet. Other than that I feel like before except by this minor head aches.
On my last doctor visit I was told I need to forget about those ten hour study or working marathons I used to do. That I need to take more breaks and enjoy more life around me.
I suggests  to everybody to do the same “Enjoy more your life, family members, friends, go out more often, join the gym, take care more of yourself.”
Then I had a friend (client) who told me, probably he was fully aware of what I experienced “Enrique, you have so much to do in this world yet, so you cannot die yet, you need to help me to make so many businesses decisions.”
To be honest with you, this issue surprised me a lot, since I am the kind of person who works out at the gym often, I eat healthy all the time, and rarely felt sick.
I want to express to everybody who works a lot, and who depends on your own or those people that depend on your work, to tell people to Relax and to take life easier, no need to rush or to push themselves to do things or to complete projects, it is much better to take plenty of time to finish your projects and also to take breaks every couple of hours or so.
In my personal case, I am the kind of person that always placed my projects or plans first before anything else, and since I remember from my high school years, I remember working for hours and hours in a row without breaks until I completed my projects or home works and then I finely took my break once I completed the whole projects.
I remember having some headaches or feeling dizzy when working on some projects or home works. I also remember some of my family members   that are doctors telling me to take breaks to be easier with myself or to let my brains relax for a while before resuming to my projects.
I do remember having these issues more often once I was admitted at my Engineering school; I have always just ignore it and just work myself off until finished or completed my projects for school, or studying for any school test.

It is not my intention to give any kind of medical advise, I'm just sharing my own personal experience and hope this could help somebody and who knows avoid this experience to you.
My ideal for breaks or vacations was to complete projects and once everything was finished or under controls then I felt relaxed enough to enjoy a break or a vacation.
Or if you are in a similar situation of where I was or even if you are not, I would suggests  to visit your doctor and have a check up, because you never know what might  be going on.

And yes,  will make some canges in my work and personal life too.