You may have noticed that I have not been in this space for over to 3 weeks.

Almost every nook and cranny of my body has in the last 1 year or so played host to countless number of boils as rapid successions. Concerned, I had visited my doctors in December 2021 and ran series of tests, which results I was told gave no cause for medical concerns.

The boils remained unabated and at a time I had like 7 boils on a part of my body. I decided on May 19, 2022 to visit my doctors again. While I went for my concerns over my ‘Job-like’ infirmity of boils, the vital signs got the nurse and the doctor screaming. My blood pressure has shot to the roof. Mind you, irresponsibly, in the name of being busy with work, I had not checked my blood pressure in 6 months or more, though we have the Automatic Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor at home. ‘Wow, you are between a stroke and a heart attack, but for your visit today,’ medically judged the doctor.

This was how my journey into thorough medical examination began, particularly the fact that I have a family history to hypertension. My mum has suffered a stroke as a result of a neglect to manage her hypertension at 62. In the last 3 weeks my body and blood have been available samples and specimens of myriad of tests, including one called 24-Hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring, which stationed a machine on my arm and hung another on my neck to take my BP every 30 minutes for 24 straight hours. While the medical investigation continues, I am placed on anti-hypertensive medication and my blood pressure is back to normal.

My Cardiologist, who I began to see in this period sat me down and warned on my lifestyle of having in most days 35 items on my to-do list, working round the clock, including weekends and sacrificing my sleep and leisure for it. I was told it was time to replace my 3 hours or so sleep pattern with 8 hours minimum. I was told to watch my diet and embrace physical excises. I was reminded that I was 52 years old and not 25.

Though, the medical examination is still on as I still have some tests to go, I have decided to focus on lifestyle change. I have since then committed myself getting my life back from the plague of workaholism if I must win over this trying health times, which I believe is induced by self-inflicted stress. Few years ago, I remember that my heart almost stopped on my wedding anniversary and was rushed to the hospital. My alibi for my lifestyle was ‘I don’t smoke, I don’t drink, I don’t womanise.’(apology to Bash Ali). I must now begin to say also, ‘I rest and spend time with the family.’

I thank God for the boils. Maybe this was the core of their assignment to bring me to be sober about the insensitive use of the horse, God gifted me to carry out His assignments for me on earth. 

I just hope I have learnt the lessons and this might just be an example for someone out there. Do have an INSPIRED weekend.