To my knowledge, I’ve never caught coronavirus. Or maybe I did but wasn’t aware at the time. Following the health guidelines has never been an issue for me. As an introvert, I usually keep my distance from strangers, I don’t mind wearing a mask to hide my facial expressions, staying home has never been a problem, and cleanliness is next to godliness has always been my motto.
There is no way coronavirus would’ve found me. I should have been totally safe. But what I learned during the pandemic is sickness and death can come in other forms besides coronavirus.
At one point it seemed like every day we would learn that a celebrity had died unexpectedly from a non-covid illness. Bob Saget, Chadwick Boseman, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Alex Trebek, and the original Darth Vader, David Prowse are just a few who were taken from this world during the most hopeless and frightening of times in recent years. Of course, some non-celebrities died from non-covid illnesses as well, and Black people suddenly found a new killer in police officers.
No one was safe.
Everyone could be a victim.
I almost became one.
One ordinary morning in May 2020, I woke up feeling fatigued and had a headache. I got up and drank a tall glass of water—no Advil included. I figured I was just dehydrated and needed to break the fast. While cooking grits and eggs I started feeling queasy, and later I vomited. When I was through, I finished cooking and then sat down to eat while listening to covid reports on the news. I then felt fatigued, as if I was about to pass out at any moment. It was also getting more difficult with each bite to swallow my food. Eventually I gave up and went back to bed. Minutes later, I vomited again. I called my job to tell them I would not be signing in today—we were all working from home at the time. I stayed in bed the entire morning and tried to sleep, but I was never a good sleeper. At around one o’clock, I cooked chicken, broccoli, and black beans—my daily diet to this day. I started to feel nauseous again, and I eventually went. For the remainder of the day, I rested, sipped water, and ate crackers at a slow pace. The following morning I was feeling fine.
These vomiting episodes have occurred once every month thereafter. I tried taking over-the-counter medicines, but they did not solve the problem. In October, I finally decided to follow my manager’s advice and see a doctor. One of the first tasks my doctor performed was taking my blood pressure. The reading was 200 over 120.
My blood pressure reading was dangerously high. Hypertensive crisis.
Aside from the normal nervousness one feels in the examining room, I was feeling fine. But what I learned that day was that high blood pressure is a silent killer. I could’ve eventually suffered from a heart attack, a stroke, or an organ failure which would’ve resulted in death. The doctor prescribed three pills to help lower my blood pressure.
The day after my visit, which was Halloween, was the last time I had a vomiting episode.
After my visit, I studied more about high blood pressure and ways to lower it. I also read inspiring stories from Black survivors as guidance to get me through this troubling ordeal.
TIME FOR A DO-OVER
On November 1st I started to change my life around. I purchased a high blood pressure machine to monitor my blood pressure daily and an electronic scale. By the way, I learned I was 30 pounds overweight. One would never have guessed it in a million years if they had stared at my body.
I started walking 3000 steps each day. I know health experts recommend 10,000 steps a day, but I don’t have the time or the trekking resources to make that commitment. I know it is no excuse. Sue me. :)
I started a new workout routine. I never enjoyed going to the gym unless I was the only person inside. During the pandemic, the gyms were closed, and as I stayed home working, I inexcusably abandoned my exercise duties. This, coupled with the stress of work, was a contributing factor to my high blood pressure. I was working as a retirement specialist in a call center taking hundreds of calls every day from customers who lost their jobs and were desperate to pull their funds from their 401(k) plans just so they can survive. Our call volume was higher than it has ever been, and to make matters worse, employees were calling in sick every day, resulting in long waits for the customers, and more stress and exhaustion for the remaining workers on the phones. Before the pandemic when we were in the office, I would take a walk around the building during my breaks. At home, I found myself too exhausted to step out of my apartment. The only thing I felt like doing was plopping on the couch and remaining still for fifteen minutes. After work, again I was too mentally exhausted to do anything, so I never did anything. I even found it more difficult than ever to write. After my blood pressure diagnosis, I exercise with resistant bands three times a week, and every morning I work out with Fitness Boxing for the Nintendo Switch.
I improved my diet. I still eat chicken and broccoli five times a week. In addition, I stopped eating at fast food restaurants, I decreased the number of processed foods from my diet, I poured lighter sprinkles of salt onto my food, and I ate more fruits and vegetables. But I think the biggest contributor to my health, which was the most difficult to eliminate, was no more drinking Red Bull. I was once Red Bull’s biggest fan. I would drink one to two cans a day for the delicious fruity taste as well as to keep me going for the day. I was addicted and I was loving it. However, I had no idea the sugar and the caffeine were deteriorating my health. So for eighteen months, I have been Red Bull free.
Now this is NOT a campaign to convince readers to stop drinking Red Bull. My problem was the addiction and not being responsible. It is okay to enjoy the wing-giving beverage, but only in moderation.
I drank more water. My beverage of choice has always been water. Every morning, I drink a tall glass before I start the day. I drink water during most of my meals—having an occasional ginger ale at times—and I drink another tall glass three hours before bedtime. Incidentally, I have my coffee later in the morning.
I sat less. Since my jobs have always required me to be in front of a computer. I alternate sitting and standing at my desk, taking one hour for each.
MY HEALTH SO FAR
My road to living healthy in my 40s is progressing smoothly. My blood pressure has been consistently normal for the past eighteen months. Recently my doctor allowed me to discontinue taking one of my medications. Now I have only two pills to take each morning.
I have lost thirty pounds since my diagnosis, which means I am at a reasonable weight.
I sleep better. Night time used to be the worst time of day for me. In the "old life", I needed to take sleeping pills every night. Today I can enjoy a full night of uninterrupted sleep without any aids.
My stress has been lowered since I left my call center job in March.
And so far I have managed to avoid catching diabetes, as it is a family curse. Keep your fingers crossed.
I plan on following these same life changes and looking for new ways on staying healthy. I believe I am still living on this planet for a reason. I have an idea what it is, but I don’t want to share it just yet. If it isn’t what I think it is. I know I will one day discover it. Until then, I will continue working on being a better person for the benefit of myself and others.
Advice: SEE YOUR DOCTOR REGULARLY
Comments