By Atty. Antonio P. Pekas
I had been grappling with my medical problem for about a decade already. Doctors call it hypertension—we pay them good money because they know those terms— while we ordinary people call it “high blood.”
The cause for me was easy, overweight. To solve it, however, with my very good appetite, is a Himalayan task. As to diet and lifestyle which almost all doctors easily spot as other culprits, I cannot be faulted in those respects.
Like US President-elect Joe Biden and first class sore loser US President Donald Trump, I don’t partake of alcoholic beverages. To them, they see it as a big hindrance to their high ambitions. In my case, it is a part of my discipline to be able to meditate well. To be able to concentrate deeper in meditation, one should be free from the wooziness that alcoholic drinks cause. As I had been saying all along, meditation is concentrated and extended prayer.
Another lifestyle that is always pointed out by doctors is to avoid foods high in cholesterol or saturated fat. In short, avoid meat, or greatly reduce its intake. Doctors are very diplomatic about it, take only lean meat. If they are not that diplomatic, who would go back to them?
As far as that is concerned, I have even gone far beyond. I have given up meat and fish and other seafoods (except plants like seaweeds) long ago—about 40 years ago. I would like to believe I never “back slided”. That is, I had always been a vegetarian continuously that long or for so many moons. Still am. While it was for better health, the main purpose was also for better meditation—or better spirituality. You can concentrate better on God if you are physically fit. I don’t think you can be good at it if you are in pain due to cancer, or ulcer, or arthritis, etc.
Any other possible cause of my “high blood?” How about heredity? It runs in both of my parental sides—relatives died because of it. But our columnist Dr. Penny Domogo would say, no.
Then there is the stress due to press days—when we put together issues of this paper—and my work as a practicing lawyer. These also often entail sleepless nights. But these would be another story.
So I had been careful about my problem. Tucked in my wallet are two tablets of Catapres just in case. Catapres is that small tablet doctors would put under your tongue to bring down your blood pressure.
The big question remains, so what is wrong with me? For sure, my overweight is enough cause of my problem. When I brought down my weight by 20 pounds, halleluiah! I became OK. But as I said, I could not maintain it. There’s got to be a more sustainable way.
Meantime, I was advised to take minimal doses of maintenance pills. I got educated regarding the phrase, “Are you on maintenance?” That was not in my vocabulary before.
But I always got shocked whenever I googled the possible side effects of maintenance pills. They can cause terrible diseases—even as bad as cancer of the liver and pancreas– which even one of the richest billionaires in the world, Steve Jobs, was not able to get through.
Then I had my epiphany. As the Born Again Christians would say, “Praise the Lord!”
Yes, the answer had always been with me. Will reveal it here next week.**
