We all know what happens when you keep burning the candle from both ends, and it seldom ends well. I haven’t been feeling very well for some weeks now, nothing I could put my finger on, just a general lack of energy, sometimes a tightening in my chest and sometimes a kind of crushing feeling that always passed quickly. Then yesterday following a rather spectacular loss of temper (it takes a lot to make me go off the dial but when I go…I go big style) on the phone with my brother over a decision he wanted to take regarding our private business I had terrible chest pains, again they passed quickly but scared the shit out of me none the less. When L came home some hours later she took my BP……….172/135 with a heart rate of 89 was the lowest of 3 tests. I am not sure about the heart rate but the BP is way off the scale but not as high as it was some years ago when I really lost the plot for a while. I went to the doctors first thing this morning, he checked my BP and listened to my chest… then immediately signed me off work for a week (reluctantly allowing me to go to my office this afternoon to clear up a few loose ends but joking that I should think about picking up a will package while I am at it) and has booked me a Chest X-ray, a Cardiogram and blood tests. He has also doubled the dosage of the BP drugs I am already taking. I got home about an hour ago to a shit storm about constant warnings that working and mucking about as hard as I do would catch up with me in the end I have cancelled all meetings, appointments and a business trip to Stockholm at the end of the week. Everything else for this week I have delegated. Next week’s diary will be reviewed once I know what’s going on. I was also pleasantly surprised how supportive my director was when I told him the sad tidings, even asking what he could do to help….. When I left the office this evening I put a little note along with the doctors sick note on our PA’s desk to say, “If it’s urgent by all means call me…. you will hear an engaged tone because I have diverted my mobile phone to your extension, if you decide to email me don’t be surprised if said email appears back in your in box, yep, that’s another divert…… so let’s call it a little initiative test. I am going off radar to enjoy Countdown, I will call you when I am back on line x” On the plus side, when the alarm goes off at 04:45 in the morning I can turn over and bury my head under the quilt with a cheery “have a nice day darling” I personally don’t think the above has anything to do with work or play, it’s my new personal computer running windows 8 that has driven me off the rails... Example, I have no idea why the fcuking photograph keeps coming up on its side…Ahhhhh.
Shit.. Take it easy and that means take it easy! I lost my best pal a year ago ignoring the signs of a heart attack so believe the doctor when he says slow down.. I'm no better than you at times taking work first but it sometimes takes a 'scare' for people to take the hint..
Luckily I had my warning about doing daft hours etc a few years ago when I was younger and it wasn't the heart that sounded the alarm. Enjoy the break and sod work as they would have to manage if you had ended up in hospital.
My last little episode, which had me 'Blue & Two'd' by a paramedic in a car as he didn't want to wait for a van also came off the back of a blazing row with J. This one, oddly enough, about me getting tired of her nagging me about being ill and needing to toe the line. She, of course, denies all knowledge of her pecking away at my good humour like a woodpecker on PCP, but then I'm pretty sure they're out to drive us over the edge anyway. During a ruck, all kinds of chemistry goes into overdose in your system and will exacerbate any underlying crap that pure bloody mindedness surpresses on a day to day basis. I'm certain you'll be fine David...
Take it easy mate, sometimes stripping life back, take a nice deep breath and focus on what makes you happy. As for work etc, it's always worth remembering no matter who you are, even Bill Gates, you only have one shot, I'd rather be poor and healthy than rich and fked.
Mate the dr prescribed me some of these when I done my ankle. Wanna try em? On a serious note mate, take it bloody easy fella (no pun intended) and get yourself sorted. Week or so away from work won't end the world but might make you feel a bit better. And with this extended sunny period sounds like a perfect excuse to actually put some miles on the bike. Even the mrs can't complain - its therapeutic isn't it Oh and if you find yourself bored one afternoon ill scam it off work and we can go and get pissed! Lol
Thanks for your support guys. Nice idea Jimbo, much appreciated mate, however, just for now I am off the sauce and have hardly a hint of Gauloises about me. Blood tests done, X-ray, and Cardiogram today. Interestingly I had an off the record call on my private mobile yesterday from a close college who was on the side lines of a meeting and over heard a discussion between my director and the CEO who where talking about re apportioning resources to give me more back room support......that would be nice, if it ever happened.
