How many times can we whisper to ourselves “If only…” before we finally change the past?
The answer is infinity. Infinity times. Because you can’t change the past.
Duh.
As of right now, changing the past is impossible. So if you’re desperately trying to alter it with “If only’s,” consider yourself in it for the long haul.
What we do have control over is our future. What your life becomes is the direct effect of how you’re living it right now.
David Collings from London learned that lesson the hard way. Had he thought ahead and covered all his bases when it came to his health, he might have avoided an incident that changed his life forever.
It seemed like David took good care of his health, at least on the surface. He exercised, ate well, and never smoked. But in the end, none of that mattered.
David suffered his first heart attack at the age of 48.
Both he and his family figured he had come down with a bug when he came home complaining of chest pains. It wasn’t until two days later, after persistent urging from his wife, that David was finally diagnosed with a heart attack.
But why? people wondered. David was a healthy man. Doctors suspect two factors come into play:
- Holiday season overindulgence – If you eat too much in one sitting, doctors say blood will move away from the heart and go to the stomach to help with digestion. This doesn’t pose much of a problem unless you have pre-existing issues with clogged arteries.
- Wintertime weather – Freezing temperatures can increase the risk of blood-clots.
Doctors strongly encourage people with cholesterol or heart issues to avoid overindulging as much as possible–especially during the holiday season. So why didn’t David?
It turns out that David has familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), a chronic condition characterized by high levels of LDL cholesterol (a.k.a. the bad cholesterol–the kind that clogs arteries, which can lead to heart attack). So, knowing that, wouldn’t David have been more careful?
Sure! If he had known. That’s right;
David didn’t find out about his FH until after being diagnosed with a heart attack.
It’s an invisible disease, a silent killer with either no symptoms or subtle ones, and it can only be discovered by a cholesterol test–something David never had. Had he, he might have avoided the whole ordeal. But, unfortunately, that is not the case. Instead, David is forced to wonder, “If only…” If only I had gotten that blood test sooner.
Would you believe only 10% of people with FH are actually diagnosed?
That statistic blows my mind. Are blood tests not being taken? Are patients not aware of the risks? I figure a lot can be involved. But how scary is THAT? Research suggests having FH actually shortens your life span! Yikes! That makes me want to go get some blood tests done.
I think the Collings family felt the same, because David’s heart attack led them all to get tested. Out of his two children, his youngest daughter, Bethan, was diagnosed with FH, along with eight more of his family members. Luckily for Bethan, because the disease was caught early, she can get on treatment and reduce her risk of heart attack. For that, David is relieved.
If only I had gotten that blood test sooner. But better late than never.
David and his daughter have now been put on medication to help combat their disease. David is also better managing his diet and working out more. Even so, he claims his life still feels relatively normal. And most importantly, he’s thankful that he’s the only member of his family who has to wonder, “If only…”
As reported by DailyMail, David said,
“A lot of good came of my heart attack. My family was carrying a ticking time bomb; now we can take the right precautions to stay healthy.”
No one wants to live with regrets. Here’s what I, Lady Kehveen, want you to do. I want you to make a list of your fears pertaining to the future, whether they’re near or far. But each fear must be posed as a “What if…” question:
- What if I don’t get enough sleep?
- What if I’m left alone?
- What if I leave everyone I love behind?
And then, to avoid looking over a long list of “If only’s” later in life, I want you to do all you can today to make sure those fears don’t come true. I want you take that trip to Disney World you’ve always wanted to take. I want you to call up your long-lost best friend and tell him/her how much you love them. I WANT YOU TO GET BLOOD TESTS. Because you never know what’s lurking around in there. Learn from David’s experiences…
