Whew

Dear Mouse,

I do not want to blog about it but here I am writing it as I looked back what happened to me last night.

I was determined not to attend any party this year but some friends insisted that I should join them.

The first one to invite me was my friend who has the boy-from-hell-son and a a sweet- little angel-three year old girl.

Two gifts for each and for the family.

The second one was my former officemate.

Gifts for the kid and the family.

The third one was a former scholar of mine.

Five gifts for the family.

I did not go to the mall to get the last minute gifts.

I was used to hoarding little things that I picked up from my travels so that one of my closets is practically a storage of items addressed to- whom- it- may- be -given for some occasions.

One thing that I cannot shake off up to now is my compulsion of spending hours to put personal touch to the gift.

I prepare the ribbons and the bric-a-brac that go with the gifts such as small stars, leaves, dried flowers, etc.

People can fault me for being meticulous with gift wrapping that they feel guilty whenever they open their gifts and destroy those "works of art".

Yesterday, I wrapped the gifts...Mikasa vase for a friend, childrens books,jewelry box,coloring pencils,picture frames, etc.

At 3 pm, my friend, the mother of the boy-from-hell informed me that she called off the party due to family squabble.

I sighed a relief. At least, I do not have to put up with the boy-from-hell's mischiefs.

In his latest visit, I said goodbye to my antique dainty Christmas ball and a decanter filled with dried rose petals. While I was helping his father apply for a job in the internet he was busy with his demolition job.

Second to call was the former officemate.

The Christmas party was set to a late afternoon get together.

I said I'll call if I can make it.

Huh

Six o' clock, after writing an e-mail, I felt pain in my neck and a splitting headache.

I am a vegan. I do not eat fatty foods. Our family has a history of hypertension.

My father, my aunts and uncle died of stroke.

My father died of cerebral hemmorhage at the age of 44.

During my hectic work skeds back there in the Philippines, I was brought to the emergency due to abnormal blood pressure. No headache, no dizzines, no symptoms, just a feeling of cold feet and cold sweat. The doctor diagnosed it as due to stress.

My family asked me if I was given a form of medications to keep my pressure down. I said none. The doctor did not think that I need it. He just checked if some of my organs were damaged by the exceptionally high blood pressure of 240.

Yesterday, the pain in my nape was unbearable.

Took my blood pressure and it was 190/110.

Wow,all that gift-wrapping and calls gave me that pressure?

Called my nurse .(he's related). He asked me to prepare to go the emergency but the panic must have raised the level higher to more than 200. The digital sphygmomanometer already recorded an error. I won't go not unless he personally pick me up. I always remember my mom saying that when my dad had a high blood, she would see to it that he would not fall.

The nurse asked me to take aspirins and gave me something that would drastically lower the pressure. He thought that with my stubborness, it's no use bringing me to the emergency if the stress would cause further rise in the readings.

While waiting for my bp to normalize, I was thinking if I gonna go, Christmas pa naman. Pero sabi ko, daya naman. Naalala ko hindi pa oras sa sinabi niya sa akin. No one is going to miss me, anyway. Sabi ko lang sa prayer ko, pag ako namatay that night, (drama ko di ba), gawin niya akong angel at dadalawin ko si Ting-aling. Ipapakita ko ang aking pakpak. hehehe. Natakot yata si bossing na magkakaroon ng makulit at matigas ang ulong angel kaya in a matter of minutes, the pressure went down to 170/90. I told my assisting nurse to transfer the channel to TFC. Gusto niya akong sipain. Taas na nga ng blood pressure, nanonood pa ng depressing ng balita. Subukan niya, pinag-aaral ko siya noh.

Time for appointment with my doctor.

The Ca t