What happened next, I can now laugh at, but I think everyone else was quite alarmed. As I tried to follow my team, a strange noise, like machine-gun fire, came out of my mouth; tat-tat,tat,tat,tat,tat, and I fell backwards. From what I was told, I was out cold for a couple minutes. I opened my eyes to see several concerned faces around me, Lluvia's included. I was able to get up and was told that my heart was beating very fast due to the altitude. Several people had passed out on such trips.
We traveled back to Queretaro and decided to go for a check-up. This had not been a normal situation since I had convulsed as well. Every doctor we went to (you have to shop around for a good doctor in Mexico) said that my pressure was elevated. We went to visit our friend Elsa at the hospital on the tenth of August. Elsa had previously been in our small group and was a nurse. She checked my pressure and was very concerned. For those of you who might not know, blood pressure is made up of two numbers. If you are a male, the top number should roughly be 130 and the bottom should be around 80. If the bottom number is 110 you are at risk for a stroke or heart attack. Without remembering the exact number, my bottom number was around 120!Elsa rushed me into the hospital for testing. I would love to say that I was trusting in God at this point, but "panic" would be the best word to describe what I felt. Sometimes the Lord lets you live through a situation to grow you in it. The doctors started trying to get a blood sample. I don't like to see blood, much less my own. They couldn't find my veins and when they did, my blood clotted right away. Soon, I was once again surrounded by a group of faces. But instead of looking concerned, they looked amused. "Wow, he's turning white! And he was already white to begin with!" Needless to say, I was not amused. I was sure I was going to pass out. Thankfully, I didn't. They eventually had to get the blood out of my hands and wrists which was somewhat painful. What hurt me more was my wounded pride. Why couldn't I just trust in God? The next day my hands and arms were bruised.
The diagnosis is that I have high blood pressure. It was detected in my Dad at the same age, meaning its hereditary. Thanks Dad! While I'm currently medicated for it, we have cut almost all cholesterol and fat out of my diet. I have lost a few pounds and my pressure averages at around 117/74. The doctor thinks I may some day be able to get off the medicine. I may go for another check-up this weekend to see what he thinks of my current numbers.
I feel that I can trust God a lot more in this area. I know that He can heal me should He decide to. But even if He doesn't, a verse comes to mind that speaks to my heart in this area. It is Psalm 73:25-26. It reads: "Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." My body may be imperfect and prone to infirmity, but it is God who keeps my heart beating. If I had to choose between health on this earth, and Jesus Christ, I would choose Jesus. Not because I am some great saint, but because He has loved me and proven over and over again how wonderful He is. And when my time here is over, He is what I shall inherit when I get to heaven. What better portion could I ask for than He Himself?
