Feeling fine does not always equate to being fine. Like many healthy adults, Veejay used to take his health for granted until three years ago when he suffered a heart attack out of the blue.

 

“I was out for work and felt very tired and giddy, as if I was going to faint, so I got into my car to rest.” Veejay recalled the fateful day. “I thought I was having a mini panic attack and went to the hospital, only to find out that I was actually experiencing the onset of a heart attack.”

 

At the hospital, Veejay discovered that he had three heart blockages and diabetes, which made him more susceptible to future heart attacks. Looking back, he attributed his health issues to poor lifestyle habits accumulated over the past ten years. In hindsight, he also regrets not going for health screening to detect potential problems at an earlier stage.

 

Related: What screening tests are recommended for me?

 

Prevention is better than cure

“Being busy, I tended to eat out and seldom had home-cooked meals. I would order greasy dishes like mee goreng and nasi goreng frequently, and ate and slept at irregular hours, which caused me to gain weight.”

 

Veejay acknowledged that he could have paid more attention to his diet and gone for regular health screenings. “Being a creature of habit, you would always think that it isn’t something serious until the gravity of the situation hits you,” he reflected.

 

Early detection of Veejay’s heart and diabetic conditions might have also led to better preventive measures. “If I had gone for a health screening earlier, my condition might have been picked up and maybe I would not have suffered a heart attack,” he wondered aloud wistfully.

 

Related: Between 18 to 39 years old? Take the Diabetes Risk Assessment by HPB.

 

A new lease of life

Nonetheless, Veejay is grateful for his new lease of life after undergoing a successful heart bypass surgery, and is intent on making healthier lifestyle changes to manage and improve his health condition.

 

Today, Veejay makes a conscious choice to avoid deep-fried dishes and fast food, and tries to cut down his sugar intake where he can. His go-to meal when he’s eating out is brown rice (“you can request for this”), fish (“instead of red meats”), and non-starchy vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, carrots, capsicums, kang kong, kai lan, and bok choy.

 

Whenever Veejay feels the urge to snack, he munches on a small handful of nuts that are good for his heart (“not too many because nuts are also high in fats”).

 

Another lifestyle change Veejay has incorporated is a regular exercise routine in his life. He enjoys an early start to the day with morning walks to strengthen his heart and boost his energy levels.

 

To stay on top of his health conditions, Veejay goes for regular health check-ups. While he found these adjustments inconvenient initially, he accepts that they are necessary to help him manage diabetes and improve his heart’s health.

 

Health is wealth

Veejay hopes his experience will encourage more people to be mindful of their health and go for health screenings recommended for their age.

 

“Recovering from a heart bypass surgery is a journey in itself,” he shared. “Adding diabetes into the mix, with lifestyle changes, means I have to be more careful of my health nowadays. So I can’t emphasise enough how important it is to go for health screenings even if you feel fine, because early detection can save you a world of inconvenience and even save your life!”

 

The best time to go for a health check is when you are still feeling fine. Find out more and take your first step today at our health screening page.