Syed Jamil Fadaak Bin Syed Mahdzir Fadaak, 63-years-old

“When your health is good, it brings you good energy and the chance to live your best life and your best years. But it always starts with listening to your body.”

 

Between the age of 30 to 55, I was under a lot of stress because of work. I have been in the oil and gas industry since 1982. I was involved
in many projects and because of the fast-paced nature of the job, I neglected my health. I didn’t listen to my body and the signals it was giving me.

In 1996, I went to see the doctor and for some reason, she wanted to check my sugar level. My results were above normal so she sent me home and asked me to fast and return the next day.

That was when I was confirmed a Type 2 Diabetic. I was only 39-years-old at the time. I couldn’t believe that at such a young age I had to take medication consistently.

 

This disbelief, along with the stress I was experiencing from my work caused me to have some kind of mental block, which in turn resulted in me not taking care of myself.

This went on till 2001, and I soon found out that I wasn’t in good shape. Number one, I had high blood pressure. Number two, I was diabetic. And number three, my cholesterol was also high. So I went to see a cardiologist to do a stress test and failed it. The doctor told me I had to do an angiogram and confirmed that there were four blockages in my heart. But, I was also told I needed to wait three years before I could get the stenting done because at the time, they were developing a stent that was for diabetics like me, which is coated with antibiotics.

So I waited, and when the time came, I did the angioplasty in 2005. In 2008, I was asked to do another test before leaving for Hajj, and had to do another angio with three stents and one ballooning.

 

I was asked to care for myself after all this but come 2009, I failed at it all again. I did not take care of myself like I was supposed to and did not do the necessary things that needed to be done.

Then in 2020, my blockages were at 100% and 95% and I had to have a bypass done. I had no choice. I was in a critical condition, and without consulting any of my family, I made the decision to go ahead with the bypass. I remember making the decision on 20 May, and having the surgery done on 27 May. I had seven days to prepare myself mentally and the best way to do it was through prayer. My wife Nor was keeping all our family and friends updated and through their prayers, and my mother’s and wife’s and children, everything went smoothly.

After going through what I’ve gone through, the main lesson I’ve learnt is that having good health will pay a lifetime. When your health is good, it brings you good energy and the chance to live your best life and your best years. But it always starts with listening to your body.