A reader shared a health scare he recently experienced and the lessons he learnt from it. He would like to remain anonymous.
I have diligently built my net worth to Rs. 10 crores over the past 20 years, with a good but not spectacular salary, all of which has been earned in India. Thanks to Pattu sir and the resources at freefincal, I understood the importance of discipline, frugality, starting early, investing enough in equity (within an asset allocation) and the power of increasing investments as much as possible.
I had become financially independent about five years ago and slowed down my work schedule. Working only on freelance projects, which did not demand too much of my time.
Heart issues run in my family, and I was always wary of when it would hit me. Then, I did checkups once a year and was not on any heart medication or even BP medication.
One evening, I suddenly felt my heart pound in my chest. It felt it was ready to leap out of it. The pulse oximeter read a pulse of 140 beats per second when standing and 130 beats per second while sitting.
Join 32,000+ readers and get free money management solutions delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to get posts via email! (Link takes you to our email sign-up form)
🔥Want to create a complete financial plan? Learn goal-based investing? Exclusive access to our DIY tools? Increase your income with your skills? Use this link to enjoy massive discounts on our robo-advisory tool & courses! 🔥
I had not engaged in any physical activity, nor was I experiencing any stress, nor did I do anything stressful that day. I felt extremely uncomfortable. My wife was out of town, and my son (22) and my younger brother were there with me.
I immediately told that I may need urgent medical attention due to such a high pulse and suggested we visit the emergency room. I was shocked when they were reluctant to take me to the hospital. Both of them suggested it was “some sort of anxiety or stress” and that it would resolve if I lay down for a while.
The pulse was still 120-125 when I was lying down. It did not seem like a heart attack, though. I was not sweating. I did not have any pain in my left arm, and my chest did not feel heavy. This was me self-diagnosing because those around me did not take my condition seriously.
The high pulse made me quite agitated, and I knew I had to do something. My family doctor was not picking up his phone. Then, thankfully, I thought, why not give my late father’s cardiologist a try? He usually never picks up, or his secretary would not give him the phone.
By some stroke of luck, he answered. He told me, “Don’t panic. Do you still have the medicine your father took?”.
I said, “Yes”. My father had passed nearly two months ago, and we had not yet thrown away anything that belonged to him.
“Good. Don’t get out of bed. Ask someone to get those medicines. You will find a sleeping pill XYZ (name redacted as it can be misused). Take one, and go to sleep. You should be all right. If the pulse does not start reducing soon, you will need to go to the hospital. In any case, see me first thing in the morning.”
I took the tablet and waited in bed. Naturally, I could not go to sleep with a high pulse. After about 45 minutes, I could see the pulse slowing down. That made me relax. But I could not yet fall asleep.
As I lay in bed, I realised the frailty of our situation. We spend decades building wealth out of hard work. It could all be taken away from us in an instant. Or we could become too sick to manage it anymore.
The actions of our relatives also matter. My brother and son should have taken my situation a lot more seriously. They were reluctant to take me to the hospital. I did not appreciate that. Later, they both accused me of panicking. A pulse of 120 while lying down is enough cause to panic and seek medical attention.
All the discipline and power of compounding could have gone to waste (at least for me, if not my family) because of how our loved ones behave (it was not deliberate and due to a lack of awareness).
My wife and son knew little of my finances at that time. After I sorted myself out and started medication to protect my heart, I forced them to learn more about what is invested where and what to do if I am unable to act. I am going to seek out the services of a SEBI-registered fee-only advisor on Pattu Sir’s list so that he can serve as my backup. While I prefer DIY, I would like to have a professional on retainer so that they can step in when necessary. I do hope the advisors accept this request.
I learnt that health is wealth the hard way. We need health if we do not have wealth. We need health even if we have enough wealth. Otherwise, we are at the mercy of others.
Use our Robo-advisory Tool to create a complete financial plan! ⇐More than 3,000 investors and advisors use this! Use the discount code: robo25 for a 20% discount. Plan your retirement (early, normal, before, and after), as well as non-recurring financial goals (such as child education) and recurring financial goals (like holidays and appliance purchases). The tool would help anyone aged 18 to 80 plan for their retirement, as well as six other non-recurring financial goals and four recurring financial goals, with a detailed cash flow summary.
🔥You can also avail massive discounts on our courses and the freefincal investor circle! 🔥& join our community of 8000+ users!
Track your mutual funds and stock investments with this Google Sheet!
We also publish monthly equity mutual funds, debt and hybrid mutual funds, index funds, and ETF screeners, as well as momentum and low-volatility stock screeners.
You can follow our articles on Google News
We have over 1,000 videos on YouTube!
Join our WhatsApp Channel
- Do you have a comment about the above article? Reach out to us on Twitter: @freefincal or @pattufreefincal
- Have a question? Subscribe to our newsletter using the form below.
- Hit 'reply' to any email from us! We do not offer personalised investment advice. We can write a detailed article without mentioning your name if you have a generic question.
Join 32,000+ readers and get free money management solutions delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to get posts via email! (Link takes you to our email sign-up form)
About The Author
Dr M. Pattabiraman (PhD) is the founder, managing editor and primary author of freefincal. He is an associate professor at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. He has over 13 years of experience publishing news analysis, research and financial product development. Connect with him via Twitter(X), LinkedIn, or YouTube. Pattabiraman has co-authored three print books: (1) You can be rich too with goal-based investing (CNBC TV18) for DIY investors. (2) Gamechanger for young earners. (3) Chinchu Gets a Superpower! for kids. He has also written seven other free e-books on various money management topics. He is a patron and co-founder of “Fee-only India,” an organisation promoting unbiased, commission-free, AUM-independent investment advice.Our flagship course! Learn to manage your portfolio like a pro to achieve your goals regardless of market conditions! ⇐ More than 3,500 investors and advisors are part of our exclusive community! Get clarity on how to plan for your goals and achieve the necessary corpus no matter the market condition!! Watch the first lecture for free! One-time payment! No recurring fees! Life-long access to videos! Reduce fear, uncertainty and doubt while investing! Learn how to plan for your goals before and after retirement with confidence.
Increase your income by getting people to pay for your skills! ⇐ More than 800 salaried employees, entrepreneurs and financial advisors are part of our exclusive community! Learn how to get people to pay for your skills! Whether you are a professional or small business owner seeking more clients through online visibility, or a salaried individual looking for a side income or passive income, we will show you how to achieve this by showcasing your skills and building a community that trusts and pays you. (watch 1st lecture for free). One-time payment! No recurring fees! Life-long access to videos!
Our book for kids: “Chinchu Gets a Superpower!” is now available!
Must-read book even for adults! This is something that every parent should teach their kids right from their young age. The importance of money management and decision making based on their wants and needs. Very nicely written in simple terms. - Arun.Buy the book: Chinchu gets a superpower for your child!
How to profit from content writing: Our new ebook is for those interested in getting a side income via content writing. It is available at a 50% discount for Rs. 500 only!
Do you want to check if the market is overvalued or undervalued? Use our market valuation tool (it will work with any index!), or get the Tactical Buy/Sell timing tool!
We publish monthly mutual fund screeners and momentum, low-volatility stock screeners.
About freefincal & its content policy. Freefincal is a News Media organisation dedicated to providing original analysis, reports, reviews and insights on mutual funds, stocks, investing, retirement and personal finance developments. We do so without conflict of interest and bias. Follow us on Google News. Freefincal serves more than three million readers a year (5 million page views) with articles based only on factual information and detailed analysis by its authors. All statements made will be verified with credible and knowledgeable sources before publication. Freefincal does not publish paid articles, promotions, PR, satire or opinions without data. All opinions will be inferences backed by verifiable, reproducible evidence/data. Contact Information: To get in touch, please use our contact form. (Sponsored posts or paid collaborations will not be entertained.)
Connect with us on social media
- Twitter @freefincal
- Subscribe to our YouTube Videos
- Posts feed via Feedburner.
Our publications
You Can Be Rich Too with Goal-Based Investing
Published by CNBC TV18, this book is designed to help you ask the right questions and find the correct answers. Additionally, it comes with nine online calculators, allowing you to create custom solutions tailored to your lifestyle. Get it now.Gamechanger: Forget Startups, Join Corporate & Still Live the Rich Life You Want
This book is designed for young earners to get their basics right from the start! It will also help you travel to exotic places at a low cost! Get it or gift it to a young earner.Your Ultimate Guide to Travel
This is an in-depth exploration of vacation planning, including finding affordable flights, budget accommodations, and practical travel tips. It also examines the benefits of travelling slowly, both financially and psychologically, with links to relevant web pages and guidance at every step. Get the PDF for Rs 300 (instant download)