IT'S nice to be back. Oh, it feels really good to be back after almost becoming permanently out of circulation. That NDE (near death experience) I had last April 9 has brought me to the realization of how important it is to stay in good health if one hopes to continue doing what he loves to do. Otherwise he might as well be ready with a spot in one of the memorial parks nearby.

Not that I doubted my mortality. But before that fateful Sunday in April, I thought I was in the pink of health. And the thought of saying my last act of contrition was far from my mind. I haven't puffed any cigarette since 30 years ago. I ate mostly vegetable and fish only. My blood sugar was 92; my blood pressure was consistent at 120/80.

At 165 centimeters tall, I maintained a 60-kilogram weight. I drank liquor very occasionally. Almost every indicator said I was a healthy person except for my high cholesterol level of 350. But who would care about cholesterol? It used be very high at 530 but I succeeded in bringing it down to 350 with eating just the proper food. When the heart attack came, it was down to 290.

I always thought the “summoner” – that black figure carrying a big scythe – would skip me when he comes down to gather souls, but come to think of it now, he did consider me after all. Only the records of St. Peter through the timely attestation of Dr. Jane Ramiro saved me from joining the others that night.

This MI or myocardial infarction is a most treacherous disease, I now know. It came to me without warning. It can come to the others too as it did to many before me. I couldn't believe I could have it. The only sensible explanation of Dr. Ramiro and Dr. Celine Teves-Aquino, my two respected cardiologists, was that I had it in my genes. It's something I inherited from my grandparents. Bad genes, they said.

From the accounts of Dr. Mimi Guarneri, MD at the Scripps Clinic in La Jolla , San Diego , California , I learned that stress can actually cause or trigger a heart attack. She says that rich diet, genetics, inactivity and chronic stress could cause fatty deposits called plaque to form blockages in major arteries of the heart. Over time, the deposits could narrow the arteries and reduce blood flow that carries the required oxygen for the heart to do its job. When under pressure, stress hormones that cause the blood pressure and heart rate to increase and the arteries to grow even narrower are produced. In my case, three blockages formed in my widow-maker that closed the artery to as much as 95%. There was no way the attack could be prevented without timely intervention. Murphy's Law took its toll on me.

Dr. Aquino and Dr. John Viola who analyzed my angiogram results said I was very very fortunate to be still alive. Dr. Viola performed the PTCA (Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty) on me on April 28, 2006 . He needed 28 mm of drug-eluting stent to open up the three blockages to ensure me more years to continue my service to the people through peace building efforts.

My own introspection brought me to the reality of man's and my own mortality. I have been given a wake-up call to be healthy both in physical and spiritual life. (Next week I will discuss the state of health program for government workers. The last part will be the innate goodness of man, the mission I impose upon myself, and to say thank you to all the people who had been good Samaritans).