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<item> <title>How I learnt health is wealth the hard way</title> <link>https://freefincal.com/how-i-learnt-health-is-wealth-the-hard-way/</link> <pubDate>Sat, 18 Apr 2026 00:30:39 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator><![CDATA[M. Pattabiraman]]></dc:creator> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://freefincal.com/?p=312727</guid> <description><![CDATA[A reader shared a health scare he recently experienced and the lessons he learnt from...]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<figure><img src="https://freefincal.com/wp-content/uploads/2027/04/How-I-learnt-health-is-wealth-the-hard-way.jpg" class="type:primaryImage" /></figure><p>A reader shared a health scare he recently experienced and the lessons he learnt from it. He would like to remain anonymous.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>By some stroke of luck, he answered. He told me, “Don’t panic. Do you still have the medicine your father took?”.</p> <p>I said, “Yes”. My father had passed nearly two months ago, and we had not yet thrown away anything that belonged to him.</p> <p>“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.”</p> <p>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.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>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).</p> <p>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 <a href="https://freefincal.com/list-of-fee-only-financial-planners-in-india/">SEBI-registered fee-only advisor on Pattu Sir’s list</a> 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.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://freefincal.com/how-i-learnt-health-is-wealth-the-hard-way/">How I learnt health is wealth the hard way</a> appeared first on <a href="https://freefincal.com">freefincal</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">312727</post-id> </item>
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