🫀 Title: A Journey of the Heart — From Survival to Renewal
Date: October 2025
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
As I prepare to retire this October, I find myself reflecting on a journey that nearly ended before it began.
It started after a hike to Mount Trusmadi, Sabah’s second-highest peak. Sleepless nights followed, and I sought help at a clinic in Sandakan. The doctor, unconventional but attentive, ran an ECG and looked at me with quiet seriousness.
“You’ve had a heart attack,” he said. “Try to recall when.”
Suddenly, it clicked. Back in February 2022, while diving in Sipadan at 20 meters depth, I experienced severe breathing difficulty. I surfaced and rested on the boat for 40 minutes. I thought it was just exhaustion. But that was the first sign.
The doctor referred me for angioplasty in November 2022. But once in the operating theatre, the surgeons halted the procedure. My arteries were over 90% blocked—too risky to proceed.
I was then referred to IJN in Kuala Lumpur for bypass surgery in February 2023. Yet again, the day before the operation, the surgeon told me my heart was too weak.
“It’s high risk,” he said.
I asked, “Will I die?”
He smiled gently. “Don’t worry. With proper medication, you may live longer than those who don’t even know they have heart disease.”😀
Relieved, I began EECP therapy—a non-invasive treatment using mechanical pumps to stimulate blood flow and encourage natural bypass growth.
💡 What Is EECP Therapy?
Enhanced External Counterpulsation (EECP) is a safe, non-surgical treatment for heart patients.
During each session:
- Inflatable cuffs are wrapped around the legs and buttocks.
- These cuffs inflate and deflate in sync with your heartbeat.
- This rhythmic compression pushes blood back toward the heart, improving circulation and oxygen delivery.
- Over time, it stimulates the growth of natural bypass vessels—new pathways for blood to reach the heart.
I completed 70 sessions, each lasting an hour. The results were remarkable: better sleep, more energy, and a renewed sense of vitality. EECP gave me a second chance—without surgery, without pain.
Now, I’ve retired. And I’ve chosen to celebrate this new chapter with a solo trip to Bali. Before I depart on October 17, I’ve enrolled again for EECP sessions at Act Health Clinic in Bangsar—to strengthen my heart for the journey ahead.
This isn’t just a travel plan. It’s a quiet declaration:
I survived. I’m healing. And I’m ready to live again.
🌏 心的旅程 — 从生存到重生
2025年10月，我即将退休，回首这段旅程，曾几度与生命擦肩而过。
一切始于我攀登沙巴第二高峰——特鲁斯马迪山之后，连续几天无法入睡。我前往山打根的一家诊所求诊。医生认真地为我做了心电图检查。他沉声说：“你曾经心脏病发作。你能回忆起什么时候吗？”
我猛然想起：2022年2月，在诗巴丹潜水时，我在20米深处突然呼吸困难，只能紧急浮出水面，在船上休息了40分钟。当时以为只是疲劳，没想到那竟是第一次心脏病发作的征兆。
医生建议我在2022年11月接受心脏血管支架手术。但手术当天，医生发现我的血管堵塞超过90%，无法进行。
随后我被转介到吉隆坡国家心脏中心（IJN），计划在2023年2月进行心脏搭桥手术。然而就在手术前一天，主刀医生告诉我：“你的心脏太弱，风险太高，不能动刀”我问：“那我会死吗？”他微笑着说：“别担心，只要按时服药，你可能比那些不知道自己有心脏病的人活得更久。”😀🌻
我松了一口气，开始接受EECP治疗——一种非侵入式疗法，通过机械泵促进血液循环，刺激心脏自然血管生长。
💡 什么是EECP治疗？
增强型体外反搏疗法（EECP）是一种安全、无创的心脏治疗方法。
在每次治疗中：
- 气囊包裹在腿部和臀部。
- 气囊会根据心跳节奏进行充气和放气。
- 这种节奏性的压缩将血液推回心脏，改善循环和氧气供应。
- 长期治疗可刺激自然旁通血管的生长，为心脏建立新的血液通道。
我完成了70次治疗，每次一小时。效果显著：睡眠改善、精力充沛、生命力重燃。EECP让我在无需手术的情况下获得了第二次生命机会。
如今，我正式退休，决定以一次独自前往巴厘岛的旅程来庆祝新生活。在10月17日出发前，我再次在孟沙的Act Health Clinic报名接受EECP治疗，为心脏做好准备。
这不仅是一场旅行，更是一种宣言：
我活下来了，我正在康复，我准备重新出发。
📞 Contact Tam 🌻
Helping you stay on track — in life, health, and work
📧 Email: tamchowmeng@gmail.com
📞 Phone: +60-128289703
💬 WhatsApp: Chat with me
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"Some mountains test your breath. Others teach you how to breathe again."
