What thing from your own past would you change if you could, and why? /Weekend 288

Hello family
I wish I could start these words with perfect news, motivational advice, and beautiful phrases that sound comforting. But today I don’t want to decorate reality. Today I want to write from a truth that many of us carry silently inside: the desire to go back and change a decision that marked our lives forever.
Sometimes we believe that “nothing is happening.” Out of pride, rebellion, or simple neglect, we ignore small signs that seem harmless but are actually clear warnings. I would give anything to stop time for just a moment and go back, to avoid the suffering that came from not taking care of my health when I should have.
The mistake of the past
In my family, on both my father’s and mother’s side, hypertension has always been present. I was diagnosed very young, at just 16 years old. At first, I was responsible: I took my medication, followed medical advice, and accepted my condition. I did well for years… until I turned 21.
That’s when I started to relax. I stopped monitoring my blood pressure strictly and began taking my medication without discipline. When the headaches — my main symptom — disappeared, I trusted myself too much. I thought nothing would happen. I went back to eating what I was supposed to avoid and continued as if my body wasn’t warning me.
I remember returning from a trip feeling very sick. I went to the doctor and my blood pressure was dangerously high. I was treated at that moment, but even then, I ignored the advice of close friends. I kept living with the mindset of “I’ll start taking care of myself tomorrow.” Today, I try to understand why I thought that way, but the memories are blurred.

The critical point (February)

Reality hit me here.

I was never someone who lived a life of excess or constant partying. Compared to others, my life was calm. Still, the damage was happening silently. Over time, my health deteriorated until my blood pressure reached alarming levels — up to 200.
In February 2025, everything collapsed. After following poor medical advice regarding my diet, I was close to dying. My electrolytes became unstable, my sodium levels dropped dangerously, kidney stones appeared, my heart enlarged, my chronic kidney disease worsened, and as a final blow, I developed acute pancreatitis.
I remember lying in a hospital bed, weak and afraid, fully aware that I was paying the price for years of neglect. The physical pain was intense, but the emotional pain was even greater. Knowing I was causing fear and suffering to my family, without even being able to see them, was devastating. I was in another country; only my wife could be by my side. She spoke with the doctors while each day the situation seemed to worsen. There was very little hope.
But something happened that cannot be explained only by medicine. By a miracle, through my wife’s unwavering faith and the human dedication of doctors and nurses, I survived.

I was not alone.

The lesson
From that day on, I understood that health is not negotiable. It cannot be postponed. It is not a game.
Today, I am much stricter with myself. I’ve had relapses, yes, but I have also learned to stand up with greater awareness.
I learned that discipline saves lives.
That God gives opportunities, but also calls us to take responsibility.

Final reflection
Today I know that mistakes we don’t face in time become the wounds of the future. The past cannot be changed, but it can teach us. And every day we wake up is a new chance to choose better.
Because everything has its time,
but some decisions cannot wait.
And understanding that in time can mean the difference between truly living… or just existing.