Yikes! This will be the second post on mortality! It's obviously foremost in my mind lately. I reckon I'm at the age when friends/relatives/acquaintances start havin' those 'old people problems'! Either they're dead already, have some kind of drastic need for surgery, or it's discovered they have some kind of debilating disease. ARGH! Funny thing is, I continue to think of myself as young, while for the most part, they haven't, and don't. I love riding my bike, taking walks with Mr Pimms, being outside. (This is why I hate winter!). Maybe I'm not running marathons like some 60 somethings, and I do smoke, which will likely shorten my life by a few years, but I do not sit around wondering why I don't feel like doing anything but sitting around! I have a few aches and pains. I ignore them. I have to work, which I'm certain keeps the brain part of me active.
I had a long conversation with a childhood friend yesterday. She's had some surgeries, and 3 weeks ago had her gallbladder removed. She's STILL sick. Has a fever, is puking bile, and shitting blood. She was put on various medications for pain. She was allergic to something that made her swell up like a puffer fish! Her surgeon is 76 years old. She told him how she felt and he told her that it's normal after gallbladder surgery. NO, IT'S NOT!! I told her she needs find a different doctor and find out why she's not feeling well! Damnable doctors, anyway! Not that there's anything wrong with a 76 year old who still practices medicine, but just maybe he's wrong! Maybe he doesn't want to admit he may have forgotten to stitch her up inside, or left a sponge in there! He has enjoyed a very good reputation for years so no one wants to question him! I told my friend she should talk to my sisterinlaw who had part of her colon removed due to diverticulitis. Her surgeon was also old and respected. He left her colon in knots. After months of agony and visiting other doctors she finally found one who would do an MRI. He discovered the knotted colon, told her what a mess it was, and fixed it. No more agony! She thought about suing the old doc for malpractice. No attorney would take the case. The old doc is still performing surgery! Why the hell can't ya find an attorney who'll take a malpractice case? What's up with that?? Doctors are always complaining about how high their malpractice insurance is!
So, the latest Readers Digest has an article on cancer screening. Read it. It will scare the shit outta ya. I have always thought if I was diagnosed with some kind of cancer I would refuse treatment. Now I'm sure I would. Once you're opened up and those cells escape into your blood stream they can end up everywhere. Then you're gone, that's a definite. The cancer can possibly go away on its own. Why take the chance of allowing it to run rampant? I have friends who are breast cancer survivors and I have had friends who've died from breast cancer. All of them were treated in some way. I've also had friends who've found lumps but refused treatment, and the lumps simply went away. Their doctors said it was likely just a swollen duct and they were lucky. Lucky? Who's to say what will and what won't go away on its own. In my 30s I had a lump on my thyroid. My doctor sent me to a surgeon who wanted to yank it outta my neck. Because my husband was screwing around and I was an emotional wreck at the time, I chose not to do anything. My thyroid died on its own and never caused any problems except that I'll be eternally on thyroid meds.
Years ago, I asked a young geriatric doctor if it would be smart for someone to get a body scan to see if there were any tumors or odd looking cells in the body. His take at the time was absolutely not. If the scan finds a spot (and everyone's body is different) that may look suspicious, your doctor might think it necessary to open you up and remove whatever he thinks it is, whether or not it's anything detrimental. Say it's a dormant cancer cell and he cuts into it and releases a million cancerous demons into your blood. B'bye in 6 months. If you hadn't known that spot was there, would it have become a problem? Probably not! I'm just sayin'.....
Do you trust that a diagnosis will be lethal if not treated? I don't really care to live to 100 or even 90. What the heck for? Even if I have my wits about me, unless I could still motor around on my bike, or take long walks, or love life to the fullest....what's the point? The ideal plan is to live life to the best of my ability, then make it quick. While sleeping. Frankly, I'm totally surprised I made it into the 21st century! I remember thinking 50 was ancient when I was 30! Then there's all those friends and acquaintances who have died way too young! Yep, it is what it is!
