All the medical check-ups you are advised to have!?
As it happens, the human body is rather complicated, if not complex. Of course, everything about it has to be checked and maintained. On a regular basis.
It starts with your blood picture. In order to get laboratory results, you have to send a little of your body blood into the lab once in a while.
Then there are numerous organs that can become defunct. They, too, should be monitored in regular intervals to see if they are still working properly.
Your heart and your circular flow must be tested for capacity again and again. How fast can an infection or defect develop? And, of course, there is always the infarct risk.
Not to forget the lungs. The liver and kidney are also constantly endangered. You should have a proctoscopy every so often. And all those glands, be it pancreas or thyroid gland, are also a liability. And then there is the lymphatic system with all its small knots.
Nor must we forget the bone density, which must be regularly measured. And careful – the spine is constantly under threat of a herniation.
Rheumy infections and gout might also hit you…
Naturally, the eye-doctor, too, keeps calling. Is the pressure still fine or are we already suffering from glaucoma?
And I almost forgot – the skin – a very important organ. It is particularly sensitive. Especially since we now have the ozone leak.
Because cancer lurks behind all corners. Be it the prostate glands or the sexual organs, everything is at risk and therefore must undergo regular controlling procedures.
All of these parts of the body must undergo ”preventive medical check-ups“. It seems like health costs a lot of time and money. Basically, you have to spend many days of the year seeing the doctor about all kinds of check-ups. And then you would have to have costly and time-consuming therapies and medication.
Well, incidentally, I do not believe this is good for us. However, it is good for the economy, because, after all, it is some sort of “high-quality consumption”. And that is exactly what we need for our growth – after all, we all want to continue to earn good money and consume much. Even if consumption makes us ill (for instance around the middle).
Regardless, I often get a bad conscience. My super-ego knocks on the door whenever I refrain from doing any of the aforementioned things. Whenever I pass a doctor’s office (by bike), I give it a wide berth. I only go to see a doctor when I consider it necessary – for instance if I have an ulcerous fingernail or a wart.
I simply stopped smoking. I try to spend as much time as possible in fresh air and exercise a lot. I avoid noise and negative stress situations. If possible, I never go places by car, instead using my bike. And I try to hardly ever get annoyed. The magic phrase is love instead of hate. Be content.
The only thing I still seem to have a problem with is eating less and in a more healthy way. And drinking less beer. Well, I certainly have a little leeway there, but even here, the tendency is towards the right direction.
To make up for it, another one of my goals gets closer and closer to perfection:
I never take any drugs. The only antibiotics I remember taking are one I had to take after a very severe infection I suffered from after having attended the CeBit. To this day, I am not sure if the drug helped or if, perhaps, I just got healthy again through the natural functionality of my body. And I am talking decades back. And I am sure I will definitely never need a kidney transplant …
So now you know my recipe. But I, too, am worried. What will happen when I am really old? Where will malady hit? My mother is suffering from dementia. Years ago, a doctor told me her brains are no longer the original dimension. And that there is nothing you can do about it, except – and even that requires a great effort by the patient – stabilize the current state.
Will that be how I am going to end up? Is it possible that I have a hereditary disposition? After all, I am almost 62 years old. To be sure, so far I cannot identify anything wrong, but you cannot be skeptical enough, can you?
In fact, I think that, because of the ever increasing number of people suffering from dementia, a preventive medical check-up for the brains will probably soon be introduced. I am sure such a check-up would sell well. Money will be spent on it and then, as a consequence, there will be costly treatments and medication. Even if it does not help at all.
Except – does any of this make any sense? Either you will suffer during the treatment and die anyway. Or else the treatment will be a success, your life will be artificially lengthened and thus the probability of becoming a case of endlessly lingering illness is a lot higher?
I do not know.
The only thing that might make sense is perhaps mentally prepare yourself a little bit for dying. Because there is going to be a time when it comes – and then there is no way out. But in the meantime, I want to enjoy as much of life as I can.
RMD
(Translated by EG)
P.S.
The illustration was made by Luc Viatour (Luc Viatour / www.Lucnix.be)
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