Health, Well-Being and Getting Old
When I was young (last year
), I knew that when I felt sick, I just needed to wait until I got better. Ever since childhood, it has worked this way.I've been noticing a perspective shift in myself now. Last week I felt sick... for 24 hours, I had a fever, felt a bit light-headed, felt a little numb/tingle in my shoulders and arms.
The likely problem was food poisoning... something I ate wasn't fresh... and my immune system needed to fix the problem. I've been fine since... it had to be the food...
Yet, in my mind, at the time... the tingle in my arms... feeling a bit faint (light-headed)... my mind was saying "could it be my heart?"... And my imagination was wondering whether it could be something serious... I went to work partly because I wanted to be around people... just in case... so someone could call for help if I needed it.
As we get older, we see others who die too young and think "that could have been me"... we miss them and we think... "that could be me tomorrow"... one high school classmate passed away last weekend unexpectedly. He was 49... cause of death hasn't been released - most likely a heart-attack (I don't know... just a guess).
When we're young... we just know we'll bounce back... as we get older... we've seen too much and we know too much and there's always some doubt about our health... and whether a serious event is close or still decades away.
This is part of the innocence of youth... Do you still have your innocence?
Have I said too much? 
Comments (19)
"the here and now's are far more important to me than the future what ifs."
And so now I am enjoying a personal renaissance of innocence in a way.
Life and experience teach us things... It's always good to have a plan... even if you're young and confident... things can happen.
Worry is a difficult emotion though... part fact and part imagination... it can be a good motivator and can also talk us out of finding new experiences.
I like your thought about a "renaissance of innocence".
I've been seeing doctors more often this year... just normal things to be thought about... but I'm looking forward to a few months without anything medical on the calendar.
It bothers me when I see others take their own health for granted. It will catch up to them sooner or later.....later if they're lucky. Things can happen no matter what age.
When I was 5 I almost bled to death, at 40 I had a pulminory embolism, at 48 a heart attack - 54 still going strong...
Just take reasonable precautions with your health and stop worrying.
Being super careful won't make you live any longer (it will just feel like it) Life is for enjoying.......
Have a good one
z
Woah ... sounds like your perspective shifted a long time ago...
Whenever I experience something new, I think about it... figure out how to react to it and what I can learn from it... so that's what I'm doing...
It does seem like somewhat of a turning point though... gaining some understanding about the current perspective of my mother's generation... as life catches up with many... the perspective change has come along over time... just feeling it more recently.
Thanks for sharing your outlook.
When your time is up.....
Just enjoy, take care and don't worry...
Frankenstein ... Fronk-en-steen (the alternative pronunciation from "Young Frankenstein") ... Gene Wilder was terrific in that movie.
When I think of the near-misses in life... nearly hit by a car on my bicycle... nearly hit by a truck on a motorcycle... swimming and diving alone 100 yards from shore out in a lake... I would guess my stories are very tame compared to yours.
Not tempting fate... I'm all for that!
I still have a positive outlook and don't expect bad things ... but my outlook has matured ... appropriate cautions are taken more seriously.
For my health ... I want to know things ... many of the things that can be disastrous can be cured if found early... I had my first colonoscopy on Monday... even have pictures to prove it!
Last night was a 'sleep study' ... lots of wires connected and several hours breathing (and sleeping) with a CPAP machine ... just working through anti-snoring options ... and perhaps finding a way to keep myself healthier as well (better breathing while sleeping means having a better oxygen level and keeping my heart, brain, etc from working any harder than necessary) ... it's a bit of a contraption but may help me live longer.
The trials of life... and the strength of character they provide... a really key point in all of this ... promises made to God ... "If you get me through this..." ... yeah, I'm looking forward to fewer trials.
I hadn't thought of worry as being genetic... but it does make sense...
I know that worry changes for me with my mood... the affects of a sunny day versus a stormy night... and moods shift when we're sick too (that's what happened last week).
It's good to understand ourselves though... to have some idea how our perspective might be different than others...
Thanks for sharing.
When we're here, we're here ... until we're not ... okay, I can understand that.
And a normal and natural perspective shift... just a matter of when our perspective changes.
I've been feeling some perspective change lately ... nothing to worry or stress about ... just an observation of myself and a chance to talk about it here.
Thank you for adding your thoughts.
Seeing the doctor on a regular basis and eating wholesome has been real good for me. So, because of these changes I still have the innocence of my youth with the help of a better living lifestyle!
I tend to look for alternative ways to help any glitches before going to the docs, I reckon when they get hold of you they will not let go and what they give you has side effects so give something to combat that. so I am afraid I
I do excercise and am learning Tai chi but am fortunate I at the moment am in rude health as they say.
I think the biggest thing I did was seek all info as to how to end my life at my choosing if health took me that way, we can not see around corners. After that I was at rest. Whether I ever would take that solution I hope I never need to find out but at least if I still felt that way I had all info at fingertips.
All sounds gruesome but no in the main I stay happy, its the world thats unhappy at the moment.
Have good weekend
It could have been the food or other external factors that affected your health, but glad to see that you're now fully recovered
I am careless about my health I do admit, but I've been trying to change my bad eating habit by eating more vegetable and fruit. I didn't really like snacks, but I can't resist chocolate
Don't worry about the medical tests you have undergone these days, I am sure the results were all fine and...you're still young...as young as you were in the last year
Take care of yourself well and keep doing your exercise
Listening to your body. Cancer is a rough one... I worked with one person who didn't listen... didn't see a doctor... until it was too late... there wasn't anything that could be done... they only survived a few weeks.
And some listen too closely and get worried too easily. ... perhaps it's a matter of whether you're naturally very cautious.
It's terrific that your experience has brought you to a new place... and a smarter perspective. Thank you for sharing your experience!
I put a high value on peace of mind. When something bothers me, it calms me if I know more about it... how I might handle a problem if it occurs.
There's quite a debate about traditional medicine and alternatives, isn't there? Often, we do have control of something in our lives that can keep us healthy... food, sleep, stress... and doctors tend to treat one symptom at a time, as you mention... medicine for one problem can bring about another problem.
It's good to think about this... personally, I trust doctors and modern medicine but also don't want to depend on them when I don't need to... regular checkups and taking care of myself along the way...
Hope your weekend is going well.
Good advice ... tests and concerns and events in other people's lives ... I do think about these things ... I like to know how things work and how problems occur. It's not possible to avoid every problem but many can be avoided, if you know what to look for.
So... some changes along the way... as I learn things.
Thank you for your encouragement!