I can’t begin to understand why this question even needs to be asked — does anyone really ENJOY being ill? Or, perhaps not actually “ill,” but does anyone actually enjoy not being in good health? It’s hard to imagine that anyone would enjoy that, unless they’re suffering something like Munchausen syndrome, or perhaps some type of personality disorder.
Personal health is very important, because without it, we don’t feel well; we tire easily, we may have digestive problems and restrictions, and perhaps sharp limitations on the physical activities we can enjoy or even endure. We may have to spend outrageous amounts of both money and time frequenting doctors’ offices and hospitals, and I’m damned certain that NO ONE enjoys that.
I personally have asthma, so I have to take medication daily which, in its own right, poses a threat to my long-term health (inhaled steroids), and I get “winded” much more easily than a non-asthmatic — I often joke that the only time I’m going to run is if something is chasing me, but even then, it’s possible that I simply could not run fast enough for a long enough time to make a safe getaway. Unfortunately, there is no cure for asthma, only treatment to manage it, and though I’ve finally managed to quit smoking, my lungs will never have the health and stamina of someone without asthma — asthma is forever, and even mild asthma such as my own leaves me at risk for a catastrophic inability to breathe.
I also suffer IBS, “Irritable Bowel Syndrome,” and I can assure you, having an irritable bowel can be downright hellish. Having to consume large amounts of insoluble fiber just to remain capable of normal elimination is probably the least offensive aspect of it; the severe constipation I would suffer if I did NOT consume all that fiber is VERY uncomfortable, even sickening if it endures for too long, but if I get extremely stressed out — the syndrome is linked strongly to stress — then I flip all the way over to extreme diarrhea, which is every bit as uncomfortable, sickening, and potentially life-threatening as the constipation. I have to consume large amounts of fiber, as noted, but I’ve also found that I have to consume a low-fat diet, to avoid some of the more unpleasant aspects of this condition — though it’s possible that my intolerance of fats, particularly cholesterol, is more because of the gallstones in my gallbladder — that organ can’t secrete enough bile to digest cholesterol properly, so that cholesterol goes thru my entire colon undigested, and with IBS in the picture, that just causes MORE digestive distress. Hence I have to watch what I eat VERY carefully, and this problem also severely complicated my recovery from appendicitis/appendectomy — if my colon causes me pain and nausea just from eating fats or taking laxatives or even stool softeners, imagine its reaction to having a piece of itself CUT OUT.
Then there are the less severe, but still very annoying symptoms I suffer because of never having a shoulder injury treated, about 20 yrs ago — that bastard STILL hurts, and it’s my right arm, so there goes one of the pastimes I enjoyed in my youth — bowling: flinging a 10 lb ball with enough force to knock the pins down would probably be agonizing.
Also — migraines. I’ve never gotten them very severely, at least not the crippling pain, and I’ve mostly “outgrown” them — but I still sometimes get the “aura” of psychedelic lights that completely blind me; for someone who loves to read, that is very annoying!
And of course, my “extremely sensitive” (according to doctors) vagus nerve, which leaves me VERY prone to fainting — which literally could kill me, if I fell and hit my head hard enough, and damn sure scares the hell out of my family, when I have to sit down and put my head between my knees, or worse, hit the floor.
I have to deal with all these health problems, none of which really constitutes “illness,” but are all annoying and potentially dangerous — I’m just damned glad that I mostly enjoy good health, because anything further, on top of all these problems, is simply intolerable. I’m 57, nearly 58 yrs old, so all I can anticipate is that all or most of them will probably get worse, as I get older — and that’s a best case scenario of course, assuming that I DO grow older!
So I still wonder why that question needed to be asked. It should be ABSOLUTELY OBVIOUS why “personal health” is so important!
