People died young. War, illness and disease wiped out masses. We live longer and if something is wrong, like horribly wrong, we've got access to therapies, surgeries and medications that make everything all better.This makes me consider how many lives I've gone through.
I was born five weeks prem. Spent time under lights and was cared for in hospital until I'd gained weight and strength and could go home.
As a child (maybe aged 7 or 8) I had an operation (one and only) for an abscess. If it had burst internally...
There have been the odd bouts of bronchitis. One or two of these have bordered on pneumonia, but were swiftly cleared up by a potent dose of antibiotics. Pneumonia can kill.
An embedded 2cm long piece of wood in my heel. During an O event a stick went through the sole of my shoe and embedded in my heel. I saw the puncture but no sign of the wood. Went to the doc the next morning. She cleaned and probed but couldn't find anything. It was excrutiating! I almost fainted and had to spend 10 minutes lying on the floor in the waiting room before I could get up. I then had to stay on a bed there for another 20 minutes drinking tea before they'd let me leave. Two doses of antibiotics dealt with the infection. The piece of wood made it to the surface 11 days later! (I couldn't wear a shoe in this time nor put weight on my foot; went for xrays etc). Bad infection, gangrene... could have been terrible.
Chickenpox at age 29. Antivirals made a big difference to reduce severity.
A few bouts of intestinal infection after swimming / paddling in nasty rivers.
Mmm... I can't think of anything else serious? No malaria or cholera. I may have had fairly mild tick-bite fever. No meningitis. No broken bones.
Each of these could have meant my end. Illness, infection, fever... death.
Like a cat, and thanks to medical intervention, I've quite possibly been through a couple of lives. You?
6 comments:
Now there's a thought....
and a bit surreal really. it's true though with all the things that could and do go wrong to each and everyone of us from birth. i have to wonder then how we made it this far, is it that we have 9 lives, is it that we have angels protecting us, or our belief and trust in a higher power?
me - i also had a fairly traumatic birth experience which i only discovered in the last 10 years or so of my life; i have been through anorexia; arthritis; and associated malady's; yip those bouts of bronchitis etc do seem to take there toll in the long run...i guess all we can do is try to remain as positive; fit and healthy as we can; respect and listen to our bodies and from there leave it to whoever it is that has been doing such a good job at keeping it together for us up till now...nice one good thought for a first day back to work for some....not me unfortunately although saying that i should be listening to my body, i really need a break or more importantly another expedition :)
Landed under a tractor on granpa's farm when I was 12, broke my neck 1 Dec 1979, then... nothing much until 2008. 600g Tumor removed from my abdomen, radiation, Jan 2011 - 100g tumor removed from my aorta, radiation, Mar 2011 - 100g tumor removed from my calf, I think I used up a few of the nine, but we carry on as if nothing is wrong...
Challenge - yes, another expedition is definitely in order. I see it as a celebration of lives lost and those still remaining ;)
Jaco - the tractor one was a big one. And now the tumors. What's the word from the doctors? Will they come back in the same place or can you expect new ones in other locations? Thank goodness for medical intervention eh? Just keep zapping 'em Jaco. That the only option. Since you used no lives for 30-odd years, I think you've got a good number in reserve still to go ;)
Hey - great stuff! How much do you have left? Who cares? Go spend some time with someone in frail care. Tell us then - do you really wish to live for too long? Tough one!
Anon - agreed. It doesn't matter too much how much time I have left, but how I spend what I've got ;)
Mad drivers, big Puerto Escondido waves , shark bites and tooo many down hills on the wrong side of speed .... hmmm its not medicine,9 lives or faith in ability,reason of divinty.... really just when its your time it your time .
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