Does Worrying Help?

Dad in 1946 and 2001

 I come from a large family of nine brothers and sisters. My Dad lived a long and,for the most part, healthy life.He didn't contract cancer until his later years, at least not that he knew of. He had prostrate cancer for several years, which they caught and were treating,thus holding it at bay,as much as possible.He had a heart attack or two,shortly after moving from Kentucky to Georgia in 1972.He carried on with his life after that first attack and didn't need  heart surgery until 1996.After the surgery,he complained of his legs hurting, where they had taken the veins to use in the work on his heart,moreso than did his heart.He recovered quite well from the heart surgery,and then his back seemed to be more of a  problem to him, than anything else,at this point.The doctors wanted him to have back surgery,for years,but his heart could not stand it.Then after he had the heart surgery,he seemed to push the thought of back surgery further and further from his thoughts.I guess major surgery does that to you.In his 83rd year,he developed a cancer in the center of his chest. He complained for a few months with it hurting,thinking it was his heart again.The doctors dismissed it as being a heart problem,only to find it was a cancer growing in his chest. It had entwined itself around and among the heart,lungs and bronchial tubes. An impossible place to have it removed.He suffered with it for several months,before succumbing to it September 5, of his 83rd year. He would have been 84 on December 1,2001                                               

                                                     


Mom in 1946 and 2010

My Mother is 85 and has been extremely healthy for the most part,during her lifetime.She has born nine children and lost one to a miscarrage.By the age of 85, she has developed a few medical issues. She has had surgery to remove her thyroid gland. Even after taking thyroid medicine for most of her adult life, she felt she was having trouble swallowing her meds and certain foods.The doctors felt it should come out. It was removed and she healed very quickly to the surprise of everyone, doctors included.She has had trouble with her back in years past,around the age of 60, and had lower back surgery which she had great healing results with,also.No more problems with her lower back,but her upper back has given her problems for years,causing a numbness and burning in her hands and arms on a daily basis.She has had treatments and therapy of every kind trying to fine relief to no avail for that problem.She takes the usual meds that folks her age take. Meds for blood pressure,for water, for pain in her hips,back and arms.Then she takes her OTC meds .Calcium,bone supplements,allergy meds,ibupropen,gasX,fiber.But nothing has slowed her down as much as her inability to see as she once did.She continues to this day,doing what she can to care for her property.She is slowly loosing her eyesight.One eye is 90% gone.Her eyesight in the other eye is lessening as time goes by.The eye doctors have done all they can,but she continues to go for her regular eye exams,just in case.

Of the nine children,we are all still living,to this day.That in itself is miraculous. We have had good friends of our family who have lost many of their family members. One of my sister's has had a round with cancer, among other serious medical issues,with the worse case of psoriasis being one of her issues,one brother has had back surgery after a bad fall during a construction job,one brother and his family had major medical problems stemming from an insect control company using an outlawed treatment,one sister has Fibromyalgia,one brother has liver problems,due to unhealthy choices in his lifetime.One sister is having a great many problems with her knees.Two additional sisters have psoriasis,but not nearly as bad as the one sister.One brother has gout.As for myself, I have a few minor aches and pains,but after 63 years of nothing like the other siblings have endured, I hate to complain,but with all of this said, I come to my topic for today.

Today I got a scare. That may be all it amounts to, but knowing the history of my family, and my not having had any medical problems to speak of, in my 63 years,it does make one wonder.Is it my turn?I had some medical tests today, and the Nurse Practioner that looks after our medical needs,for the last few months,has found a spot that looked suspicious.I am scheduled for more tests on Friday. This may turn out to be nothing,but today I am not afraid to admit,it scares me to think of what it could be.I have never had any natural children of my own,and only twice been sedated for a medical procedure,so you can imagine my fears,but I have vowed Not to Worry about it until necessary.I have other worries to deal with at this moment.I got a form from the United States District Court demanding that I fill out and return their form for possibly serving on the jury.It's hard to believe,I am 63 and called last year to serve and possibly again this year. And they say the names are chosen at random????It makes one wonder about that,too.Worry,worry, worry.I'll keep you posted as I hear more.Right now,I'm headed to take a Zantac.
(P.S.I know several of my family read my blog,so I hope I haven't misquoted anything regarding the family's issues. If so, I am willing to make corrections.)