NOTE: I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV, but these are a few things I’ve found along the way that I feel are important.
Over the years, as one grows older, you get aches and pains in places you never knew existed. If you’re not there yet, you’ve been warned! Those are the minor health things that you’ll deal with throughout your life.
I believe that keeping a record of your ailments and those of your ancestors may benefit your descendants one day.
Why?
Because it’s good to know what you might have a propensity towards, and what your family might face in their future.
Start With Yourself
Do you remember the first time you were ill when you were a child? How did your parents deal with it? Did you go to a family doctor? Was medication prescribed? Did you have any side effects from that time forward with any medication?
Did you ever have an event that required a visit to the hospital, such as a broken bone that needed setting? What was that like? Where did you go? How old were you? Was there ever more than a simple break? Leg? Arm? Back? Neck?
Did you require surgery for any ailment such as appendicitis, tonsillitis, gall bladder, cancer treatment, heart stents? Write down what your surgery was for, where it took place, and how you recovered.
Chronic disease – Do you suffer from any chronic disease, and if so, what? When did it start and how have you dealt with it throughout your life? Were you ever, or are you still being treated with medication or therapy of any kind? Has this disease necessitated the use of any special equipment, such as a wheelchair? How has this chronic disease affected your life and how have you adapted to it?
Recurring disease – Are you susceptible to the common cold or flu? What over-the-counter medication do you trust? Do you have allergies and require medication at certain times of the year? Does asthma pop up its unruly head when you least expect it? Do you take special care regarding protecting yourself from athletes’ foot or similar?
Mental health – This topic is wide, but I will only cover it in a general way. If you suffer from any disorder (from anxiety to ADHD to bipolar or others), have you gotten help? If not, have you looked into the many online sites that offer help, or asked friends or family for help, or asked your family doctor for a referral? If you’ve been diagnosed with a condition, how are you managing it? Are you on medication or are you using other types of therapy? How has it affected your life, and how do you see your future?
Look Into Your Ancestors’ Health
As we know, some diseases run in families, such as heart conditions, diabetes, asthma, and some believe cancer (though recent studies seem to say otherwise, so I’ll just put that disclaimer in here until we know for sure).
But we don’t always know what our grandparents died of. We may have seen our parents taking medication for something and not known what it was for. Did mom have high blood pressure? Did dad have asthma?
If your parents are alive, you’re lucky, give them a hug. Then ask them about family illnesses. They may or may not know, but they can tell you about their own. Again, respect their privacy if they don’t want to share, but explain why you’re asking.
Should you not have a living relative to ask, look into the death records of various relatives. They usually state the cause of death. Some will also show a secondary cause. When you get enough death certificates and tally up the causes, you may know what runs in your family.
Your Turn:
- Make a list of all the illness you’ve had in your life, including trips to hospital, etc.
- Take one of those events and write a detailed description of what you experienced, eg. Why it happened (fell out of a tree), where you received for treatment, what the treatment was, how long it lasted, whether it was successful and whether you continue to need treatment.
- Find your ancestors’ death certificates and create a list of all causes of death.
- Find your blood type, and those of your family and note them down.
P.S. No one likes to be ill, as evidenced by my son’s attempt at humor during his illness. He was starting to feel better!