Have you had a PSA (prostate specific antigen) yet? Or when did you last have a pap smear? Have you been vaccinated for cervical cancer? You should visit the skin specialist you spend so much time outdoors! I’m worried I may have cancer, I don’t know where but I’m sure I must have it somewhere, I think I’ll go and have a full body scan. Heart disease is killing more people than road accidents should we all have our cholesterol monitored? Or have a full cardiovascular checkup every year? Listening to those around us it sounds as though we’ve become a nation of hypochondriacs, or are we acting proactively?
Influenced by high profile disease
When Kylie Minogue was diagnosed in 2005 with breast cancer there was an unprecedented increase in the number of mammography’s and breast screening rose by 40% in the first two weeks. Women converged on their GP’s in mass; women thought if the singing budgie could get breast cancer so could I. What about Sam Newman recently diagnosed and treated for prostate cancer at the age of 62, the next wave will be men wondering what lies beneath. But were do we draw the line and how long do we want to live for? Regardless of all our precautions the fact is the only thing certain in this life is, one day we will be dead!
Fear mongering
The latest medical offering is cholesterol; the TV commercial depicts several individuals standing alongside a fat guy, the association of obesity and high cholesterol comes as no surprise, its only when the other body types appear do we start to worry. There not necessarily fat some actual look fit but the warning is there “any one of us could have high cholesterol and not know it, get yourself checked today!” (And in brackets at the bottom of our screens the name of the pharmaceutical company)
Living and dying that’s the deal
So many of us are so worried about dying we become scared of living, death is a reality of life, in large we have no choice when we came into this world and probably little influence to when we shuffle off, although lifestyle may expedite the mortal coil. As a fellow hypochondriac that has the usual plethora of pre -emptive medical procedures I to need to learn to get on with living and stop worrying about dying, life’s not a destination but a journey. Enjoy the journey!
Comments