[quote=SK in CV][quote=bearishgurl]I lost an immediate family member from Stage 4 melanoma. It’s a swift and sure death. I myself have had a non-malignant skin cancer removed. This is another one of those diseases that is entirely preventable by taking personal responsibility for one’s skin in the sun and paying attention to changes in one’s skin.
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Bullshit. It is neither a swift and sure death, nor is it entirely preventable.
My brother has had it twice. First time more than 10 years ago. Second time 18 months ago. He’s still alive, with no signs of it. Neither are all melanomas preventable.
You’re lucky you’re healthy. I’m sure you like to attribute it to your healthy lifestyle. It’s still just luck. My aforementioned brother is my twin. Thirty years ago he was a professional athlete and weighs less now than he did when he played. Never been a pound overweight. Has worked out at least 3 days a week since he was in his teens. Eats a healthy diet. Barely drinks and has never smoked (even weed). Never spent the 1,000s of hours in the sun that I did. He’s probably spent 75 days in the hospital over the last 15 years. He has now, or has had at least 4 different things that could have, or could still kill him with no notice. None of them are lifestyle related. Has a defibrillator permanently installed in his chest so he doesn’t spontaneously go into v-tach. (It’s gone off at least 3 times, maybe more, since he had it installed almost 10 years ago. He doesn’t even mention it anymore.)
So be happy and count your blessings. But don’t for a minute think that your good health is just because you took care of yourself. So do a lot of other people who aren’t near as lucky as you.[/quote]
SK, this isn’t the same brother that worked “outside” as a SD cop, is it?
Actually, SK, I do NOT take my health for granted. I have always been pretty athletic but have gotten more diligent about taking better care of my health in the last ~7 years (since three of my immediate family got sick and died at fairly young ages). My mom died 18 years ago at barely 60 yrs old from heart disease, after two balloon angioplasty procedures, one catheterization and one (failed) double-bypass surgery. On her death certificate, she was listed as one pound more than me and one inch taller. My very successful younger sister’s “luck” happened to run out in the prime of her life (age 46). She was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer and died in less than 10 months, but only because she valiantly tried to save herself with assorted lethal “cocktails” and various “off-label” (traditionally used for other types of cancer) chemo. She was inoperable so was given only six months to live and wanted to see her kids graduate from HS so decided to grab at straws. Three out the four of her last months were nothing short of horrible for her (and the rest of us) until she gave up the drugs when she learned she was nearing death.
My dad DID have his advanced melanoma removed in surgery but it came back very fast and wiped him out. By the time its (advanced) metastasis was rediscovered (~one yr after surgery), it was too late. He had originally waited TOO LONG to get diagnosed after noticing changes in his skin and ended up having a very large tumor removed. After his melanoma surgery and recovery, he became tired and depressed over the untimely deaths of my siblings and didn’t get regular ct scans over the ensuing months. (He had already survived a different cancer ten years earlier after one l-o-o-o-ong year on chemo, while still working.) It was just all too much for him and I think he really didn’t want to know the status of his health anymore. He worked up until two weeks before his death and died at 73.
All of my relatives were well-insured and it didn’t matter.
I have one brother left who is five years younger than me. He wasn’t doing so well physically but “retired” a year ago and has been getting a lot of exercise and doing much better since then.
My family has a long history of three related cancers and complications from diabetes and heart disease so I DO consider myself lucky … so far. I have to continue to be diligent regarding my health or I will undoubtedly meet with the same fate. And I might, anyway, even if I begin running marathons tomorrow :=0
We can’t choose when to die or what will kill us but we can certainly do the things that are within our control to feel better and live as long as possible, given the genes with which we are dealt.
