Quality of Life Matters
I recently picked a new
doctor.
He said
I was doing "fairly well" for my age. I thought I was living a healthy life.
"Fairly well," didn't sound so good! I couldn't resist asking,
"Do
you think I'll live to be 80?"
He asked,
"Do you smoke tobacco or drink beer or wine?"
"Oh no,"
I replied. "I avoid even second-hand smoke; lung cancer is a big concern.
Alcohol I was told was a gateway to Heroin and Crack, not to mention the
side effects to your liver. As you can guess I'm not doing drugs, either."
Then
he asked, "Do you eat T-bone steaks and barbecued ribs?"
I said,
"No, my other Doctor said that all red meat is very unhealthy! Cholesterol,
trans fats, lipids, triglycerides..."
"Do you
spend a lot of time in the sun, like riding quad bikes, sailing, hiking,
or bicycling?"
"No, I
don't," I said. "I was told to avoid the sun for skin cancer, sun spots,
premature wrinkling and aging. I was told that those quad bikes flip over
all the time and can cause serious injury. I do not hike because of deer
ticks and lyme disease, outdoor allergies and pollen, bee stings, etc."
He asked,
"Do you gamble, drive fast cars, or have a lot of sex?"
No,"
I said. "I don't do any of those things. I avoid addictions, wear my seat
belt, never speed or do anything reckless, and I'm afraid of HIV, herpes,
warts, swine flu, hepatitis B, and all that bad stuff."
He
looked at me and said, "Then why do you want to?"
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