Health is wealth

Last night as I was trying to finish my article, I found out that my mom's brother had been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. Immediately I searched about it and I got sad while reading some articles about it.

According to the National Institute on Aging, Parkinson's Disease is a brain disorder that leads to shaking, stiffness and difficulty with walking, balance and coordination. What made me, my mom and her sisters all sad was that it does not have cure and it usually begin gradually until it worsens over time. We do not know what stage my uncle was but as per my godmother who leaves with my uncle, she had already noticed some changes with the way how my uncle walks. They thought it was when he got off balance and trip last year. There had been instances in the past where my uncle would trip at the mall or the parking lot as he do not watch his steps when he was still 10 or more years younger. So with what happened last year, they thought that it was just like that. Though my godmother had already noticed some changes with her brother. She told him that he should have his self checked and she also told it to her brother's wife. It seems like health was not their priority because months have passed and we never heard an update about my uncle's health.

All the while my another godmother who lives abroad thinks that her brother had gone to the doctor since the updates that we got recently was that they bought a brand new SUV and went on an outing. However, it was because of the outing when one of my uncle's sons had noticed with his dad's walking. So he convinced his dad to go to a doctor and it was only yesterday when they did week after their outing. There they found out about his Parkinson's Disease.

My uncle's pension and his wife's pension are just enough given that they bought a car which was 5 years to pay. Even if their kids have their own families, 2 of their 3 kids are still dependent on them. That is why I feel like depending on our paren runs in the family since my cousins do too. But at least I can say I am more responsible than them. Anyway, I donot know how much aremy uncle's medications are but I think he would also be getting some therapy. I just hope that their money will suffice for everything.

Health is wealth indeed. As early as now  we should really take care of our health. From the articles that I have read and understood about Parkinson's Disease, it does not have any causes as it is with genetics. I know my grandfather died of a brain tumor but I do not know if it can be linked to Parkinson's Disease as he was already old when they found out about the tumor. And because I have been experiencing migraine since I was a kid, I now want to really have myself checked. I know I have a lot of gealth problems that I need to address most especially my hormones. It has been one of my many goals that I have wanted to accomplish last year by I never got to do so as we were still afraid to go to other places due to the pandemic. But this year, I really have to prioritize my health.

I think majority of us are guilty of neglecting our health. Just like my uncle's family, they are not fond of going to the hospital for check up because for them, if they are to die then they are going to die. I do not know if this unfortunate event in their lives will somehow change the way they think about having annual check ups. For us on the other hand, we do have annual check ups but is only limited to the basic tests for cholesterol, triglycerides, uric acid and liver. When it comes to having x-rays, heart tests, digestive and reproductive tests, we do not. We can prevent some health problems and disases if we only have had ourselves an early check ups. Though I know the problem of majority of us are money because it has also been our problem that is why we only limit it to a few tests. It would have been better if hospitalizations, tests and check ups for senior citizens are free. I know in some countries wherein the government pays for the hospitalization of their people. I do not know the exact details but being able to save for some hospital fees can help unload the burden of the people.

There are some people who are used in going to hospitals and having themselves checked and admitted even with a diarrhea. We may think that it is just too much but prevention is better than cure right? I remember my godson used to be brought in the hospital for constipation and diarthea to the point that he hated the hospital at an early age. He would cry whenever he will see the hospital where he goes to and that really broke my heart. It was like he had a trauma for hospitals. I do not know if that is still the case now that he is already a big boy but I hope that he would not hate going to the hospitals. Though with drinking different medicines whether tablet, capsule or syrups, he is ok with it.

Our body can tell whether what we are feeling is normal or not. I hope that we would not hesitate to see a doctor when we feel that something is wrong. Am I telling this to you or to myself? LOL. I did see a doctor for my hormones and migraine although I did not had an MRI or CT scan for my head. We should not think that just because we are young, we are healthy. Whether we are young or old, we should always prioritize our health.

March 30, 2022

P.S. lead image is a photo of me during my first surgery years ago.