Thinking Healthy, Healthy Thinking

June 2, 2009

Lately, I’ve been thinking about how I should stop neglecting my health. This was perhaps triggered by, first, the hectic schedule I’m about to face starting next week, the week I start working and studying both full-time. I’m kind of worried my semi-feeble body would break down. Second, I was a bit alarmed about the prevalence of A(H1N1) virus, mostly because I think that, once exposed to this virus, I will acquire it as I don’t think I have a strong immune system.

I’m still not yet health conscious, not yet, but at least I’m becoming aware. Looking back, there have been a number of reasons that should have persuaded me to stay healthy, and I ignored them all:

1. My father had a kidney failure. For months, National Kidney Transplant Institute became our second home as my father’s dialysis became more and more frequent until we find a kidney donor. There was one Christmas morning when I found my father lying unconscious in our bathroom. It was a horrible experience. We had to spend Christmas in a hospital. Fortunately, my father had many siblings who were willing to donate a kidney. After six tissue typing matches, only one turned out to be a 100% match. If it’s hard to find a match even among brothers and sisters, what more for an only child like me? Even if my father had a brand-new kidney courtesy of my aunt, there are tons of restrictions on what he can do and humongous amount of medicines to buy every week, not to mention the constant fear that his body might reject the foreign kidney anytime. And until I become filthy rich, I couldn’t leave the corporate world because only under a corporate account can my father have a health insurance lead.

2. My cousin Eric, then 4 years old, was diagnosed with leukemia. My heart breaks whenever I see him so weak, with the slightest movement hurting his skin. I’d embrace him as tight as I could when even a warm climate makes him chill. I witnessed how hard it is for Tito to take care of Eric, enduring hardships and sacrificing a lot. On a lighter note, I spent time with Eric last weekend. His health is continuously improving, he was becoming more and more hyperactive, and, being out of chemotherapy, he was now even able to grow hair!

3. My grandfathers from my mom and dad died of leukemia and stroke, respectively. My mother’s sister (who had leukemia as a child) died of a rare cancer at the age of 43 and my father’s sister died of another rare cancer. Both aunts spent months in hospitals, with their vital organs giving up one after the other.

4. I often have low BP and low blood count. I couldn’t even donate blood for Eric. A little secret, I once passed out because of this. My friend got a bit worried, but I came back to life in a while. Tough, ha? My visual acuity level has been increasing (and I still rarely use my glasses), and I cannot sleep comfortably at night because of my back pain. Rheumatism? haha. I hope not.

My mother has been telling me to consult a physician for this and that, and I always agree with her but rarely consulted one. Mom and Dad insist that I take vitamins (even just that for my iron deficiency), and I say “yes,” but never actually took one. An officemate asked me if I wanted to have cervical cancer immunization vaccine offered by the company on installment, and I said, “no, it’s okay, I’d die of an accident, anyway.” Top that!

It’s kinda funny that I am actually contemplating of being healthy because of anticipated overfatigue and a virus that can easily be prevented, when my genetic codes have diseases imprinted on it. Funny how way life (my mind) goes. haha.

I guess I’ll start by taking vitamins. Any suggestions on what effective vitamins to take? I don’t think I’d cut down on salty foods, though. They’re just so tempting. haha.