How Do You Cope With The Health Side?

[Coleslawcat]

Ever since being diagnosed I've been learning more and more about all the potential long term problems. Of course, the increased risk of cancer is highest on my worry list. I know for most cancers the risk goes down after 5 years gluten-free, but seeing as I was just diagnosed a month ago that is still 5 years off. I'm having a relatively easy time handling the adjustment to gluten-free, but I am just paranoid about my health now. This morning I woke up with a swollen painful lymph node in my neck. Prior to my diagnosis I would have shrugged it off and thought nothing of it. Instead I am fraught with worry and made an appointment to see my PCP. Am I the only one reacting this way? I feel so out of control about my health now. I took up jogging earlier this month as an attempt to regain some control of my health since I feel as if I lost so much.

[RiceGuy]

Well, I try not to worry myself over it too much. I just eat the healthiest I know how, and take the supplements that I find helpful. I mean, what else could I do? As far as I can see, doctors are basically useless until something goes wrong. It's damage control, not health care. Caring for one's health is up to each of us to do for ourselves.

Some people do all sorts of foolish things that the rest of us know will come back to bite them later, while others worry like a hypochondriac over everything. If I have cancer or something lurking, I actually don't want to know. I want quality of life, not quantity. I'd rather have a short healthy life than a long, sickly one. Every person I have ever known who died prematurely, went downhill like a freight train once a doctor diagnosed them. Before that point, the problem didn't seem so severe. So I think once you make up your mind that you're seriously ill, the body follows suit and allows itself to experience the full potential of how sick you think you are. I think the placebo effect works both ways. That is, a sugar pill can make someone feel better if they believe it will, and the belief that something is wrong can actually manifest the problem.

I heard a saying once; The thing about life is that nobody gets out alive.

We're all going to bite the bullet some day. So you can either enjoy the time you have, and make the best of it, or you can spend that time worrying about the end of it.

[jackay]

The chances are you will not get cancer within the next five years. By staying gluten free, you may be preventing cancer in the years to come after that. Think if it this way, there is a chance of getting cancer now, but even less of a chance of getting it after five years. Hopefully each day closer to the five years, you are that much further away from cancer.

If you are feeling ill because of gluten, you may be a lot less worried about getting sick once you start feeling better. I worried about so much at first because I was feeling so lousy. Once I started feeling better, the worrying went away.

[woodnewt]

I take each day as it comes. No point in worrying about something that hasn't happened yet.

[Reba32]

Now that you know what was making you sick, and how to prevent future illness, the chances of actually getting sick are less.

For myself, I know that because I was undiagnosed for so long, that my lifespan is likely to be shortened from the average, but still, I have an Aunt who is 94 this year and she still lives on her own! So I know the genes are good, but who really wants to live that long anyway!

Just take care of yourself now, and that'll take care of later.