Medical stats are vital, yet become annoying when applied universally—especially for those having earned bonus respect.
Processed meats cause cancer? Tell that to 116-year-old Susannah Mushatt Jones that ate four strips of bacon every day.
Go ahead, warn 117-year-old Emma Morano about the dangers of salmonella, given she ate at least one raw egg a day.
He quit cigars at 97, but John McMorran still chugged beers at 113.
Back when she was a spritely 104, my friend Irene drove to meet me at an event. Her doctor had just told her she had high cholesterol. She told them that she’d always had high cholesterol. They suggested she begin taking pills to help with the condition.
Perhaps the doctors could let this one go? Instead, maybe we could learn something from Irene and possibly gain knowledge on why some people live long, healthy productive lives with high cholesterol? Who knows, maybe she happens to be balancing this condition with some unknown, potentially beneficial variable that mitigates it?
Utmost respect for the medical community, but they’re practicing the art of medicine. Doctors have a logical, ethical and legal obligation to steer us the safe route based on the info they have, but in addition to numbers and statistics that generate the best odds of survival, there’s individual intangibles as well.
Sometimes, if it ain’t busted don’t fix it.
Before turning 100, George Burns was asked:
“Is it true that you smoke ten to fifteen cigars a day?”
“It’s true,” he acknowledged.
“Is it true you drink three or four martinis a day?”
“It’s true.”
“What does your doctor say?”
“Nothing… he’s dead.”
