To be or not to be . . . . -- is not the question one needs to ask themselves.
We ARE – from conception on-wards. End of story! Ok – almost!
There is that magical 5 minutes where sperm meets egg and all genetic material is rearranged in order to form a new life form! There is no human control over this – totally random and unpredictable – well almost. More on that later.
From that magical 5 minutes forward – basically and to put it brutally – this new life created faces up to a certain future-yet-to-be-determined date with death.
There is a lot that can go wrong for the first 9 months – not to mention abortion. We are 100% dependable on a friendly host to sustain us – food, shelter and warmth! Even after we are born – we depend on someone to help us grow! However – as said before – there is a lot that can go wrong at any one time! The WHO stipulates that malnutrition is the leading cause for under 10 year olds – or least an underlying condition contributing to a premature demise!
If we are lucky – we avoid death by snake bite / being eaten by crocodile (sorry Jade) / struck by lightning / facing the 200 plus idiots driving on the wrong side of 2 lane one-way highway / struck by an errant golf-ball / fixing that loose live electric cable / drowning / flying etc, etc, etc. Heck – even the simple act of getting out of bed is a cause for a pre-mature departure from life! Weather and Earth events (speak natural disasters ) feature in the WHO report too - oddly enough – though the rate of death as a % over the population is 0.01 % - So I am perfectly fine strolling up to a raging volcano!! Hmmmm
Anyhow – to recap – the Thursday before Easter this year – I – at the point of going to bed – experienced severe stabbing chest pain and also broke out in a big sweat – similar to what my wife endures due to her hormonal midlife changes!! In the last few years I used to get one or the other but never together and also usually less severe! Anyhow – I asked Pam to take me to the After Hours clinc in town. There, they poked me here there and everywhere – drew blood – listened to all things and by 1 am sent me home with the advice to go and see my usual doctor!! The Doc from the after hours place who examined me, entered into a brief sms-txt conversation – re-assuring there is nothing critical / urgently wrong! So Easter Weekend was spent in our Campervan at Wakanui Beach – doing some catching up on things needed for the van and just trying to NOT think to much about recent events.
As it happened, we were scheduled to go to the West Coast that weekend – glad we did not – as – we met a lovely couple in another Motorhome and struck up a friendship. Funny how things have a habit of working out!! So – the appointment with my local Doc was made/ saw my doc/ – more blood donated and a referral was made to Chch Hospital Hematology Unit!!
Yeah; I KNOW – T H A T unit!!!
Seems that genes can transcend 3 generations. My father had a form of leukemia and as we know to well, our son Michael is also a Leukemia patient (with two bone-marrow transplants) – thus I was really hoping that it would skip a generation!! Alas – seems it is not.
So it seems I got CLL --
https://www.leukaemia.org.nz/information/about-blood-cancers/leukaemia/chronic-lymphocytic-leukaemia/
H O T D A M N ! !
This in from Wikipedia ----> CLL affected about 904,000 people globally in 2015 and resulted in 60,700 deaths. In 2021, the estimated incidence of CLL in the United States is 21,250 new cases and 4,320 deaths. The disease most commonly occurs in people over the age of 65 due to the accumulation of genetic mutations that occurs over time. Men are diagnosed around twice as often as women (6.8 to 3.5 ratio). It is much less common in people from Asia. Five-year survival following diagnosis is approximately 83% in the United States. It represents less than 1% of deaths from cancer. <---- Well there is something to hold on to!!
So -I have resigned myself to the fact that, if nothing else will prematurely remove me from this planet (fingers crossed), – then the CLL will – in the end!!! I most definitely will not die of old age . . .
Not that this will matter too much. What does matter now is HOW I live my life ‘till then!! Actually really this would be a matter since conception – right?? So you see – to be or not to be is indeed misleading – it should be more like – I am, so what do I do now -- with my life ‘till I am no longer . . . .
Okay, Dear Lord – If you have it in your will that I should win some $$$ in Lotto – please make it earlier then later – as a week b4 my departure is of no use to me! I would rather Pam could retire earlier and we can spend some quality time together in our Old Age and we can grow OLD together. Growing old is only fun if one can stay healthy. So ol’ dude up there – about our little understanding – you remember that???? I stay faithful no matter what and you look after me. I am holding up my end of the deal!! Just letting you know! I am also holding you to your end, as ..... what do you mean, you are looking after me no matter what as well??? When did that change happen??? Ahh Lord - there is never any use in arguing with You! You are always in the right. OK - Your will be done.
Meanwhile if you please – it is full steam ahead with the enjoyment part of life!! As I am typing this we are sitting at a campsite in the middle of nowhere and admire the blue ocean. Wine / Mushroom / Nutella and other things have been stored away and at some stage I should start a fire to bbq the steak . .
Oh BTW – Lord -I have at home a template for a coffin – any idea how soon I shall start working on that??? I already got the cross for it made and I am thinking of Rimu timber as a base with some Totara inlay and the handles in Matai or southern Rata - - excuse me – say what – you will let me know later when the time is right? . . . . oh, okay . . . waits . . . .
Meanwhile – folks – please do and go and have some fun.
You never know when life throws you an obstacle on your journey . . . .
OH Yeah - Happy 61 Birthday Papabear - some birthday!!!!!
Have fun!
