How would you handle a serious illness?

Hi all,

I hope your week is going well and that you are feeling good.  I had a telephone conversation today with a friend, regarding a mutual friend.  This woman had some very serious problems with her neck, back and shoulders.  She had a very serious operation and had to wear a halo for many weeks.  After all the suffering she's been through, things have not worked out very well for her.  I understand that she is now in a wheel chair, and can't move her head from side to side.  She has to move her body to move her head.  Apparently, there's not much she can do and she is in pain a lot. 

I feel for this lady very much and I'm truly sorry for the way things have worked out for her, or should I say, the way things haven't worked out for her.  Her husband has quite work so he can stay home and take care of her. 

I think it's a very sad situation.  They are in what people call, 'The Golden Years'.  Tell me, what's golden about their situation.  As far as that goes, how about all the other senior citizens out there, including myself, who have a chronic illness that has changed their everyday normal lives.  I guess we should expect some illnesses and break down with our bodies.  Like everything else, as our body ages, it starts to break down.  Unfortunately, there's nothing we can do to stop the process. 

Oh, you can take good care of yourself by exercising, eating healthy, staying involved with community events, having a social life, working well after the retirement age, and other things.  But, many times it just doesn't help.  Many of the illnesses that we develop, we cant' do anything to stop them from occurring.  They are genetically passed on to us.

I suppose my question to you is, how would you handle this situation, if it came to your door step,  either directly to you or to your spouse.  People die every day from illness.  Some are lucky and live for a good many years after being diagnosed, but there are many who only live for a short time. 

The large majority of people out there, are fairly healthy.  If that's you and your spouse, I hope you can maintain your health for many years.  But, for the rest of the people, including me, I have to wander just how you'd handle our illnesses if you were stricken with them.  Have you ever stopped to think about this?  Probably not, because that's just normal. 

The one thing I'd like all of you healthy people to know is this:  Your health can change in a day.  Please don't take good health for granted, because bad things happen to everyone, even you.

I didn't get much time today to work on my current novel, but I've set aside at least three hours tomorrow to get to work writing.  I hope the rest of your week goes well.  For all of you who are sending children back to school, give them a good long hug before they leave the house.  And for anyone sending a child off to college for the first time, make sure you tell them how very proud of them you are, hug them, kiss them, and tell them that they can always come to you with any problems they encounter.  Oh, and you are permitted to cry!  Your peeps are growing up and leaving the nest, and that's the way it's meant to be!

Take care and be safe.
Susan