A test that tells you if you will contract a life threating illness
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
United States
November 22, 2010 9:20pm CST
If there were a test that you could take that would tell you if you were to contract cancer or any other deadly illness, would you take it? I wouldn't. I would love to know my death date but what I am going to die of? No thank you. All this test would do is shorten my life. How? If the test said I would contract cancer, I would feel that the next day I would have cancer and thus stop living.How about you?
6 responses
@thesids (22180)
• Bhubaneswar, India
23 Nov 10
Hi Sarah,
Yes, I agree with you that knowing about something bad that is going to happen in the near future would reduce the fun in life for many people.
As a matter of fact I know that my Ulcerative Colitis is going to turn into a Cancer sooner or later - when? - I am not sure neither are the doctors and every year when I go for my health check-ups I pray that it is not Cancer yet. This initially was a big concern for me but now I have accepted it as a part of my life a thing that is inevitable. So now I know anytime the countdown can begin. So I am enjoying my life more than before, even doing out some things that I wouldn't have otherwise done at this age.
Cheers,
theSids.
1 person likes this
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
23 Nov 10
Thanks for your response. I didn't know. I would have sent you a warning about this post if I knew . I feel like such an insensitive friend!I am hoping the doctors are wrong and your illness goes into a permanent remission. I'm so thankful we got to be friends. Don't listen to me, I'm a born pessimist when it comes to my health. But I am a great optimist when it comes to my loved ones and my dear friends. So I'm rooting for you. Cheers.
@thesids (22180)
• Bhubaneswar, India
24 Nov 10
Hi Sarah,
You wont believe that I was called the greatest pessimist on this planet a few years back. I always had the negative thoughts and even ridiculed those who sounded optimistic. 
I always believed that being optimistic is just a way of shying away from the facts - "you are in a mess now but you continue saying - All will be fine soon.... C'mon take a break look at the fact and live in today" that was what I used to tell them. 
But now, things have changed for me and now I am walking in their foot steps - which were once a NO NO for me... I think the change is here because of the fact that I know my illness.
And you are not an insensitive friend, from what I have known, you have some experiences that have made you this way(just my personal thought).
Thanks for your wishes and yes, I am sure they would find something better before it is too late for me or for those who are suffering from this illness.
Cheers,
theSids.
I always believed that being optimistic is just a way of shying away from the facts - "you are in a mess now but you continue saying - All will be fine soon.... C'mon take a break look at the fact and live in today" that was what I used to tell them.
But now, things have changed for me and now I am walking in their foot steps - which were once a NO NO for me... I think the change is here because of the fact that I know my illness.
And you are not an insensitive friend, from what I have known, you have some experiences that have made you this way(just my personal thought).
Thanks for your wishes and yes, I am sure they would find something better before it is too late for me or for those who are suffering from this illness.
Cheers,
theSids.1 person likes this
@bounce58 (17385)
• Canada
25 Nov 10
In for a penny, in for a pound.
I guess if there was thing that would let me know the date that I die, I might as well know what I die of. Somewhere along the way, from the date I learn, to the date I finally kick the bucket, I'm sure I'm going to be gripped by helplessness. But I'm also sure that I'll get over it, and I could prepare myself and put everything in order.
1 person likes this
@Qaeyious (2357)
• United States
23 Nov 10
Sorry, I'm a bit confused. Not all people who get cancer die. More and more people are surviving with the proper treatment when it is detected early enough. Other tests can detect conditions that increase your chances of deadly medical problems later on, say hypertension that increase your chances of stroke or heart attacks. Then the hypertension is treated (or controlled) that decreases your chances of experiencing those incidents.
Once I start getting a regular income again, the first thing I have to do is get a colonoscopy. It is supposed to detect anything abnormal in my colon and they can take care of little pre-cancerous tumors and take biopsies of suspicious areas.
Or do you rather not be informed of what you are being treated for? I heard of that option being made available for terminal patients.
1 person likes this
@madteaparty (2748)
• Japan
23 Nov 10
Well, it's very unlikey that a test like that, and that is able to predict it accurately, exists nowadays. Who knows if someone will develop something like that in the future.
I would take it, as it's better to be prepared and cancer can be treated if you catch it in an early stage, so it would be a good way to extend your life as you're aware beforehand 
1 person likes this
@thebassdude (342)
• Philippines
23 Nov 10
I wouldn't want to know how and when I die. I'm OC and paranoid as it is, I wouldn't want something else to make me lose sleep at night. :p I guess I'm just the live my life by the day kind of guy --- carpi diem as they say. :)
1 person likes this
@sanjay91422 (2725)
• India
23 Nov 10
I would not take any such kind of test. Of course we should go for checkups at few months periods so that we can be aware of our health. I generally go for a dental checkup after 2-3 months. I think teeth are very important to decide our health.
Anything we eat goes from our teeth. Cancer is a disease which I heard about that it can be genetic sometimes. So it is wise to do a checkup for your children or your relatives.
1 person likes this
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
23 Nov 10
No I wouldn't go for the test. Almost everything is genetic. I know there is heart disease in my family so I assume I will die of a heart attack. So I am just waiting for the big heart attack to kill me, unless I die some other way.
