How is YOUR lifestyle? (I)

    Klaus

September 14, 2008 by Klaus  
Filed under Klaus

During my first years as an expat in the Philippines, I really followed my ‘old lifestyle’ from Germany: especially stress - stress - stress. Meanwhile I count a lot of different business types, which I am doing together with my wife.And? After a year I got two warnings: stroke! Meanwhile I can manage everything - but I slow down. I learned to say NO or to say MAYBE LATER oder MAYBE NEXT TIME. I only do things being sure it’s really for me and my family’s benefits.

Since my first very mild stroke I really paid attention to my lifestyle and my health. When I checked the Philippine Department of Health statistics of 2008 (www.doh.gov.ph) I got no more surprised to learn that the top three killer diseases in the Philippines are

- Heart attack

- Brain attack

- Cancer!

64% of the top killer diseases are critical illnesses. A critical illness is not as uncommon as you may think it is. It strikes anyone and when it does, it can rob one of his lifetime savings and most cherished dreams. Breadwinners who caught these diseases left their families devastated and pitifully bankrupt. That’s why I changed my lifestyle here and now, before it’s too late…!

Just to mention some examples from the Philippines: a treatment for breast cancer, the No. 1 killer among women, can go as high as 150.000 Pesos and more for the surgery alone, which excludes chemotherapy of about 45.000 - 50.000 Pesos per session, depending on the se4verity of the cancer case, as we could learn from Dr. Vincent Filio in an interview from July 2008. Dr. Filio is a practicing Internal Medicine doctor in Manila.

Okay, I remember some comments before, that such charges are still very low and affordable compared to Europe and the States. Sure, it’s true. But I am living here in the Philippines… .

Another objection, I always hear is: one considers herself or himself out of danger if no one in the family has had or has cancer. Right? WRONG! Records indicate that 80% of those stricken with cancer did not have any cancer victim in the family at all. (www.curelibrary.com).

Many ongoing studies and resaerches are showing promise of cure in the future. But until then, we can only wish to be lucky. And, we can change our lifestyle and do our own share of prevention by increasing our awareness on critical illnesses.

You will never know when, what and if a killer disease will attack you unless you are familiar with these diseases. It may be triggered by your family history and yes, as I said before, even your lifestyle can kill you. It may sometimes even be detected while you are still young. Of course, you can stop counting at 25… . but, these killer diseases may be prevented if you start taking some precautionary measures this early.

Once you have been diagnosed of a critical illness, the disease will start draining all of your hard-earned savings and investments. Plus, it will limit your working ability and may as well affect your financial capacity. However, it pays to prevent or slow down its progress to fatality by detecting its eraly signs, causes and symptoms and even finding out your risk of getting such disease.

Please don’t forget: we are also here living in a tropical country… .

(To be continued!)

About the Author:  Klaus is from Germany, but has been living in the Philippines since the late 1990’s. Klaus is a journalist by trade, having written for a number of newspapers, studied also Publishing House Management and Marketing and has also been a Radio Host here in the Philippines.