I have just begun my first semester as a high school senior. My third hour class I chose the elective of Genetics. During the past three weeks we have been discussing such topics as learning early about diseases you may or may not have contracted and how it would change your life.
We just did an assignment where a young girl had just experienced her mothers death after battling with Huntingson's Disease. She was then given the option to take a test to find out if around the ages of 40-50 she too would fall to the disease. We were asked to answer this question: If you were this person, would you take the test? There are many pros to this situation and many cons also. We were also asked to list these pros and cons.
Pros: You would be able to prepare yourself mentally and also prepare those around you. You could teach those who care for you how to take care of you if you have the gene for this disease. It would help you make the decision on whether or not to have children because there is a high risk you will pass this on to them. And you could let a boyfriend or husband know that you may be leaving them early.
Cons: You would have a weight on your mind that you will only live for half of an expected life time. You may never experience the things you want to experience. You may not have children. You have to tell your family. If you have children, you may have passed this horrible disease on to them. Friends and family may not want to deal with this a second time. And you have to live everyday knowing that it is one day closer to the day you will die too early.
Our teacher then asked us: If you found out that you had this disease or any other life threatening disease, would it make you live your life fuller? Every single student in that stuffy science classroom nodded their head in agreement. And then he made a very powerful statement: I have never understood that. Not a one of us knows when we will die, it could be tomorrow. So why don't we treat everyday as a special day and always live our lives to the fullest because any of us could die early. Why take life for granted?
It was silent. We all knew he was right. Why do we take life for granted?
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I know I would take my life more seriously if I found out that I was going to die around 40 or 50. I always try to live my life to the fullest. Everyone definetly should
Fortunately we live in an age when even genetic diseases might be cured within the 20 or so years this young woman has ahead, if the results show she has the gene.
I would get the test, because I make it a rule to love the Truth. Even if it is unpleasant that is the best policy. Denyal, or hiding from the truth causes more problems than it solves.
The fear of the disease would still be hanging over your head if you refused the test. Taking the test would have a chance of removing it alltogether.
A fact is always better than an ideal
I try to believe that I live my life to the fullest. I'm not afraid to try new things, and I have big plans when I get out of school. I know that I would definitely not want to take that test and find out. That would just put a big stopper on my life, emotionally. It would be the only thing I'd ever think about. I mean, if I could know right now when and where and how I'm going to die, I wouldn't want to.
--The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return--
We don't take our life more seriously because we all expect to have a lifetime to do all the things that we want. It takes a personal tragedy to realize that we don't, in fact, have forever. We may not even have next week.
One of my highschool teachers had an accident that left him crippled, but he didn't let it stop him. In fact, he used the experience to help him do things that he may have never done had he not had the accident.
It's almost as if we need something bad to happen before we can stop taking life for granted.
i believe that taking the test to find out if she too, would fall to the disease would be more beneficial. This is because it may help her to be more alert of what will happen to her body and she can go search for advices and help that'll prevent worser conditions from happening.
You are not supposed to know when you are going to go. You could find out you have the breast cancer gene and have a mascetomy and walk outside the next day and get hit by a bus. You should always love every moment and live for today. Tomorrow is another day but some of us won't make it that far. Remember to respect others and respect yourself.