Is ignorance a bliss?????

Recently, one of my close friend was complaining of  severe stomach ache.  The pain was unbearable and extended for more than a week and it was not subsiding with painkillers. There were numerous suggestions and kitchen remedies pouring in and dutifully, she observed everything but in vain. I strongly suggested that she should stop self medication and visit a doctor soon. After a couple of days of me making the suggestion, when I called her, she was a bit reluctant to speak about the subject and began to give me excuses for not having visited the doctor yet. I was quite upset by her sluggishness and decided to take the first step of escorting her to the hospital myself.

She was too scared to even think she would have any problem. After the physical examination, Dr.wanted a few tests to be done. The basic tests were OK with her but when it came to ultrasound, she out-rightly refused and would not budge. After so much coaxing and advises, I took her for the scan. When the results came, they diagnosed a growth in her uterus and further investigations need to be done. I cannot describe the night when we received the result. She decided that she is having cancer and that is the end. No amount of consolation or cajoling was working with her. It was just sobbing and crying. I felt really bad for the situation but things had to be done. A Hystoscopy was conducted and we were awaiting the biopsy result. The results were to be got after a couple of days. When we called the hospital, they conveyed that the Pathologist wanted a couple more days in stain to get the exact result. This again raised the blood pressure and tension of all of us at our homes, and you can imagine the plight of my friend. She was throwing tantrums, would not eat but just keep telling what she would be missing in life, especially the marriage of her children, etc etc. (Now, she had reconciled to herself that she is having cancer and she could remember someone in her family had similar symptoms too )

Finally, when we received the result, it was a benign growth but had to be operated upon. On hearing that it was not malignant, I can still remember her sobbing of relief. There was the happy ending with the surgery and she is recovering well.

As we have the desire to get educated of various symptoms for various diseases either through hearsay or thro' the net and television, when we have a simple health problem, immediately our minds work faster and co-relates to the extremes like cancer or any such major illness. This induces so much stress and pressure to the self and the family till the results are obtained. No doubt, we should be alert of any abnormal symptoms of our body and get diagnosed at once, but this acquired knowledge proves to increase mental strain and unwanted tension. So, now I am pondering if Ignorance is bliss but at what cost????? Confused !!!!!!!!

"We live longer than our forefathers; but we suffer more from a thousand artificial anxieties and cares. They fatigued only the muscles, we exhaust the finer strength of the nerves. ~Edward George Bulwer-Lytton"