Lifestyle has nothing to do with many illnesses

I was terribly annoyed at the presumptive assumptions by letter writer Eugene M. Goldberg ("Healthy Choices," April 23), as it so obviously shows that he, and others, do not recognize that the ideas he presented, while certainly good ideas, are not yet proven and are thus still theories.

I seriously doubt that my lifestyle, at age 19 months, contributed to contracting and almost dying of whooping cough, a disease that at the time, in Montreal, was usually fatal to little girls under the age of 2. Obviously, I survived and may have avoided the long recovery period if shots had been around then, but that was not the case.

I am also a registered nurse whose interest in health topics is always present. So, why did I develop multiple sclerosis, which has robbed me of so much life? Well, nobody knows and diet and exercise certainly have nothing to do with it. I also used to be a swimming instructor and PIAA basketball official.

Believe me, I was in prime shape when the disease descended. So, as much as I might advocate following good lifestyle habits, eating a bunch of veggies or running a mile won't ward off everything, and falling ill may cause feelings of guilt that have no place in what may become a changed life.

 

HEATHER REBIC
Forest Hills