From: jeff nordahl (jnordahl@hotmail.com)
Date: Thu Dec 23 1999 - 14:35:21 MST
>From: jeff nordahl <jnordahl@hotmail.com>
>
> > Sounds like a hypochondriacs security blanket! What a nightmare!
>Another
> > excuse for procrastination and unnecessary self awareness and
>paranoia......
> >
> > jeff
>
>If you'd ever had a serious illness, you wouldn't feel this way. More data
>about the body can help the patient to understand how he can control his
>illness, and contribute to better quality of life and better long term
>prognosis. And as more data is collected, doctors and researchers can
>better understand the disease.
>
>Having an illness is a lot worse than having to pay attention to some
>interesting metrics.
>
>Anyone who finds knowing more about their body stressful is free to choose
>ignorance. Me, I want one of these pronto.
My first response was in jest because I do know some hypochondriacs who
would obsess on this type of health monitoring paraphernalia to the point
where it would give them the excuse to never leave the house until the
jacket gave optimal readings. "I can't come into work because my blood
sugar, rectal constriction, and breathing rate has not reached a healthy
equilibrium yet." But I do see a value for people with serious illnesses.
If a friend had one, I would even ask to borrow it for a few days for
entertainment value, but to seriously monitor yourself all day long when you
are not suffering from an illness seems like a rather introverted and
counter-productive hobby. If one is doing a scientific study, fine, but I
can see this item converting regular Joe's into introverted health obsessed
freaks. (could boost sales for medications) Perhaps the jacket should only
be available through perscription???
Perhaps my opinion is biased due to the fact that I have only been to a
doctor once in my life (for a blood test to prove I had had the measals),
and the only drugs that have been in my body are a few doses of marijuana
and LSD from my Dead days. Oh, I tried a Tylenol once...
jeff
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