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The Thanksgiving holiday is all about gratitude and giving thanks for what we have. I am most grateful for my good health. Many take their health for granted until disease or infirmity strikes, only then realizing how special and extraordinary good health is. When you work in the medical field and are constantly exposed to the many ways the body can go awry, it gives one pause and reinforces the concept of not taking one’s health for granted. Health afflictions of my patients, family members and myself make me appreciative of the good fortune of being healthy and the importance of respecting, cherishing, and nurturing our bodies. After all, our greatest wealth is health.
Most people take their health for granted, particularly younger people as well as those of any age who have never had a serious injury, disease, or infirmity. It is often not until disease or infirmity strikes that one realizes how wonderful and extraordinary it is to enjoy good health and the miraculous functions of one’s body. As we get older and some form of infirmity or disability inevitably surfaces, many of us only then begin to genuinely appreciate our good health and no longer take it as a given.
Our bodies are magically engineered and extraordinarily complex with numerous systems functioning simultaneously, synchronously, and flawlessly until some health issue will undoubtedly emerge. These systems among others include the following: musculoskeletal, nervous, endocrine, cardiovascular, respiratory, urinary, digestive, lymphatic, sexual, reproductive, and immune. Our brain and nervous system provide us with thought, creativity, memory, emotions, and function as the master regulator of virtually every system. Our senses allow us to see, hear, smell, taste, and touch.
My father suffers from macular degeneration that has effectively rendered him unable to read, drive a car, peruse his mail, participate in sports, balance his checkbook, etc. My witnessing his struggles with this affliction has made me so much more appreciative of eyesight, the absolute miracle of high-definition, binocular, 24-7 color vision. When my wife had Covid and lost her senses of taste and smell for several weeks, I became so much more appreciative of these miraculous senses that allow us to enjoy eating and pleasant aromas. When I experienced severe sciatic nerve pain due to a herniated lumbar disk, I had a newfound appreciation for not feeling disabling pain and a profound compassion for those suffering with any kind of neuropathy. Recently, a patient told me that his cervical neuropathy rendered him unable to button his shirt, a task taken over by his wife, so now when I am involved in the mundane task of buttoning my shirt I feel gratitude for this taken-for-granted motor skill.
One of my orthodox Jewish patients brought to my attention that there is a specific blessing of thanksgiving for bodily functions that is traditionally recited upon exiting a bathroom. It is known as Asher Yatar (“who formed”) and it expresses gratitude for urinary and bowel functions, without which it would be impossible to live. She gave me a laminated poster of this prayer that I keep in my office.
The English translation of this Hebrew prayer is as follows:
Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, King of the universe, who formed man with wisdom and created within him many openings and many hollow spaces. It is obvious and known before Your Seat of Honor that if even one of them would be opened, or if even one of them would be sealed, it would be impossible to survive and to stand before You even for one hour. Blessed are You, Adonai, who heals all flesh and acts wondrously.
As a urologist, I interpret “if one of the hollow spaces be opened” as urinary incontinence (urinary leakage) and “if one of them be sealed” as urinary retention (inability to urinate). Nowadays, when I exit the bathroom, I give a brief silent nod and gratitude for this simple act that when malfunctioning can cause so much grief, aggravation, and disability.
Joni Mitchell’s lyrics from “Big Yellow Taxi” summarize the situation perfectly:
Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone.
Bottom Line: Many do not appreciate their health and amazing body functions until something goes awry. We should all be grateful for our good health before things break bad and make every effort to respect, cherish, and nurture our bodies. After all, our greatest wealth is health.
