But, it likely started around Civil War times because my great Grandfather was a Civil War Captain from Kansas for the Northern Armies of Abraham Lincoln. So, after the war ended he likely had PTSD like most people did and sought out Native American medicines and began selling them as they helped him stay alive after the Civil War. Then this business really took off around 1875 and he ran his Drug Store from 1875 until he sold it in 1925 and retired and then lived until almost 100 years old because he was born in the 1840s so he lived into World War II before he died. His Wife lived to be 105 on their Farm in Kansas by the way.
Then my grandfather who became first an Electrician and then Electrical Contractor in the Western States traveling to new contracts in Western STates like Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Texas and California. But, he also didn't like Doctors like his own father the Captain from the Civil war for the north in Kansas.
Finally my Grandfather settled in Lake Forest Park in the Seattle area and bought a house with 2 1/2 acres of land where my father and his 4 brothers and sisters grew up from when my father was about 11 years old in 1927 when they bought this house and land there.
But, my grandfather also didn't believe in Doctors because of his father's experience during the Civil War too.
So, then my father didn't like doctors either so when he was diagnosed with Prostate cancer in 1980 when he retired he wouldn't have his prostate removed like I begged him to. Instead he wanted to do a macrobiotic diet (mostly brown rice) to get rid of the cancer which didn't work. So, then the cancer spread from 1980 to 1983 to his bladder, one kidney. So, then as a last resort he had his bladder, prostate, and one kidney removed but by then it had become Bone cancer from which he passed away from in August of 1985 I believe.
So, what did I learn from this?
I learned that unless you take advantage of Health insurance and doctors that you likely are going to die pretty young. So, when I got my heart virus for 9 months from fall of 1998 to may of 1999 and almost died I was okay partly because I had full health insurance which my wife insisted on. So, the health insurance and my refusal to die because my children needed me (including a then 2 1/2 year old daughter).
So, I stayed alive from then to now somehow at age 78 even though it wasn't easy a lot of the time.
However, my son was talking about a co-worker of his who died on the job at 86 years old which seemed kind of sad to me. However, if you are a workaholic often this is better than becoming an alcoholic and dying from Alcoholism too which happens to a lot of people whose identity was their work.
For me, my identity wasn't my work but my children and my family. So, the worst thing for me so far in this department is "The Empty Nest Syndrome" which is really awful because now my children live in Portland, Austin, Vienna and San Diego county all over the world and I and my wife live in the SF Bay area. However, luckily we can afford to visit our children and grandchildren but now we have to also worry about our health as well because my wife is 70 and I'm 78 years old.
But, as long as we can manage it we will keep visiting our kids and grandkids as long as our health will allow it worldwide.
By God's Grace
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