The Importance of Disease Prevention Even In A Time of War
By Sharon Galper Grossman
The phone call from Maccabi surprised me. Schedule a mammogram? I can barely get through my day taking care of the things that I already have to do. How dare someone add a mammogram to my to do list? Don’t they realize that we are in the middle of a war for our survival? We have rockets in the north, rockets in the south, displaced people, soldiers fighting, hostages who have not been released, wounded soldiers and civilians and soldiers to be buried. We don’t know what will happen five minutes from now, yet someone expects me to worry about getting a disease that I currently do not have and may never get. They expect me to take steps to avoid getting cancer in the future, 5 or even 10 years from now. Despite being an oncologist and public health specialist who knows better, early detection and screening are not in my vocabulary right now. They are concepts that feel like a luxury that we cannot have in the midst of a war.
But this is not a six-day war. As of this writing, it is a 259-day war, and the end is not yet in sight. According to the Ministry of Health, the health of Israelis has declined dramatically since October 7. We are snacking more, eating more junk food, gaining weight, exercising less, smoking more, going for fewer medical appointments and canceling really important ones, like mammograms and colonoscopies. There have been fewer cancers diagnosed, but this does not mean that cancer has disappeared. It means that these cancers will be diagnosed later at a less curable stage. The Ministry of Health has warned that if we do not take steps to encourage healthy behaviors, we will face a public health crisis that will affect us for many years to come. All of this ran through my head as the representative of Maccabi who was merely doing her job tried to arrange for me to do my routine screening. It took me a moment to get past my initial surprise and understand the importance of disease prevention even in a time of war. I thanked the representative for her time and felt grateful to live in a country that worries about its citizens’ health even when it is fighting for its survival and existence. I will get my mammogram. I will continue to exercise, follow a healthy diet and take care of my health, if not for myself then for those for whom I must be strong during this challenging time. May our efforts to promote our health make us worthy of and help hasten the release of our hostages, the return of our soldiers and the recovery of our wounded.
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