Medical Research

Foxgloves (Digitalis) were used to treat heart conditions, years ago.

Not long ago, I had my DNA taken and stored on file.

No, I hadn't been arrested and neither was I a suspect for a crime, nor was it needed for elimination purposes.

My Family Practitioners (Doctors), got in touch to say that thousands of people were needed to help with medical research and Harry and I were asked if we'd take part.

Those of you who know me (if it is possible to know some one from a blog) might well be shocked.

"What! Maggie May, the elusive grannie who won't even have her photo printed on the net! Giving DNA!"

Yes, that's right. After doing quite a bit of research into the company and asking quite a few questions about what they would do with the information and samples, we decided it was pretty safe to do this. There are some pesky diseases in our family. Prostrate cancer, breast cancer and the tendency towards depression. Wouldn't it be good to find a way to halt these illnesses and to even eliminate them in the future?

We will not be told anything about what they find from the blood and urine samples. It might be years before they are processed and we gave permission for the samples to be stored and used after our deaths. That's it....... curtains! Forget about it.

We had to have medical checkups and to answer questions on a computer. It took one and a half hours. Some of the questions made me go a bit hot, but there was an option to say that I'd rather not answer. However, I didn't take that option.

The man who took my blood asked me, "Do you normally faint when you have blood taken?"

I quipped back, "It depends how much you are going to take!"

I had to climb up onto the huge leather chair, which had a reclining back and I thought, "Blimey! They are well prepared if I do pass out."

Anyway, I didn't, but he filled up 5 phials and made a massive bruise on my arm. Looked like I had been injecting for years by the time he'd finished. (Not that I'd know, of course, but I can imagine!) Never mind.... this was for the future good of mankind, I reminded myself.

I had to be weighed....... Grief- the moment of truth! They didn't put me down as obese, but I was definitely overweight. Oh and my Body Mass Index is high!

Right, that does it. I am dieting from tomorrow. We eat too much. I blame Harry for that as he always seems to bring back little treats from his shopping sprees and he says, "A little treat now and then never hurt anybody."

Well, the treats seem to be everyday now. It has to stop.

Harry told me that my lung capacity was good! What a cheek! So I was looking forward to a good result. Something positive. However, because of an eye condition that I have, they wouldn't do the lung capacity test as they thought it was too risky. I have managed to blow up balloons without any ill effect ( for the granddaughters, that is, not for me.) Oh well......

I had to stick my heel into a little box and I am pleased to report from that test that my bone density is good! Why am I telling you all this stuff?

Any way, that was that. Our little bit to help the future generations.

The clinic was full of people doing the same and we were offered tea/coffee and biscuits for our trouble. They would have paid our bus fares too but we used our free bus passes.

It all made a change from the things I normally do on my day off!

What would you have done? Gone for the research or not?