By Dom Cioffi
I took my son for his annual check-up at the optometrist earlier this week.
Prior to the appointment, a woman from the doctor’s office contacted me and asked if I would fill out an online health questionnaire for my son so our waiting time in the lobby would be reduced. I had no issue with this, realizing that offices all over the country are looking for ways to lessen the effects of the current pandemic.
I had an eye appointment last week, so I had already filled out the questionnaire based on my own health stats.
It occurred to me as I was ticking through the various questions on my son’s behalf, that he and I are in totally different worlds when it comes to our physical health. When I was filling out my form, I had to mention my cancer diagnosis and the resulting side-effects, as well as some other age-related issues I’ve developed. I also had to list the medications I currently take, which seem to be growing annually no matter what precautions I take.
My form took me a good fifteen minutes to complete; my son’s form was done in less than 60 seconds. Cancer? No. Diabetes? No. Heart disease? No. I didn’t even have to read most of the ailments because the kid has never had a health issue. I just repeatedly checked the “No” box and moved on.
Of course, at 16 years old, you would hope this would be his current state of well-being.
I remember filling out these forms in my younger years and taking such pride in the fact that I never had any of the health concerns listed. In fact, if I was to be totally honest, I likely scoffed at the idea of people checking one or more of those ailment boxes, somehow believing that any issue related to health was always one’s own fault.
Prior to getting cancer several years ago, I had never been to the emergency room for anything other than a broken bone or mild seasonal sickness. And I had certainly never spent a night in a hospital!
This fact was a badge of honor for me and something that I took great pride in. Again, I had the misguided idea that my lucky run with health was somehow of my own doing.
While it’s true that I have always taken great care with my health – eating well, exercising religiously, avoiding pitfalls like cigarettes – I’ve come to realize that there’s a lot of luck involved with maintaining good health. The cancer I was diagnosed with had little concern for how I approached my life. Whether I was the healthiest person on earth or someone who continuously abused themselves, my cancer was going to hobble me either way.
I remember waking up the morning after my first cancer surgery and contemplating that my streak of never being admitted overnight to a hospital was now over. I think this bothered me more than the actual cancer diagnosis.
In my mind, I was now existing in another category – one where people with health problems resided. From that day forward, I would have to read health questionnaires more carefully and take the time to check the appropriate boxes.
I have since realized that poor health or compromised health is not something to look at with disdain, but rather the natural progression of life. If you live long enough, something in your body is going to fail. That’s not anyone’s fault, that’s just the way life works.
In this week’s feature, “The Sound of Metal,” starring Riz Ahmed and Olivia Cooke, we watch as a drummer in a heavy metal band begins to lose his hearing. His initial reaction to the debilitation is not surprising, but where he ends up is where the meat of the story is generated.
“The Sound of Metal” is an interesting and provocative delve into the world of deafness, but at its heart, this is a film about harnessing the ability to accept inevitable change.
One of the more interesting aspects of this movie is the sound design – an attribute most viewers overlook because it’s normally something you only notice when it’s bad. In this case, the sound engineers on this film went to great lengths to create an atmosphere and experience of what it must feel like to slip into deafness.
This certainly isn’t a film to watch on Christmas Eve with the family, but I would consider it an excellent selection under any other circumstance.
A deafening “B+” for “The Sound of Metal.” Look for this film on Amazon Prime for free with an annual subscription and look for Riz Ahmed when the Oscars get handed out in 2021.
Got a question or comment for Dom? You can email him at moviediary@att.net.
