Side-Effects

Changing Life Styles

• A side effect, also known as an adverse effect, adverse event, or undesirable secondary effect is when a treatment goes beyond the desired effect and causes a problem; the treatment, which may be a medication, surgical procedure or some kind of therapy has an undesirable secondary effect which occurs in addition to the desired therapeutic effect.
• The term undesirable side effect is more specific than side effect. For example - imagine a fictitious drug for elderly people for the treatment of insomnia which also improved the eyesight of 3% of those who took it; this could be classed as a side effect, even though whoever experienced improved eyesight would not complain about it. However, the term side effect is mainly used with a negative meaning. For it to have a positive meaning, the speaker would have to explain what the benefit was - if they didn't, the listener would most likely imagine undesirable things.

Most events even when negative have a silver lining if you bother to look for it.  One example might be where due to cutbacks you end up unemployed and decide to go back to school and end up with a better job.  Sometimes just having the opportunity to look for new employment you can end up making more money and/or being happier.  Another instance you might be required to take a medication that ends up with unintended good side effects healthier heart or dropping some unwanted weight.

On the other hand, the door also swings both ways, there can be unintended (not fully embraced) side effects.  One particular instance comes to mind for the first time this time of year.  There is no way that I can look at his particular situation as anything but positive with a less than desirable side effect.  Many of my family members, I am happy to report have turn their lives in the direction of a healthier life style.  It seems that many family members have gone as far as to hire a nutritionist in order to lead healthier lives.  Furthermore, some have gone as far as to remove meats from their food menus.

As a result of that decision for the first time the turkey dinner (meal) tradition is in jeopardy.  I for one would be willing to take one for the team and eat their share.  I can’t hold it against them for wanting to eat and live healthier.  There was a time when I didn’t eat turkey because I was raise on the farm and I was the executioner (chicken killer, chicken plucker).  If you have ever plucked feathers off of a chicken you would have an idea on how bad that is.  For about the first seven years of our marriage my wife use to fix for me a steak and lobster plate for Thanksgiving.  I felt bad back then for not participating on the turkey meal, but I feel even worst now that it is going the other way.

Even though this year the gathering around the table is going to get larger, it looks like the turkey is going to get smaller.  I want to also live a healthy life, but at least for now there are some tradition I am not willing to change.  Turkey and all the goodies that normally accompany it will be on the table this year, with the addition of more veggies, more fruit, and whatever the more knowledgeable family members contribute.  The one thing that is not yet scheduled to go away is the tradition of finishing of the day with board games galore.  As usual a very nice and competitive evening will be had by all.  The best is yet to come…