empathy training

I have always wondered about people who are super sensitive to their health issues. I have one person in my life that I considered over sensitive. I have had little or no patience for this person for most of the time I've known her. I never understood how her entire focus in life is the everyday discomforts that we all feel each morning we get out of bed. The constant worry over a headache... or gas must be something more than a belly ache... the cold is the first signs of something bigger or the mole is, well...
At the beginning of May I decided to have a mole checked out by my doctor. It was small and not overly noticeable. But my intuition was nagging at me to get it looked at. Besides I was already there getting laser hair removal from my overly active growing hormones.(or old age, you pick). The procedure took five minutes and was no worse than getting your teeth cleaned. I was in and out in five minutes. Great, I went on about my life as always, having forgotten about the "mole removal " all together.I came home from a Friday night black belt class on a high note after a good work out to find a voice message from the doctors office. There were test results that he needed to talk to me about first day he was back after the long weekend.
My world came to a screeching halt. For the next three days I couldn't think of anything else. Cancer,melanoma . The mirror was hard to pass as I inspected every other mole I had on my face and other parts of my body. I come from a family who have considerable amounts of moles. Panic set in. This turned out to be the longest long weekend of my life. Nothing anyone said helped because I had gone inside myself.My own mortality was weighing heavy on my mind.I never dreamed I would have to deal with something like this.
I seen the doctor on Tuesday and came away with more information on the subject. If you're going to get cancer this was probably the mildest one you could have. I would have to have another biopsy done around where the mole was to make sure he had removed it all. I would live. My life would go on much the same as it has. I will be more diligent about using sun screen and no more sun tan beds.
Now every little ache and pain means so much more... was that normal, is that a lump or was that there before? How do people who are really ill deal with it day to day. Where do they find the courage and will to go on? How do they take the focus off of their ill bodies and find the strength to go about their daily lives. I'm not sure I could do it.
Walk a mile in my shoes means so much more to me now. I couldn't handle it for a weekend so I don't know how someone handles it for the rest of their live.
To all of you who face these battles on a day to day bases my hats off to you. I will not longer be so fast to dismiss the ales of others.

Linda