Would you still be alive if you lived in the 16th century?

[LittleMosIron]

I would have died aged 7 from appendicitis. If not then childbirth or an infected tooth would have finished me off in my early 20's.

Why would so many people have died from tonsillitis? Quinsy, I can see. But tonsillitis? And many of the childhood diseases, whilst mortality rate was much higher I’m pretty sure it wasn’t 100%.

I'd almost certainly have died as a child. Asthmatic, prone to chest infections, eczema, allergies. Probably would have been a gradual decline. DS2 would have gone the same way probably.
DH and DS1&3 are hardy as anything and would have made it probably.

No because my mother would have died giving birth to my older sister! My sister was breach and enormous (2 weeks overdue) so the doctors had to give my mum an emergency c section! All very dramatic.

It's rather strange how many of us died in the 16th century. How did the human race continue? How did women manage to have 12 children?

Weird. Or could it be that we all like to believe we are survivors of something? I'm guilty of this too, but it's still statistically improbable whichever way you look at it.

I would have died in childbirth or possibly before from a serious kidney infection when I was about 10.

Appendicitis ages 10.

Crohn’s disease at 18 would have done me. I was severely anaemic and needed multiple blood transfusions as well as a bowel resection, intensive care and months of medication and enteral diet.

I’m amazed you were able to understand my poorly worded post!

Blood loss at 25 would have seen me off

Neither DC or I would have made it through the birth. Thank the Gods for modern medicine!

Probably because only people who would have died are replying. This thread isn't exactly an unbiased sample.

I have congenital hypothyroidism so likely would’ve died young and been quite disabled prior, I nearly died as it was in late 70’s

Assuming traditional medicine had somehow ensured I survived things like tonsillitis, infected wisdom teeth, and mastitis - my newly diagnosed gallstones would possibly have been a death sentence - which is a horrifying thought.

It's a really good question! Thinking about PPH, midwives could still have used ergot etc, though obviously not blood transfusions or antiseptic protocols that actually keep women from dying. Interesting to consider the little things too: deafness from uncured ear infections or unvaccinated measles; pock marks; terrible teeth; limping and unusable limbs that were broken and set without X rays. People did have spectacles 400 years ago, but probably not people who didn't have to read and write.

My first needed forceps, so I assume we would have both died in childbirth.

I'd have done fairly well until my 40s. My 3 dc were all born safely but when I was 45 I fell and snapped my tib and fib and dislocated my ankle. Might have got over that and been left a cripple.

But when I was 47 I got a skin infection which led to galloping sepsis and even today it was touch and go, it took 4 antibiotics to get the infection under control and I was down to 5% kidney function and they were prepping me for dialysis when the last antibiotics started to work.

Equally lucky that dh and all 3 dc are remarkably healthy. Dd2 had a hip condition which was finally cured by a hip replacement 5 months ago (she's 21) so she also would have been a cripple, but still alive!

I had a post partum haemorrhage. Not sure if that would have killed me as I had injections to make my womb contract I think and I didn't need theatre in the end.

Had triple negative breast cancer this year. It's the worse form of breast cancer and very aggressive. I'm a year post diagnosis so depending on how fast it grew and spread I'd be dead or dying.

I was going to say I wouldn’t have survived childbirth, but given that dh definitely wouldn’t have survived infancy I wouldn’t have had that particular pregnancy anyway, so who knows.

Would have died in childbirth if I’d lasted that long.

No would have died of appendicitis just after having dd1.

Nah, I was 3 months premature so I'd have had no chance. Much as I'd prefer to think I'd have been arrested for witchcraft or something equally colourful!

I think a lot of us are hardier than we realise. May not have may old bones but - like our ancestors - would have at least survived long enough to procreate.

I also suspect a lot of the very short-sighted folks (me included) would have been less myopic in the 16th century, as modern life is largely responsible for making our eyesight even worse. As illiterate peasants, chances are our eyesight wouldn’t be that bad.

Assuming I'd survived birth (complex forceps delivery after a 36 hour labour, so unlikely), I'd have lived to 31 tops. If any of the common viruses of the time hadn't got me I'd either have died from tetanus aged 7, or would have died in childbirth and taken DS with me.

I’d have survived my fist two pregnancies and later miscarriage but my 4th pregnancy was ectopic and would’ve killed me. It very nearly did. Although I think I’d have been burned as a witch for being gobby long before I had kids!

no as I got whooping cough when I was about 6 years old then an appendicitis when I was mid 30s.