Being Proactive About Your Health

I had a great day yesterday. I kept busy doing fun things. In the morning I went to a model train show. In the afternoon I went out and bought a holiday tree and garland for the outside of our house. I set the tree up and put the lights on it and decorated the house. Last evening Dan and I spent a little time at a friend's holiday open house then we went out to dinner.. It was god to get back to a normal life after several intense days focusing on my heart problems.

I can't get over the fact that if it wasn't for my determination to take care of myself, I might be walking around today and not know about my condition. The whole thing started when I was 50. I didn't have to go in for that initial colon cancer screening, but I did. I had a polyp removed and that put me on the five year schedule for re-screening. When I was 55 I went in for another colon cancer screening. At that time the medical practice required that I have an echocardiogram first because of a heart murmur. When I had the echo, that's when I was told for the first time that I had a valve problem.

So I've been going for heart checkups since that time. My yearly echo this year showed significant progression of the valve disease. So I took it upon myself to get a second opinion - from a surgeon. That lead to the discovery of my bicuspid valve and aneurysm. One thing lead to another, and another, and another. But if I hadn't been proactive (I love that word!) about my own well being, I could still be in the dark about all of this, or worse, I could have colon cancer from an untreated polyp or dead from a burst aneurysm.

I've known people my age who refuse to go to the doctor to get checkups, etc. Many of them are ticking time bombs. It's no wonder people die at a relatively young age from conditions that could have been addressed, and their lives saved.