My Journey With Weight Loss – Making Sure I Am Healthy And Not Just Fit

After my blog on Tuesday about my pace and keeping safe didn’t I have an arthritis flair up in my knee yesterday. I ended up cutting my last walk of the day short (ok, only by 1/2 a mile) but I did all the right things afterwards. I got home and immediately pulled out some frozen peas to put on my knee and elevated it while letting it rest. I’ve done a few doses of my prescription anti-inflammatory cream and by this morning my knee was a little stiff but not really sore. I decided to do my training and it went well. After my 2nd walk of the day (with the dog) I used the frozen peas again to make sure my knee isn’t aggravated and I can do my last walk of the day.

Wahoo, today is mammogram day! Ok, that was said with a lot of sarcasm as it is not a pleasant experience. But still every year without fail I get it done. My Mom died of complications from stage 4 breast cancer so I am considered high risk. I also ensure I have a physical each year as well as having a PAP test every 2 years. According to my doctor as I have gotten more fit it has meant I have gotten healthier but that we need to make sure I stay that way so I should keep getting all my annual tests done.

While I was out on my 1st long walk yesterday I ran into a long time friend. He was just starting his daily walk and we took a few minutes to catch up. He told me he was walking to get in better shape and maybe help his health issues. We were talking about what I planned to write on my blog today and he offered up a story. He recently had a prostate exam and his doctor is a woman. He said he put it off for a long time simply because of embarrassment but he finally realized this was an important test so he bit the bullet and got it done. He noted that women must go through similar embarrassment for their testing when dealing with a male doctor.

We got to chatting about the difference between men and women when it comes to their overall health. I gave my husband as an example. My husband didn’t see a doctor for years because he felt fine. When his best friend was diagnosed with prostrate cancer I finally convinced my husband to get a check up. Turns out he had hypertension so they put him on some medication. Unfortunately when he didn’t feel any difference taking them so he stopped. That led to fun things like a serious nose bleed. It took that to get him to understand hypertension can be a silent killer and that he needs to make sure his health is being checked out. My friend agreed, this tends to be what a lot of men do.

But let’s be clear, just because you feel fine and even if you are fit you may have underlying health issues. Find the time to see a GP and get an annual check up. My doctor runs a massive amount of blood tests on me once a year which is a good thing. For me this has meant motivating me as I have seen the results of these tests improve so much along this journey. Now, everything is normal. That doesn’t give me the excuse to assume I will stay healthy just because I am fit, it gives me the benchmark to keep myself healthy which can only be determined by my medical professionals.

So, make sure you to see your doctor at minimum annually. As you age, please ensure you are getting the tests you need no matter how uncomfortable they are. Remember, often times finding issues early can lead to a successful recovery. Do everything you can to not just stay fit but to stay healthy.