's motd Saturday February 5, 2011

[Guest guest]

I'M SO SCARED!

Saturday, 05 February 2011

So many of the Emails I receive

begin with words like these: ", I'm so

afraid of going to the doctor. I know that if I do,

she'll end up finding something wrong with me. In

fact, right now, my doctor wants to test me for

diabetes and do a stress test on my heart. I panic

just thinking about making that phone call to set up

the appointment. I have friends and even some

family members who went to the doctor for one test

or another then came away with bad news. I don't

want that to happen to me! Maybe those little

things I'm fearful of are just in my head. If I

just think positive and don't dwell on them, maybe

the problems will go away."

Okay, let me tell you all

something right up front. When you see there's

something not right with your body, you cannot ignore

it. You have to muster up the courage, do the

smart thing, pick up that phone and make an

appointment to see your doctor...right away!

When I was a kid back in New Orleans, I avoided

telling my parents when I wasn't feeling well. I knew

if I did, a trip to Dr. Veith, my pediatrician, would

not be far behind. At Dr. Veith's office, first he'd

weigh me, (gulp), check me out and find out

what was ailing me. Before sending me home with the

medication I'd need to get better, I'd also get one of

his lectures about me not taking proper care of my

body and, of course, about my weight.

So to avoid all of that headache, I'd just fake it

when I got sick. I'd pretend I was just fine when I

knew...I wasn't. How dumb was that, huh?

My friends, we get just one body.

That's it...only one. Hey, you don't have a

couple of spare bodies hanging in the closet next to

your favorite dress, do you? I mean, it's not like

you can take your head off and screw it onto a brand

new body that's in tip top shape, ya' know.

Let me ask, have you ever been

checked for diabetes? Have you ever had an EKG or

stress test for your heart? Have you ever gotten

scared because you found a lump in some part of your

body? Really, wouldn't you want to know if

it were malignant or simply benign?

A lot of our illnesses are weight-related. And I know

many of you hate going to the doctor because you don't

want to end up getting a lecture about your

weight, like I feared when I was a kid. But we're not

kids anymore and maybe you need a good

lecture from your GP every now and then. I mean, if

you can't trust your doctor, who can you

trust?

I just had a physical in January and I'll have a

second one in July. That's right, I get two a year.

And let me tell you, I really listen to my doctor. You

should, too. If something is hurting your

body, let your doctor know. I don't want anything getting

in the way of your living a long and healthy life.

And I want you to think about something else. I want

you to think about how many people love and need you

in their lives. Yes, you've got to think about them,

too. If you have children or grandchildren, I know

you want to be here to watch them grow up and

prosper. Don't you?

But if you're avoiding having a

medical issue checked out because you're scared, then

you're not doing the right thing for yourself or

for your loved ones. See, by putting off a medical

problem, you're only allowing it time to get worse.

If a test reveals you have some serious medical issue,

in most cases, when it's found early enough, it can be

cured and/or treated more efficiently, adding years to

your life.

But if you wait, wasting precious time debating the

issue in your head, then the problem will only get

worse. And if, God forbid, you wait too long, the

medical problem may get so much more serious, your

doctor may not be able to help you at all. (Let's

perish that thought.)

Please, don't be scared...be smart! If

you're worried about something going on inside your

body, call your doctor's office and make an

appointment...today!

Love,