I like to think I am young and spry but my gray roots, eye wrinkles and longer run recovery time suggest otherwise....oh, and then there is that birth certificate thing. To compensate, I color my hair, try not to smile to increase the wrinkles and after 20 years, I have started stretching before and after I run. As great as these solutions are, they aren't enough.
In the past year, I have seen patients come in who haven't been to the doctor in years. They come in for a nagging pain that won't go away and less than 24 hours, they have had part of their colon removed and have a new ostomy. If you don't know what that is, look it up. If you are squeamish, look it up anyway. I don't want that to be me. Ignorance when it comes to your health is not bliss. My family health history sucks so that, combined with my job and what I see, causes me to try to be a bit more proactive with my health. When you are 40+ this means more than eating your fruits and veggies.
I decided I should get a skin check. I see a dermatologist fairly often anyway because even though I have aged, I swear I still have teenage acne. My skin is not my favorite feature. I have rosacea and eczema. I get heat rash when I am in the sun too long and various plants give me rashes. I am sure my Scottish heritage or my parents or someone is to blame for this but it is what it is. At my skin check, my dermatologist finds a mole he doesn't like and ask me how long it has been there. I HAVE NO IDEA. 20 years? 20 days? If it is not bleeding or painful, I don't pay much attention. He decides he wants to remove it. Right then. Being one for efficiency and time management, I agree and off it goes. I get a call back a few days later. You know when they call and ask you to call back instead of leave a message, it isn't normal. Turns out the mole isn't melanoma but it is atypical and they need to get the margins around the mole (read: cut some skin out). Today I am less one mole and some surrounding tissue and have a cool incision that might win me some points with my middle schooler.
Here's the thing..this is not an "eat your vegetable post." I don't eat all my servings a day although I do have a new affinity for brussel sprouts. There are other things we need to be doing once we edge closer to 40 and 50. So, humor me for a moment. Get your skin checked. Schedule your mammogram and your colonoscopy. Get to know your doctor. These are not hard things. This year I have been poked, squished, prodded and now cut. Big deal. If all of these minor discomforts allow me to be around longer for my beautiful little people - totally worth it. And if keeping up with my doc saves my colon or any other part of my body later, awesome.
