Preventive Health Check Up

Since college, I’ve dealt with health “issues.” It started with high blood pressure—I began taking one pill a day. As I got older, my doctor added another. At 40, I learned my father died of colon cancer, so I got my first colonoscopy and endoscopy. Small cancerous polyps were discovered and removed. The endoscopy also revealed acid reflux—more pills.

Recently, I proactively requested a CT scan of my chest to check for lung cancer since I do smoke cigars. Fortunately, no cancerous tumors were found, but they noticed cholesterol building up in the main artery to and from my heart. If this had gone undetected, I could have suffered a heart attack.

This latest discovery shook me because I had to push for the CT scan against my primary doctor’s recommendation.

I advise everyone reading this to be proactive about your health. If you feel something isn’t right, demand that your doctor listen to you, and don’t allow them to scare you with the cost. I’m fortunate to have excellent health insurance, and I take full advantage of it.

I have more years behind me than ahead of me. I don’t want to be the reason I die before my time because I didn’t do the work—annual physicals and visits with different specialists.

Don’t wait. Death waits for no one.