Preventive Health Care: Do the Damn Thing

NOTE: We will be going on a pilgrimage in October to Rome and Assisi, Italy. We’re happy to take your prayer intentions along with us. For more information, or to submit your request, click here.

Although it may not always feel like it, and despite what we often see on the evening news, we live in a remarkable time. Never in the history of the world have people been safer or healthier. Never. Ever. (Read the Old Testament.) We live longer and stay active much later in life than our ancestors did. And if you were fortunate enough to be born and live in the United States, the benefits of this era are even greater than they are in much of the rest of the world.

I have always believed that living in this day and age asks something of me: to participate in that extraordinary grace. We have the opportunity, and the responsibility, to do what we can to keep ourselves healthy, happy, and thriving. For me, that starts with an annual physical.

Look, I get it. We all have better things to do. But when you stop and consider the benefits of preventive medicine, is there really anything more important? With all the advances in medicine, one of our best hopes for avoiding catastrophic health issues is catching problems before it’s too late. You can’t fix what you don’t know is broken.

So I’m asking you to do the things. Start with a physical, then complete the recommended exams as soon as you can. I like to make it a game and see how quickly I can get my testing done. This year was a record for me: physical, mammogram, blood tests, and bone scan, all done within eighteen days. And none of those tests took more than fifteen minutes. I even managed to squeeze in my annual eye exam, too. And the best part? I don’t have to do it again for another year.

Let me remind you: somebody loves you. If fear is keeping you from following through, remember that early detection is always your best chance at full recovery, no matter the condition. The more you know and the earlier you know the facts, the more options you have. You make the world a better place simply by being here. Do what you can, while you can, to make sure you’re around to love others in return.