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April 2009: Adopting A Preventative Approach
When I think of teachers I can't help but think first and foremost of one of my dearest friends who was an incredible grade school teacher who always showed compassionate and caring for the children that she taught (she was also a ton of fun). Her teaching legacy, however, ending up being much different than the typical skills taught at the grade school level like reading, writing, and arithmetic. When my friend Kristen was 34 she experienced hip pain that gradually worsened to the point that she could no longer stand. During this time, she tried a lot of different treatments and nothing seemed to work. She eventually really pushed her doctors to do some further imaging at which time it was obviously that something was seriously wrong. A few months before her 36th birthday, Kristen died of cancer. Kristen's cancer diagnosis was very rare for someone so young and the doctors were never able to identify the primary source. By the time, a diagnosis of cancer was determined it had already metastasized to her liver and then crept through the rest of her body. I really want to share the lessons that Kristen taught me through her life and death:
- You can never underestimate how well you know your own body. If YOU think something is wrong with your health don't stop asking questions and seeking other opinions until you are completely satisfied with your answers.
- You can do everything right - eat organic, be a healthy weight, exercise regularly, avoid toxic behavior (like tobacco, alcohol, and high stress) and still get sick. None of us our immune, nor are we too young.
- Death is inevitable for all of us, how long we have and what we do in that time is the unknown. Kristen always walked with an extra bounce in her step, a twinkle in her eye, and a joy for life. It makes me wonder sometimes if she somehow knew that she needed to take advantage of every day because she was going to have a lot less of them to enjoy…
- The most important lesson I learned though is NEVER TAKE YOUR HEALTH FOR GRANTED. Do whatever it takes to preserve and nurture it so you can live like Kristen did and make the most of everyday that you have!
Commit to taking care of yourself and adopting a preventative approach to your health. Lose that extra weight, stop smoking, de-stress, and make sure you schedule regular check-ups with all of your health care providers.