How many here are ignoring their own health?

[lynn2]

Kim's comment on another topic really resonated with me. I was thinking just today that it has been about 3 years since I got a checkup and DH just went to the dentist after a similar period of absence. Not to mention the impact that all that stress and lack of time to exercise or meditate or whatever makes on us. (And don't forget, all that wine adds up )

[MomWithOCDSon]

But the wine is so tasty (she says as she takes another sip of her semillon blanc)!

 

This has been on my mind for a while, too. DS comes first, then DH, then me. DS is at some doctor of one ilk or another a minimum of once each week. DH gets to the dentist, though delayed, and he's seen his internist in the last year, thankfully.

 

Meanwhile, I was due for my annual in June, and I haven't scheduled it yet. I was due to the dentist in April, and I cancelled that and haven't rescheduled it, either! My blood pressure went on a rampage this last year, what with everything we were going through with DS and some family history of hypertension, so I was supposed to have seen my internist almost a year ago about that, but instead I've tried to keep a handle on things by exercising (when I can . . . which isn't as often as it should be), cutting back on sodium and purchasing and using a home blood pressure monitor.

 

We finally joined the Wii generation this summer, thinking maybe it would help both DS and I to get some exercise inside in these very hot, humid summer months. It worked great during the "novelty period," but now that gets sacrificed to grocery shopping, making dinner, therapy visits, etc. At least we're getting out for walks often as DS feels compelled to "hit the pavement" almost once each day to walk off what he calls "residual stress." I'm thinking of getting one of those beer can hard-hats for our walks, only I'll substitute a nice, chilled white wine and take a draw on that tube every block or so!

[Suzan]

I had to severely injure my back and neck to get me to slow down and force myself to think about me. I'm loaded with doctor, physical therapist and chiropractor appt's now for the next few weeks. After I get better, I have vowed to take better care of myself and exercise, get back on my diet, etc. Just had my physical and promised to schedule my mammogram but at least we agreed that I would do it by Thanksgiving. I just may be able to do that, if I remember. It's hard when the kids need so much to do all that for yourself.

 

Don't get me started on the wine. That's my downfall and I'm trying to stay away.

 

Susan

[kimballot]

Let's declare this TAKE CARE OF PARENTS WEEK.

 

I know some of our kids are having an exacerbation right now, but most of the kids are doing relatively well compared to cold and flu season. We are not in the thick of it with homework, germs, schools full of strep, and fall mold allergies. Let's see how many people can make at least ONE appointment for themselves this week. I just saw my general MD last Friday - for an appointment that I cancelled in January when my son started his last exacerbation! He gave me some referrals for tests to follow up on. I vow to call and schedule those appointments this week, and I will post online when I do it....

 

Anyone else up for the challenge!?!

[peglem]

I had my 1st doc appt. in 8 years this summer. I was kinda putting it off because I had to find a new PCP since we switched insurance 8 years ago. Had my mammo (its actually not as barbaric as it was 8 years ago). Hub has diabetes so he goes pretty frequently- but he has to manage his appt.s himself- my daughter's are about all I can manage.

[tpotter]

I made my physical appt on Friday. But, they had sent me one of those little reminder cards (thank goodness for them), and it kept bugging me not to be able to get rid of it!

[zazuk2010]

I have not had it in me to check myself all year. Then had some eye problems. The many docs I went to could not figure it out and I knew it felt like an infection so I took a z-pack I had at home. I got better, but more importantly.....my son was the best he has been since PANDAS hit May 2009. I have now had a ton of blood work to see what is really wong and perhaps if I have been givng him something all along. (I was tested for Strep a long time ago but nothing else). Of course I am so happy to see him feeling so much better (he even had a cold last week and slide thru it without a sign of PANDAS.....that has not happened once in over a year) But feel terrible at the thought that I may have hindered his ability to get better.

 

I guess my point is that there are so many important reasons to take care of ourselves. We just have to make the time even when it seems impossible. I wish I had made the time earlier, even just a check up might have made a difference.

 

Good health to all of us!

 

Best, Kari

[cobbiemommy]

After ending up in the ER with a panic attack that I thought was a heart attack I have been to my regular physician. She asked, "What's going on?" Well, you know, I had to tell her the whole story!!! Her husband is a chiropractic neurologist with an MD as well, she is a DO and did not seem phased by my story. She said we were on the right track but that I needed to take better care of myself. HMM... Can't seem to handle any wine or margaritas any more. Even one makes me feel wiped out. Trying to embrace clean living as healthy, but wish I could have a margarita!

[Doug]

I know I am!!

with all of the stress my weight goes up and down

now it is back up again

I am going to start back to my weight watchers program again

tomorrow!

Tracie

[Kay]

I finally had my appointment with my doctor in June, after being absent for 3 years, did the whole lot of blood test and was happy to see numbers that I thought for sure were going to be bad. Have a follow up in Septmber, my daughter has an appointment the same day and then I am off to the dentist ( had cancelled my last one)

 

Important for us to be well!

[norcalmom]

The beer hard hat for your work outs made me lol. Stress of deciding to finally get ivig has my heart palpating like crazy ( I was actually at my Docs getting ANOTHER strep swab bcs I'm convinced I'm a carrier, when my heart started doing the butterfly thing..which I had convinced my self was a muscle twitch..and I grabbed her stethoscope and said "quick listen to this, is this my heart?" of course it's your heart(you idiot!).

Also, my own autoimmune disease is flaring. I had Lichen Planus, which fully resolved about 4years ago, and now it's back.

Don't even talk to me about the mammogram order that has been sitting on my desk for 6 months.

For anyone out there thinking about ivig-it's nothing to have a heart attack over. I was sooooo stressed about it. It's going well so far, I wish I had done it last fall, when I initially contacted dr k. I needed to research fir months before felling confident that antibiotics weren't going to be enough. And run my son through every conceivable blood test known to man(except Lyme! Now we have to do that in 3 months).

 

I did buy some baby asprin for my purse on case I have a heart attack, but really need mire follow up. They wired me for 24hours to monitor, some missed heartbeats, but of course my heart didn't do the big flutter thing until I was driving away from cardiologist.

We had some problems in a vacation rental and I had to take a cold shower. I forgot about my heart until the water hit me, and all I could think was that ds would never get right care without me to drive it.

[lynn2]

"I forgot about my heart until the water hit me, and all I could think was that ds would never get right care without me to drive it."

 

That is so exactly the point. OK, I vow that this week I will make an appointment for a checkup and for the dentist (his appointments are months out, so by then everything will be easier to handle, right?)

[Worried_Dad]

Yep, guilty here too. My Crohn's has been flaring for the past year, blood pressure is too high, not enough sleep... familiar stuff, eh? Finally started trying to find out what's up with chronic sinus issues that have been growing worse for the past 3-4 years because I'm paranoid these are intertwined with my PANDAS son's issues: my ASO is 443 and rising, and the darned strep is hiding in there somewhere!

 

And the beer and wine posts hit home. Drinking a lot more of that than I used to: it's my OTC medication of choice!!!

[Johnsmom]

How about PANDAS and periomenopause? UGH! I was sick for almost a month after we found out about PANDAS. I was sick unitl the day before IVIG. Lack of sleep, eating bad, and completely draining myself.

 

My husband has mastered the lemon drop martini and now I am able to make my own when he is out of town. They are quite tasty on a hot suumer night. Anyone want the recipe?

 

johnsmom

[Stephanie2]

I definitely fell into this category up until about 6 months ago when I treated myself to a very expensive integrative medicine doctor. He whipped me into shape pretty fast (better energy, better ability to cope with stress, less depression, etc.). I still have a long way to go (like eat dinner, go to the gym, etc.). I always wonder how many years of life I will lose in the end due to my boys' health problems. It has taken so darn much out of me!