Time to see the doctor!

The first time my mom took me to get a check up from gynecologist I was terrified. I was thankful that my doctor was a female, but didn't know what on earth to expect getting checked "down there". But the doctor was kind and respectful, and did her best to help me feel comfortable in an uncomfortable situation.

Still, I walked out of there dreading the next time I'd have to go in. I'm pretty sure I was a senior in high school, which meant that if I went in the future I would have to "adult" and set it up myself. And I think it may have been years (like maybe not till my pre-marital exam) till I got a gynecological check-up again.

The same thing went for my teeth. And my eyes.

Fast forward to February of 2004, where I sat cooped up in a hospital with a traumatic brain injury while eight months pregnant. I was a fall risk, and a serious one. I had double vision and terrible balance, short-term memory problems, and weakened muscles. I was a mess, and I couldn't be alone-- couldn't shower alone, couldn't use the bathroom alone. They would check me everyday, pretty much everywhere.

The story surrounding this event is really pretty involved (and I don't remember some of it...), so we will leave that for another post.

It was life-changing for me for numerous reasons, but one thing in particular I got out of it was that my doctors were working in my best interest. They wanted me to heal, they wanted Allie to be born safely. So when they performed tests on me, or when my therapists pushed me, it wasn't to torture me. It was to help me. Admittedly, not every doctor is an honorable as mine were, but I believe many out there are.

Since then, and since my healing, I have seen my gynecologist every year, as well as my optometrist, my dermatologist, and my dentist, whom I see twice a year. Oh, and I see an an endocrinologist every six months, because having a baby gave me hypothyroidism. Yippee!

I realized that part of caring for myself was allowing others who are trained to understand my body to look after it. They check for signs of disease and cancer, which I am so grateful for. As much as I hope none will ever be found, if any is there I sure want it to be found quickly!

My challenge this month from Cheryl Richardson's The Art of Extreme Self-Care is one that actually isn't too difficult for me-- to give myself a tune-up! I already have an appointment scheduled with my gynecologist, and another with my dentist. Actually, I have appointments scheduled with the others as well, but they aren't till the Fall, so I'll just do what I can.

If you haven't given yourself your own tune-up in quite some time, I encourage you to do it! Do it out of love for yourself and out of love for your family. If you don't trust your doctor, ask your friends for recommendations and find a new one. But find one. And see one.

You might end up just needing an oil change, but if your transmission is about to go it's better to find out now than on the freeway!