Five Health Tips for Women

October is my birthday month and it always leaves me feeling grateful for my health.  As the years tick by it also leaves me more intent on extending the life I have left to be one of quality.  For me this means being proactive and focusing on preventative health by scheduling annual exams and testing as recommended based on my age.  I’m sharing 5 Health Tips I’m not skipping!

Mammogram

Since October is all about the tattas I’m going to start here!  When you turn 40 this test should be the first thing you add to your annual calendar.  I’m not going to lie, it’s awkward and somewhat uncomfortable but so worth the 5 minutes it takes.

Well Woman Exam

I’m an oddball because I love visiting my gynecologist.  I feel like I spent so much time with this guy as he was my doctor for 3 pregnancies and that just makes me feel like we are bonded somehow.  I mean, I send him a Christmas card every year y’all!  I’ve always been somewhat of a low maintenance patient but some of the issues I’m experiencing midlife leave me feeling so thankful we have a long standing relationship.  My advice is to find a doctor who truly listens to you and who you feel comfortable sharing everything with.  Sure, checking out my uterus and ovaries is great too but I’m definitely at a point where the hormones are a bigger issue!

Physical

So, until last year I have never added an annual physical and just assumed my annual well woman exam was covering everything.  Hello, my gynecologist was never listening to my heart and like it or not midlife is not the time to skimp on overall health.  My primary care physician is more equipped to evaluate bloodwork, make sure I’m up to date on needed vaccines and order additional testing based on my family history.

Skin Check

It may seem like a waste of time as you don’t see anything visible to worry about.  Don’t hesitate to head to a dermatologist for a baseline skin check!  After my brother’s experience with melanoma, I can promise you I will not be skipping mine.  Finding something to be concerned about early is so worth not only the possibility of huge scars but also the peace of mind of full body scans and multiple trips per year if you put it off too long.

Colonoscopy

Nope, not fun to drink a bunch of yucky stuff to clean out your system but the actual procedure is no big deal.  Do you know why they call colon cancer a silent killer?  Without a colonoscopy, a person typically only finds it once it has spread to another part of the body and is already causing issues.  This is a test I refuse to skip after losing my dad to colon cancer.  One test at 50 and he could possibly still be here watching my kids grow up and instead he was gone by 58.  So if you have hit 50 order your test!

Bonus

Know your risk factors!  If you have any risk factors based on family history or your own current health markers, be sure you are disclosing EVERYTHING to your doctors.  Do your own research and make sure you know what testing is available and at what age you should begin.

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