Felice Cohen
Dying from procrastination
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We're taught early on to listen to our parents. And to teachers and police officers. But when it comes to listening to our bodies, we often turn a deaf ear. Unless it's a visible sign such as the chicken pox's hard to ignore red dots, we don't pay much attention
Like with that mysterious pain in the chest when you run on the treadmill or bend over to tie your shoes. Many push through the pain or just ignore it, since no one wants to be a hypochondriac, (OK a few in this city do). There are also many who turn a blind eye because of fear. But listening to certain pains, a.k.a. warning signals, could save your life.
February is American Heart Month, a time to recognize that our biggest enemy — and ally — is the thumping muscle in our chests. As this country's No. 1 killer, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is no joke, killing almost 2,600 people a day.
The American Heart Association, along with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, has launched the "Act in Time" campaign aiming to "increase people's awareness of heart attacks and the importance of calling 911 immediately at the first sign of symptoms." Many people often don't act until it's too late.
These same people however, act a lot faster when it's their cars with the symptoms or when their computers catch viruses. It's hard to ignore the ailments of products when our livelihoods depend on them. But when it comes to our life, who wants to know that something internal is in need of repair? This leads many to ignore the warnings without a second thought. Yet at what point does being overly sensitive override paranoia?
My friend Norman is 66 and in great shape. He recently climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and maintains his healthy heart by climbing 54 flights of stairs three times a week with his wife. But a few months ago he noticed a pain in his chest.
"I climbed until the pain became unbearable," said Norman, "I thought it was digestive so I'd take an antacid." But the pain remained.
After passing a stress test, he ignored the pain, which was easier than ignoring his wife who nudged him to go back to the doctor. Sure enough, during the angiogram on, of all days, Valentine's, a blockage was discovered in his heart and a stent was inserted.
Norman now sees things differently. "We're not talking denial, we're talking stupidity. All the signs were there, but I thought 'this can't be happening to me, I'm in too good a shape.'"
The key is, knowing your body. If you're at high risk because of your genetics, weight or stress levels, then checking it out is smart. If you don't listen to your body, who will?
My paternal grandfather died from colon cancer. However, my Uncle Larry claims it was from procrastination, since he'd ignored the signs for years. However the real reason my grandfather didn't see a doctor was fear. Unfortunately, that one reason outweighed the other 25: his wife, four children, 11 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
How many reasons will you need?
Comment on JWR contributor Felice Cohen's column by clicking here.
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