Autumn Years Spring 2024

Me: “Oh good grief. So what can I do about that?” Body: “You need to start by making me your first priority. Like your car, if you don’t maintain your body properly, you will increase your chances of serious problems. You wouldn’t use inferior fuel so why eat unhealthy food? You wouldn’t avoid driving it, so why would you not exercise to keep your body in optimal running order? Also, when your car develops symptoms like not starting properly, running rough or handling poorly, you quickly check with a mechan ic to find out what is wrong and have it fixed. Why not do the same for yourself? And most importantly, you wouldn’t miss your car’s routine checkups and maintenance, so why wouldn’t you schedule routine physical examinations that can enable your medical profession al to find things even before symptoms begin, at which time, in many cases, it may be too late?” Me: “Okay. If I do all that, will you promise that you won’t bother me with any more symptoms?” Body: “No promises on that one, but I do promise not to actually talk to you again.” Me: “Well, it’s been nice and I learned a lot, but yeah, don’t do that anymore. And don’t tell anybody else about this conversation or they might send me to a psychiatrist!” Body: “Deal. As long as from now on you pay attention to my messages, get routine checkups and do all you can to stay Fit for Life !”

bornly refuse to seek help.” “People will cognitively avoid things they don’t want to be real; it’s a natural defense mecha nism” says Dr. Kim Lavoie, co-director of the Montreal Behavioral Medical Centre. “Many people delay seeing their doctors…and when they finally make an appointment, they tend to minimize their symptoms.” Me: “Sounds like that could lead to serious problems.” Body: “Absolutely. In fact, a study in the British Journal of General Practice found that almost half of cancer patients ignore early warning signs such as a per sistent cough or an unexplained lump. And a study in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that only one in five people who have heart attack symptoms call for help.” all do when we are faced with some thing we are afraid of. But also there is everything from fear of the outcome to not wanting to make a fuss or wasting doctors’ time. And a lot of people just use “busyness” as an excuse for procras tinating or completely avoiding seeking medical advice. Me: “So I don’t need to see a doctor unless I have one of your nasty symptoms, right?” Body: “Nope. I can be a real trickster too. There are many serious illnesses that don’t present any symptoms at all. They are “asymptomatic.” Me: “So it’s mostly about denial?” Body: “Well yes, denial is something we

Me: “Wait. Before you actually started talking, that last one was pretty much the only sound I ever heard from you.” Body: “Yeah but some of that is the fault of your terrible food choices!” (Both laugh) Body: “Okay, okay, let me continue. There’s also headaches, night cramps and/or sweats, loss of appetite, weight loss or gain, mood changes, confusion, suicidal thoughts, loss of vision, hearing, taste, smell, tingling or numbness… Do you want me to go on?” Me: “No, no. I’ve got the picture and the message. So symptoms can be an indica tion of disease or disorder. How do I find out what the problem is?” Body: “A lot of people first try to find out online, which is a good start but just remember that Googling your symptoms is the most efficient way to convince yourself that you are dying. There are actually even “symptom checkers” avail able online. Even though some of them are provided by reliable sources like WebMD and the Mayo Clinic, there are so many variables in diagnoses that it is unwise to rely entirely on these for the answers you require. You really need to discuss your symptoms with your healthcare provider who can then do ap propriate tests in order to find out what is going on. Me: “I’m not good about going to the doctor until it’s an unbearable situation.” Body: “Well you’re not alone. Symptom denial is more common than you might realize. And it’s particularly dangerous for older people whose health status can change rapidly when they stub

SPRING 2024 I AUTUMN YEARS 13