“Your exam was normal.”
Those were the words I wanted to hear from the nurse this morning. Ten minutes later the doctor came in and confirmed that the colonoscopy he had performed just a little while earlier was all clear!
The nurse then went through the list of things I cannot do today:
- DO NOT drive or operate machinery today. I’m not sure if a computer qualifies as machinery or not.
- DO NOT consume any alcoholic beverages today.
- AVOID making critical decisions or signing legal documents for 24 hours.
As the doctor left he gave me my doctor’s orders for the day; go home and take a nap. It’s always best to follow doctor’s orders, so I did.
This was my second colonoscopy. My first was ten years ago at 52. Doctors recommend getting your first one at 50. I put mine off for two years because I was afraid of the process as it had been described to me by those I knew who had endured it. I was also afraid of the possible results. I sometimes have this weird mindset that if I don’t know about it, it can’t hurt me or it isn’t a problem.
Here’s the bottom line for me, I’m afraid to go to the doctor. I’m afraid of what I might find out. No news is good news.
I’m also afraid not to go to the doctor. That fear has become the greater fear of the two. What if I have something they can fix and I don’t get it checked until it’s too late?
Apparently, I am not alone. Just Google preventable deaths and you’ll find all kinds of studies on how many people die each year for a variety of reasons just one of them being an unwillingness to go to the doctor.
For me to go to the doctor, I have to muster up a lot of courage. The fear is still there every time I call to make the appointment. It’s there every time I walk into the doctor’s office. It was there this morning
For me courage shows up when I think about having to tell those I love that I have a disease or condition that is going to take my life sooner than it should because I was afraid to go to the doctor. I know the pain of losing a loved one way too young. That pain never goes away.
Trust me, I understand the financial aspects of going in to your local clinic these days. I get that it is very expensive. The cost of finding out too late is much higher than taking the preventive actions that are available to us. The cost then is even greater in emotional dollars than it is in US dollars.
In your life, who will pay a price for you not having the courage to go to the doctor?
I understand your fear. Get the courage to go, not for you, but for those you love!
2 Timothy 1:7
Have a STRONG and COURAGEOUS DAY!
