WELLNESS CHECKS!--Get Your Annual Physical.

     September is a month that holds some very important health awareness campaigns- plus it’s Healthy Aging Month. Healthy Aging seems to be everyone’s mantra now.  From skincare to cellular health, everyone wants to age in the healthiest way possible. If you don’t normally have an annual wellness checkup with your doctor, now may be a good time to make an appointment for a “fall checkup” and make the time to take care of yourself before any health issues arise. Another good time- that’s easy to remember- is your birthday month. Take care of all your appointments such as medical annual exams and dental cleanings in your birthday month. If you get in the habit of this every year then you won’t ever fall behind on your annual visits-- which is easy to do when life gets busy with day-to-day schedules. 

     These important health awareness campaigns all fall within September and the list here covers some of the cancers that are not often detected early because oftentimes symptoms don’t appear until later stages. That is why annual bloodwork and lab tests are important to catch certain cancers in very early stages before any physical symptoms usually appear such as in ovarian, prostate, and childhood cancers.

              September Health Awareness Campaigns:

• Blood Cancer Awareness Month
• Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
• Ovarian Cancer Awareness
• Prostate Cancer Awareness
• National Atrial Fibrillation Awareness
• National Cholesterol Education
• National ITP (Platelet disorder)
• National Sickle Cell Month
• Polycystic ovarian syndrome month
• Healthy Aging Month
• Sepsis Awareness
• Yoga Awareness Month
• Newborn screening awareness
• National Recovery Month
• World Alzheimer's Month

     Many people will be affected either directly or indirectly by one or more of these health issues and it’s important to be an advocate for yourself as well as friends and family. Being a good advocate also means being knowledgeable and proactive as well. Familiarize yourself with symptoms of certain cancers that usually are not discovered until later stages with physical symptoms-- such as ovarian and prostate cancer, so that if it comes up in conversation with a friend or loved one you can urge them to see a doctor and get checked. That’s why getting annual bloodwork is so important to knowing what your baseline numbers are every year. If there is an unusual change your doctor will see it right away. Being a good advocate for yourself also means not letting a doctor tell you “you’re fine” or “you’re too young to get that kind of cancer”…there are rare cases and there are people getting certain cancers like breast cancer in their early 20’s. So, if you have a feeling something is just not right, keep getting tests until you are shown the “all clear.” Some people will present only rare symptoms that some doctors are not very familiar with in their everyday practice. That is why it’s important to listen to your body, you know yourself the best, so trust yourself.  In the end, you have to be a proactive advocate for yourself or a loved one. Stay well, friends!