Prevention Over Cure.
The state of our health, whether physical, mental, or emotional, has a lot to do with everything we are and whatever we will become in life; that's why it's important that we are always doing the best for ourselves whenever it has to do with our well-being. You will agree with me that the importance of staying healthy can't be quantified, and we must have had or seen why health is indeed wealth.
At different times in my life, I have had to deal with minor health issues, and those experiences opened my eyes to the importance of going for regular check-ups even though I am still sometimes lazy about it.
I am not the type who loves going to the hospital because the hospital environment makes me uneasy, and that's probably because my mom treated her kids mostly with herbs while growing up. There is always a herb to treat anything that comes up, so I don't know what the hospital environment looks like until a time when herbs fail to treat me as usual. It was a funny experience that day because it took three nurses, including my mom, to hold me down before they could check just my temperature. It was my first time seeing a thermometer, and I thought it would hurt my armpit. Taking injections was the worst part, and that was how visiting the hospital became an option for me instead of just depending on herbs.
Going to the health center in my community back then was easy and smooth. They don't waste time, and we even got free drugs like paracetamol, vitamin C, and a few others. But the moment I left that environment, I had no reason to visit the hospital because the government hospital in my new environment is always crowded, and going to a private hospital wasn't an option. To worsen things, I developed a silly thought that even if nothing is wrong with you, the doctors will always see something after running a check on you which is somehow true, but would they claim there is an issue if there's none?
Everything changed for me some years ago when I got really sick and could barely walk with one of my legs. I tried self-medication for some time, but nothing changed, and I didn't have a choice but to visit the hospital, where my fears became a reality. It happened that before I was attended to, a nurse did some simple tests for me, and she screamed after checking my blood pressure.
I was given some drugs immediately and a compulsory rest at the hospital even before my leg was attended to. The doctor said if I went about with that blood pressure without a treatment to put it under control, things could get pretty worse for me. It was at that moment I knew the importance of regularly going for check-ups, and I ended up believing that the leg issue came up because God wanted me to know the state of my blood pressure since I wouldn't have visited the hospital ordinarily to check it.
In today's society, we have read stories of how people just die without falling sick or after a small illness that could have been treated. Many of them had illnesses they didn't know about, and unfortunately, it ended up taking their lives, and things could have been different if going for regular checkups had been a habit for them. They could have prevented some illnesses not to even speak of curing them.
I am not saying people who go for checkups regularly don't die unexpectedly. Yes, they do, but it must be after trying to treat an illness that didn't work out.
The last time I went for a check-up was in December due to my illness throughout November. My blood pressure hit a new figure, plus I had a severe chest pain that rendered me almost useless. The checkup in January was to see the progress of my medication, and I am happy about the changes. I feel a lot better now but will be going again mid-February, and after that, I can fix a time for a regular check-up.
It's a good thing to always check whatever is happening in our body so we can discover things and tackle them earlier. I know it can be challenging due to our busy schedule or the stress you have to go through at hospitals, in the hands of those annoying nurses, but it's worth all the stress. Going through all of that once in two or three months for our well-being shouldn't be a problem.
There is also a lot the government can do to make checkups easier, and the most effective of them would be empowering health centers that are available in different communities. That way there wouldn't be a long queue at general hospitals just to do check-ups.
When it comes to health never wait to learn from experience, just go for check ups from time to time and avoid waiting until it hits you.
That's true because while waiting, the unexpected can happen. We have seen many cases where people die of illnesses they never knew they had which could have been prevented.
It's important to keep going to regular medical checkup, what if you did go to the hospital at that moment, thank you realize the important of regular check up.
Only God knows what could have happened to me really because my job then was tedious and I wasn't resting appropriately. The experience opened my eyes to what I don't know and it brought some changes.
I still don't like the hospital environment but some things are just too crucial to be ignored.
Thank God for everything..
Exactly, sometimes we do things because we have to, not because we love doing it..
It is good that you did not heal your leg with herbs. I tgave you the opportunity to check on everything else and to start monitoring your health regularly. All the best wishes.
That's right mama, my BP would have escalated and resulted into something else but visiting the hospital changed everything for me.
It is always costlier to treat than to prevent, and less messy too.
I wonder why people don't just prevent.
It's not as easy as you think because life is not Equal for everyone. There are people who work Monday to Sunday just to make ends meet, they barely have time to rest not to speak of check up but I believe that when the importance of checking up, we wouldn't hesitate to do the needful.
I know for a fact that it's not easy. I also saw multiple cases that could've been prevented or mitigated with a better attitude to health as a medical student.
I know it's not easy, and it doesn't even have to be every year, or even ever. But at the very least, go to the doctor when you start noticing symptoms and they're still much treatable.
Our public hospitals are nothing to write home about. They're always so crowded and there's just so many patients and few doctors. But then, you can be sure that you'll be treated by professionals. Private hospitals, while more expensive, could end up hiring quacks. That's on risk. So, either way, you'll be taking a risk.
I'm sorry about your health challenges though, I'm glad you've been able to get it under control. I'm sending love and light your way, bro!😇
Thanks a lot brother and I really appreciate you. I believe that the medical sector requires lots of work in terms of infrastructure and workers because if the whole country takes this check up of a thing seriously, it will take weeks to book an appointment with a doctor.
The private hospital is nothing to write about, they charge like someone is destined to work and just hand them all your savings.
The blessing in disguise. God knows the best and has the perfect timing for the menefeststion of things.
The tiredness and hassels we face at the health care centers are an important factor to keep us away from regular check ups, aren't they? Moreover, the doctors sometimes prove to be inconsiderate adding to our negative experiences
It's indeed a blessing in disguise because I had no idea about my BP status which could have resulted in something else.
Doing check up regularly is good but the challenges attached in third world countries is really discouraging.
You are right about the third world situation. People hee strive to make the both ends meet let alone visiting health care for a regular check up
Health is wealth and so is true that prevention is better than cure, we must take our health seriously to avoid stories that touch.
Our government truly need to do better with the primary health centre so everyone will have access to medical checkup and facilities.
Well said bro, if the government can provide more facilities and improve the primary health care system, a lot of people will have more access to doing check ups.
Awareness needs to be created as well because many people don't know the importance of these things...
Self meditation is common in this part of the world but it's wrong. Never less I will still try my best to go for check ups.
Especially in Nigeria, we abuse drugs a lot in the course of self medication and it's really not helping.
It's important to prioritize our wellbeing and the regular check up will go a long way in contributing positively to that.