TRICK OR TREAT?
You’re probably thinking, “That’s a shame but he’s ancient, so I guess his daughter’s situation doesn’t have much to do with me – at least not yet.” Or, you might think, “I’m a guy. Thank goodness I’ll never have to worry about breast cancer.” Wrong on both counts. My daughter was 29 years old when she was diagnosed, not much older than you are now. She met a young woman at the walk today who is also a survivor – at 20. And as for men, a male friend of mine who served as a judge and district attorney also fought breast cancer. Yes, we can have it, too.
There’s
no history of breast cancer in our family, no genetic markers to warn us. Luckily, my daughter detected an irregularity
and instead of ignoring it because of her age, she had it checked out. Even the doctors who examined her said it
probably wasn’t anything to worry about.
But the pathology report said something different. Following treatment, my daughter’s chances to
live cancer-free are very good. Without
early detection, it would be a much worse picture.
When
I was a student at Trinity, I didn’t think much about my health unless I was
injured or sick. One of the joys of
youth for most of us is that we don’t have many health problems. But that doesn’t mean we should ignore simple
precautions. Self-examination isn’t just
for narcissists. Check yourself
regularly for things that look or feel odd or irregular. Pay attention to
changes.
Get
a flu shot. Who needs flu at the end of
the semester? Eat a balanced diet. Get plenty of sleep. Exercise regularly. Spend time with others. And with yourself. Don’t smoke.
Drink and eat in moderation. Good health requires maintenance. It’s as much a part of success in life as any
of your other good habits.
Attending
to your health now, along with some luck, will help ensure that you don’t have
an unpleasant surprise later. Happy
Halloween and Dia de los Muertos!
Geary Reamey
Alumni Sponsor
Alumni Sponsor
