Ah Valentine’s Day! Flowers, candy, jewelry, all beautiful gifts for the loves of our lives. While these gifts are wonderful and I wouldn’t turn down any of them, I came up with a gift that can be added to them.Give your spouse a complete physical!

No, not that type of physical! The type I'm suggesting is called “The-Gift-Of-Making-Sure-You’re-Healthy-Darling,” also known as, “Get-Thee-To-The Doctor-For-A-Complete-Check-up, My Love!”

Most of us are procrastinators when it comes to medical issues. We avoid dentists and doctors unless we “absolutely have to go.” There are even some people who have the attitude that “I don’t want to know if anything is wrong with me.” That attitude is not only wrong, it can end up killing you!

Your health is your gift not only to yourself but also to your spouse. You owe it to both of you to get a physical and find out if everything is alright and if there is a problem that you catch it early on.

Men are more difficult when it comes to going to the doctor for anything that is not totally necessary. (Totally necessary for some men may mean having a finger reattached or some such dramatic episode!) But in all seriousness, most men have to be dragged or nagged to go to the doctor for a physical when they are “feeling fine.” Alan only found out about prostate cancer after he was made to go for a physical for a teaching position. I thank that Board of Ed. everyday in my mind for that.

To be fair, even though I have always had to be careful of sunburn because of very fair skin, I never went for a check-up for skin cancer until I had a slight dryness that wouldn’t go away. Thank God I went because I had squamous cell carcinoma.

Alan’s surgery and my own have made us the leaders of the pack, so to speak, about getting the message out to friends, family, and readers, to “GET THAT ANNUAL CHECK-UP!!”

While some tests are slightly uncomfortable and others definitely embarrassing, all are worth it to ensure good health. Here are some things that will make going to the doctor a bit easier.

1)Don’t go alone. Make a deal with your spouse to go together for common tests, (cholesterol, heart, colonoscopy, etc.)

2)Go along as moral support when your wife goes to the gynecologist or when your husband goes to the urologist. Make a date for lunch or dinner afterwards to talk and hold hands. Be there for each other and let each other know that you want them alive and well to share your married life together.

Care about yourself for yourself and for each other. When one of our relatives said prior to going for a physical:
“What have I got to lose?”

We replied:
“Nothing if you go; but you could lose your life if you don’t.”

Happy Valentine Day!! Kristen and Alan

Sacred Jude in my life, Miracles abound!!