The gross type of self-care for women.
Now if you are a woman and of a certain age, you will have had your fair share of tests, bloods, smears and samples taken from your body. As we get older, it seems to happen more often and let’s be honest, some of it is kind of gross. Things being stuck in where we don’t want them, small humans coming out of them, creams to rub on, samples needing to be sent off, tests coming back with more things like infusions, vitamins and hormone levels to manage. It can feel like it never ends.
But making the appointments, getting the tests done and reconciling, the at times, gross procedures for the sake of our health, are all self-care activities. They aren’t facials, massages, nail appointments or weekends away with the girls, but they are still self-care. Maybe more important self-care activities than the others because they focus on our health and how to stick around for the milestones, adventures and fun of life for as long as possible.
After all, if I didn’t make the decision to get my health checked in 2017, I would not be here now. Self-care at its finest.
The blood work was done a couple of months ago and surprise surprise, or rather no surprise, the vitamin D levels were on the low side. Pill popping commences as the QLD sunshine trip was a fail. The breast tissue was squished to painful levels last week and this week the 5-year smear took place. The nurse at Ballarat Community Health was great and explained the self swabbing test technology has now come up with. She went through the usual checks and now at the wonderful age of 45, she informs me I am eligible for the bowel screening too. What a fabulous thing to be ‘eligible’ for! I’ve ordered the test and added it to my list of gross self-care tasks to do as I enjoy the privilege of getting older.
We may struggle to find the time and sometimes the money to get these gross self-care activities done, but the time they gain us on this adventure we call life, is invaluable. I spent 10 years neglecting me and all that I needed before I made the decision to check on my health. I have become extremely proud of that one decision as it lead me on an adventure of self discovery, regaining my health and empowering myself and others around me to re-discover our worth.
There were some pretty shitty times, loads of changes to diet, physical make up, exercise (I joined a gym to get bigger glutes, so I could sit down for longer haha), vitamins and the management of the psychological effects of major weight loss thrown in too. Who knew your brain could suffer so much from weight loss and the brilliant power of Zinc on the brain!
These days, the gym and physical activity are those that I enjoy and that help me to undertake ‘old lady body prep’. Just today I saw a quote from Miriam Margoyles and the regret she has for not exercising in preparation for getting older as her lack of mobility reduces her to walking with a walker now.
In my exercise I choose what I enjoy and revel in the knowledge I am doing it with the assumption I will be much older and mobile for much longer as a result. If it turns out I say goodbye earlier, I’ll still be proud of what I do, the fact I enjoy it and why I did it.
That one brave decision to get my health checked, was the catalyst for so much change for the better for my life and those around me. Go me! If the disempowered, neglected me can make that decision for change and let it take me to greater places, it can take you there too. You can do this!
You will hopefully not have life threatening health issues to wade through and recover from. Hopefully you don’t. But if you do, know it can be done. Either way, support is here, and an empowering voice is never far away to remind you, you are bloody fantastic, and the world needs you at your best in it!
