An unchararistic public service message

While I've used this forum to vent from time to time, I've never used this space as a platform. I don't try to sway your vote or attempt to motivate you to be an agent for change.

Why? Because that's not what I want to read either.

This blog is meant to entertain  you as much as it is to entertain me.

However, I feel I've dropped a bomb of sorts and offered little explanation, so I need to remedy the situation. And I can't do that without wrapping it up in a little a public service announcement.

Last post I casually mentioned having had a cancer scare and ER trip earlier this year. I soon learned this was not good blog etiquette when I got a few concerned calls from family members, asking if everything was OK.

I am, in fact, OK. Thank you for your care and concern.

Sparing the details, I'll share this:

During a post-partum check-up and subsequent testing, my doctor found some precancerous cells. If left unattended, they would likely evolve into cervical cancer. As you can imagine, it was pretty scary. Sweet Pea was barely 4 months old and here I was, sitting in a paper gown, hearing the C-word get thrown around when all I wanted to do was go home and make goo-goo faces at my kid.

The good news is that we found the cells early and I had them removed as quickly as possible. And for the next few years, I'll be going in for frequent follow-up exams to make sure they don't come back.

And the heart pain? A few months ago, I was invited to attend a Go Red for Women luncheon. At it, I learned that heart disease is the leading cause of death among women and that factors like stress and heredity play a big role. I also learned that many women dismiss signs of heart disease that can lead to heart attack and stroke and that, at the first warning sign, women should call the doctor to be checked out.

A week or so later, I had a very upsetting phone call. You know the kind... the person on the other end makes you so upset/agitated/angry that you end up shaking.

Well, I had one of those calls. And, in addition to feeling shaky, I grew increasingly out of breath and began having discomfort in my chest.

I immediately thought of the luncheon.

"Holy shit. Am I having a heart attack?"

Rather than overreact and call the rescue squad, I decided to hold tight and see if the discomfort would go away.  After all, it wasn't really pain -- just an uncomfortable feeling. My blood pressure is always nice and low and my cholesterol is decent, so I was mildly concerned, but not panicked.

The pain subsided until the next morning, when it returned during my morning walk. We went to the ER where I got checked out. My blessedly low BP was really high, but the EKG was clear. The pain I was feeling was likely related to stress.

Stress? Who's stressed? I have four kids, work full time and had recently faced the prospect of cervical cancer. What's stressful about that?

And so, here's where my PSA comes into play:

We cannot always control what life throws at us, but we can control how we handle it. Treat your body well and treat those around you well. Remembering your annual exams is just as important as saying please and thank you. Live a full life, but don't take it for granted.

Savor. Linger. Appreciate the things that bring you joy.

I'm going to be 40 in a few years. Forty. No birthday milestone has bothered me more than this one. Forty (and forgive me if you're over 40) somehow sounds old to me.

So, having the kind of year I've had, I've decided to try my best to avoid crashing into my 40's feeling beat up or worn out. Instead, I want to cruise into them with the top down, radio on and a big smile on my face.

And someday, when I'm on the cusp of turning 80, I'll look back and think, "Forty! Damn, 40 is young! Ninety on the otherhand... now that's old."