As youngsters, we were encouraged to believe that patience was virtue.
That made sense, at that time, since young people tend to be somewhat impulsive and, thus, a little sober second thought is often a good thing to curb poor decision-making.
The problem is that, if we maintain that perception of patience into our elderly years, we may be doing ourselves a disservice.
It is well known that most people do not develop a consistent relationship with their family physician, do not get the kind of regular testing and physicals necessary to catch most health problems at their earliest stages, and do not act on unusual symptoms as quickly as they should to reduce the risk of cardiovascular or cancer-related irregularities.
When it comes to something changing in our physical or mental health, we tend to procrastinate more than act.
I’m not trying to suggest that every ache or pain needs immediate medical attention. There are many transient factors that can make our health seem stressed at one point or another.
However, when we do not recover in a matter of days or when there is a long-term change in either our physical functions or our mental capabilities, then it is important to seek help quickly.
Our bodies strive for consistency and constantly follow a process of healing to return to normal.
Changes that hang around for more than a few days are usually caused by an irregularity that our natural immune systems are not capable of eliminating. Such circumstances should not be ignored.
Although I am only on the edge of being a senior, I have already heard many, many stories of regret from my parents’ generation and my own, so many that I have begun to think that the person who really pays attention to his or her health is the exception, not the norm. In fact, by the time most people truly engage our medical system, they have come into it in crisis.
This might well explain much of the anxiety that goes on about waiting lists and lack of time available from medical staff. You can’t expect much calm in a system that must respond constantly to crises.
I listened to a conversation recently between two siblings who were in complete anxiety over their aging parent. She had reached the point of being unable to take care of herself, due to Alzheimer’s, but still had days when she thought she could and refused to accept that she should leave her home. In fact, she’d told one of her children that if he took her from her home, she’d hate him forever.
“But what if she has a serious accident when she’s on her own?” the other asked.
They both knew she was at risk and they both knew what the right decision was to protect her from moments of uncertain judgment. Still, they could not make a decision against her momentary wishes and will likely not do so until a crisis hits.
In matters of health, patience is not a virtue and, ultimately, catching issues early and acting wisely is the best strategy to follow.
Graham Hookey writes about education, parenting
and eldercare
(ghookey@yahoo.com).