Since moving to New York I’ve taken my sweet ass time finding new doctors. Recently, I finally made my way to the eye doctor. I thought I just needed some new cute glasses but after a very thorough examination I realized those headaches were not from thinking too much but were because my prescription was grossly over-prescribed. I went from a -5.75 to -4.25. Wow!

It is usually during my various doctor appointments that I wish I had a go to guide on “How to Be an Adult.” You know, a checklist for how to look for an apartment, sign your lease and ask for a raise at work. In this book, it would also include what to do at your eye doctor appointments, dental appointments and so forth.

If you were raised liked me, you may have experienced a sheltered childhood. (I couldn’t even manage to work a payphone in high school.) Or even if you weren’t sheltered, you may have had a slightly OCD mom who took care of everything. Thus, you find yourself 26 years old wondering how you managed to forget to bring important paper work with you to your appointment.

This is what I learned from my eye doctor appointment.

1. Go to the eye doctor every year.

2. Take your glasses and/or your contacts with you to your appointment.

3. Keep a medical file/book on the history of your health. Have tabs for every area of your health, a list of your current medicines, any major surgeries and such. This comes in handy for all your various doctors. There are many workbooks you can buy or print for free offline to put in a binder. There is even an app!

4. Pay attention to all the extra cost. When something is suggested, be sure to ask if its covered.

5. Be confident. This is something I need to work on when it comes to my doctors. Sometimes I feel as if they treat me like I’m a 12 year old and I’m a grown woman. It is your health, your body…the doctor is there for you!

6. Choose your doctor as selectively as possible. I have decided its important that my doctors have a personal touch, sensitivity and a bit of a caring spirit. If your doctor freaks you out, makes you feel uncomfortable or feel like crap, you should find another doctor.

7. Ask a million questions. They get paid enough. Its ok. Even if it seems insignificant. Shoot, just last year I thought I just had a bad cramp and it turned out I needed emergency surgery. Don’t play with your health.

8. PARENTS: Explain what is going on to your children. As you are filling out forms and asking the doctor questions for your child, explain this to your child. This will empower them and they will know what’s going on!

9. Donate your old glasses if possible. Find a legal, reputable charity that you are ok with and consider donating old glasses. If you really dig your frames, like the ones pictured below, ask your eye doctor to put your new prescription in those frames!

You can find many many many list and resources online. My list doesn’t encompass everything but its a start.

Photo Credit 1: Here

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Last year I had emergency laparoscopic surgery due to a ruptured ovarian cyst.  This happened two months after Maura passed. One month after the five year anniversary of James’s passing.  And a mere week or two before my grandmother passed. It was an interesting summer, to say the least.

I waited until I was doubled over and unable to walk before practically being forced to go to the emergency room by my colleagues and my doctor. I’m one of those people who’s arm has to be falling off before I’ll say, “I think something might be wrong.”

Since that time I’ve taken the time to pay more attention to my body. While I was never a fast food, junk food eater…I spent the year becoming an eco-conscious eater and not just a “healthy” eater. They are different, I suppose. Rather than just eating my carrots and peas, I ate organically and naturally. I looked up whether those peas and carrots were in season and if they could be purchased locally. Putting the right things in my body makes for a happy, healthy Sheena.

I took the time to work on meditating and yoga. While I’m not where I want to be, meditating and doing yoga daily, I am on my way there.

Point is, I’ve been giving my body some time. I’ve listened to it. Taken care of it. Last year, I wrote…

My advice to you. Know yourself! Know your body, your mind, your emotions. Because when you know yourself, you know your levels for pain tolerance, you know when something is wrong, you just know. And when you question it and everyone else arounds you even your doctor says go to the ER…don’t go home. Don’t play with your health.

This life is so short. The body so temporary. This is all so shallow and the real depth is far deep inside where you flesh can’t even reach your spirit. All this is true.

But you still want to take care of your body. Go to the dentist. Go to the doctor. Go to the GYN. Go to the eye doctor. Have a primary care physican. Take your contacts out at night. Floss your teeth. Get a pap’s smear. Eat healthy. Live active. And when something is wrong, don’t dismiss it. It doesn’t make you a weak minded or spiritually weak individual to be weak physically. I think we can help to NOT have a weak mind or spirit. But when it comes to the body…it’s designed to be temporary. So pay attention. Find rest. Sleep well. Surround yourself with uplifting people.

And when at the doctor…ask a billion questions. So many of us are fucked over because we just don’t know, we are ignorant of a certain thing, uninformed…. and that’s of no excuse. Even my four year old sister knows you can look things up on google.

Your body is NOT forever. Your spirit and soul are but not your body. What has helped me is to remember that I am holy and sacred. Every time I want to eat something that isn’t that great for me, I asked myself, “Would a god eat that?” I know. Perhaps its arrogant or weird but it works for me. When I think like that god that I am, it changes how I treat myself. I imagine that a god would eat raspberries and not a big mac. A god would drink spring water and not sprite. A god would do yoga, not watch give hours of tv. A god would use instead soft cup and not tampons. (These are just my opinion. Live as you see fit.)

I am not attributing my diet to the need for my surgery. The surgery just highlighted that I need to take complete control over my body. Master your body. You have the freedom and choice to do so.

While the recovery was painful and the medicines made me loopy and I have scars that will stay for a very long time, there were some great moments.

1. The hospital food was AMAZING!

2. I learned how to make a Shamrock shake with SJ

3. This conversation happened and I love it.

Mr. Officer, upon my bragging of hospital food said, “I bet they don’t have Thai on the menu!”
“Shut up” I said.
“Yea, you’re getting better. You’re telling me to shut up again. Should have had them poke around your attitude while they were in there,” he said. At which I laugh and then it hurts.

4. I learned about some new gods and goddess.

Panacea and Hygeia are two roman/greek goddess of health.
Bast is an egyptian goddess for health
Thoth is an egyptian god for healing and medicine
Saint Raphael the Archangel is the patron saint of health in catholicism. Means god has healed.

What are you doing to make and/or keep your body whole? How are you taking care of your body?

Photo Credit 1

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